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Region-free DVD players -- does everybody know this but me?

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David Spear

(i)

I live in Japan and just purchased a "Kones DVD-3000" from an outfit in California for about $500. This DVD player is both region-free and Macrovision-disabled, meaning that not only can I play DVDs that I order from the US as well as ones I buy locally in Japan, but I can also copy my DVDs to videotape (for personal use, of course) via an S-VHS output. It also supports SECAM, PAL, and NTSC. This is not a modified or "cracked" unit, but built that way by Samsung and shipped in a factory-sealed box. Makes me feel kind of dumb for buying a Japanese Toshiba SD-1200 DVD player less than 3 weeks ago. What's up with all this region-coding and Macrovision copy protection stuff if units like this one are readily available from a major electronics manufacturer? Is there some kind of loophole that Samsung is exploiting here?

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Re: Region-free DVD players -- does everybody know this but me? JCW 02:12:35 07/31/00 (2)
The software companies are pushing the hardware manufactures to put in the regional code thing but all hardware companies I know of leave some room to make their DVDs restriction free...and its not economical to make so many versions. It ends up that most DVD players are factory ready fo all code, or locally modified (as simple as a switch or a hidden sequence of buttons) but all support by factory. Nothing new.
- Re: Region-free DVD players -- does everybody know this but me? David Spear 18:03:57 07/31/00 (1)
  Thanks for the explanation. I thought that region-coding and Macrovision were licensing requirements for ALL manufacturers of DVD players, and that region-free, Macrovision-disabled units were only available as "gray market" or "cracked" products. That's why I was surprised that the Kones DVD-3000 comes that way from the factory. The user's manual, ironically, makes a big deal about regional restrictions and the inability to copy DVDs to videotape!
  - Re: Region-free DVD players -- does everybody know this but me? JCW 23:02:58 07/31/00 (0)
    I agreed with their copy restriction but against the regional code. The regional code is for parallel import and protection of regional distributors but with the internet, there shouldn't be any regional restriction! What about those portable DVD players....

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