| DVD: A Success with Electronic Consumers | | | | worldwide," it would mean that the discs contain no |
| The Digital Video Disc or DVD is a preferred medium | | | | regional coding and will play on any player in any |
| for viewing, recording, and distribution of movies. | | | | country. |
| DVD has been one of the most successful consumer | | | | This system however was an inconvenience and a |
| electronics products ever since its introduction as an | | | | limitation for free availability and usage of the DVD |
| optical storage disc. It can store and play video, | | | | movies in most countries. Recognizing a market |
| excellent quality audio, still photos, and computer | | | | requirement in this field, certain companies |
| data. Due to its varied set of utilities beside video, it | | | | manufacturing DVD players incorporated the |
| is also called the "Digital Versatile Disc." | | | | "region-free" feature in the new DVD players. Thus |
| Design and Release of the DVD | | | | were born the region-free or code free DVD players |
| The DVD was first created as a 'high-density CD' in | | | | that had the capability to play DVDs from any region |
| the year 1993 by a group of software companies. | | | | all over the world. A provision was made in the |
| Two different sets of companies formulated their | | | | players to switch codes using a remote control to |
| specific formats for the DVD. The MMCD format | | | | match the disc region code. Now, players are |
| was supported by Philips, Sony, and some other | | | | manufactured with the modification for multiple |
| companies, while the SD format was supported by | | | | regions, or provide simple instructions to users to |
| Matsushita, Time Warner, Toshiba, and several | | | | reach the region change feature that's built into the |
| others. A few companies led by IBM proposed the | | | | DVD player. |
| combining of two existing competing formats into a | | | | Different Standards for Countries |
| single standard format. Thus, the DVD standard | | | | Countries have different television standards that are |
| format combination was formally declared in | | | | incompatible with those of other countries. These TV |
| September 1995. | | | | standards are broadly classified into NTSC, PAL, and |
| The DVD is not owned by any single company, as its | | | | SECAM. The PAL and SECAM have the same |
| official specifications were designed by an alliance of | | | | scanning formats, so their discs are the same. Most |
| ten companies: JVC, Hitachi, Matsushita, Philips, | | | | of the modern television in SECAM countries can also |
| Mitsubishi, Pioneer, Time Warner, Sony, Toshiba and | | | | read PAL signals, so one can use a player that only |
| Thomson. Time Warner had trademarked the logo | | | | has the PAL output. U.S., Canada and Japan all use |
| for DVD at start, but thereafter, it was assigned as | | | | the NTSC television system, while most of Europe, |
| "DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation" or DVD | | | | except France, uses the PAL system. |
| FLLC. The term "DVD" was considered to be so | | | | The NTSC and PAL standards are incompatible with |
| common that is could not be owned or trademarked. | | | | one another. For example, if one purchases a PAL |
| Keeping New Releases "New" in Every Country | | | | European DVD movie, one should have a PAL |
| To maintain the novelty of newly released movies in | | | | standard television to be able to watch the movie. If |
| Hollywood, Motion Picture Studios in the U.S. wanted | | | | one's television is NTSC, the DVD will not play. |
| to control the availability of new movies around the | | | | Similarly, purchasing a NTSC movie and trying to |
| world. Movies are released on DVD at different times | | | | watch it on a PAL-only TV will not work. |
| around the world, typically first in America and | | | | Only if one owns a multi-system TV can he view |
| Canada, six months later in Australia and Japan, and a | | | | both the NTSC and PAL-formatted DVDs. However, |
| year later in Europe, after the U.S. release. In some | | | | a region free DVD Player with a built-in PAL to NTSC |
| cases, DVD movies can be purchased in America and | | | | and NTSC to PAL converter enables a viewer to |
| Canada even before they are released in the | | | | watch different system DVDs. External converter |
| European cinemas. | | | | boxes are also available in the market, which can be |
| Due to the movie release system used by | | | | attached to the DVD player for the desired result. |
| Hollywood, it was decided that the world was to be | | | | Some codefree DVD players are able to decode |
| divided into six major zones or regions. Each region | | | | NTSC and PAL with a simple flip of a switch, enabling |
| was assigned a unique code, from one to six. They | | | | the user to watch imported DVDs on the same DVD |
| introduced the marking of DVDs and DVD players | | | | player. The latest software tools like Adobe "After |
| with their region codes, specifying the region where | | | | Effects" and Canopus "ProCoder" are specially |
| they were produced. By this technique, the DVD | | | | designed for the purpose of converting between PAL |
| players produced in one region were incompatible | | | | and NTSC at low cost, but they are applicable only |
| with DVDs produced in another region and would not | | | | for the production function, as in converting the |
| be able to play them. Establishing this system was | | | | video before it is encoded and stored on a DVD. |
| aimed at preventing people from watching Region 1 | | | | It is legally permitted to own a code free DVD |
| movies before they were released in Regions 2-6. | | | | player, but it should not be used for illegal purposes. |
| Hence, the DVD Region Locking System is used to | | | | It is always advisable to check one's state and |
| control which DVD movies play on which DVD | | | | federal copyright laws as a precaution. Hence it is |
| Players. | | | | legitimate to have one's DVD player modified to |
| Region Codes on DVDs | | | | regionfree mode and view DVDs from any region |
| The region code is generally marked on the back of | | | | code. |
| the individual DVD packages with a regional coding | | | | Region free DVD players are manufactured by many |
| logo of a globe with the region number superimposed | | | | leading electronics companies such as Samsung, |
| over it. Sometimes it is specifically spelled out naming | | | | Toshiba, Yamaha, Pioneer, Polaroid, LG, Tenlab, |
| the region in which it will play. If it states "available | | | | Denon, and Cyberhome. |