The Queen

[starbkjrus]

Hmmmn. I am not sure about a national launch date for the DVD, but it was emblazonned across the front of a newsletter I received from a Mail Order company a few days ago. "Available the first week in March" is what it stated.

Amazon.co.uk is listing it (£4.00 cheaper than my mail order company! Can Tesco beat that, I wonder?) with a release date of March 12th -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...619519-0521241
Don't all rush now!

Just so everyone knows...A European DVD will not play in a DVD player purchased in North America. Wait to order from Amazon.ca or Amazon.com. Amazon.co.uk only lists "Zone 2" format. That's Europe.

[Dreadbelly]

You can easily hack your DVD player to be region free by reseting the PRAM in the machine.

And then it will play anything, from anywhere, with no restrictions.

Edit.

The RIAA tries to say this is illegal and an act of piracy in the USofA. This is not true. Once you buy a DVD player, YOU OWN THE HARDWARE. And you are free to do with it as you please, including resetting the region lock program flashed in to the machine. They have started a big legal battle over this, saying that people rigging up their DVD players to play region free is only being done to watch pirated movies and what not, and all the implications that you are a criminal. Only a criminal would tamper with perfectly good hardware at factory specs.

That hardware is violating your rights. And don't be fooled in to buying instructions to make it region free either, google is full of sites returned on a search that will sell you the instructions. Just type in the make and model of your machine and the words region free, and you should net a result on the simple and easy to follow instructions on which buttons to press on your remote control to remove the block.

[Rusty]

Dread,
thanks for the heads-up I'll check mine tonight as I have a DVD from the UK I want to review.

[Fearnest]

They have started a big legal battle over this, saying that people rigging up their DVD players to play region free is only being done to watch pirated movies and what not, and all the implications that you are a criminal. Only a criminal would tamper with perfectly good hardware at factory specs.

When DVDs are illegal, only criminals will have DVDs!!!

(Sorry, I just had to toss that in there.)

Thanks for the info, Dread! I'm sure there are many XMarkers who are scrambling for their player info...

[Dreadbelly]

Sorry if I sound like a raving fanatic, but I am. The RIAA is a floundering dinosaur stuck in a tar pit, trying in vain to preserve a business model that no longer exists. It is a global economy now and the web has changed everything. If I want to buy DVDs from some Asian clearinghouse that are perfectly legal, come in English, and only cost me a dollar each, it is my right to do so. I shouldn't be forced to buy the same DVD for 20 dollars or whatever just because the RIAA has imposed and lobbied for so many taxes and fees on consumer products. If the RIAA has their way with the music and movie industry, and gets things like regions established as actual laws, this means a monopoly of sorts with American only DVDs, and they could just keep jacking the price up and screwing us.

[McClef]

There's another issue besides the region coding to be aware of.

Different colour formats.

Region 2 use PAL whereas Region 1 use NSTC and though Region 2 players have no problem playing NSTC discs I'm not sure it's the case the other way around.

Should play OK on a computer but may not on an NSTC player.

[Splash_4]

There's another issue besides the region coding to be aware of.

Different colour formats.

Region 2 use PAL whereas Region 1 use NSTC and though Region 2 players have no problem playing NSTC discs I'm not sure it's the case the other way around.

Should play OK on a computer but may not on an NSTC player.

In the US, it depends on the player. Some of the higher end players will play both. The cheaper asian knock offs do not.

[Mike1]

Sorry if I sound like a raving fanatic, but I am.

Let's move back on topic afore this one gets out of hand.

[Dreadbelly]

You must also be careful of certain DVDs, made by companies that are stooges of the RIAA... There are some DVDs out there reportedly that when you place them in your DVD player will reset the firmware and the region to where they should be. This is actually a criminal act, sort of like Sony's Rootkit fiasco. Funny, the RIAA has no problem breaking the law and violating your rights, but who can hold them accountable?

Some of the new Disney DVDs now actually jack your firmware and make it impossible to skip past or fast forward past the endless previews of Disney films. Sort of like how you can skip or fast forward the anti piracy warning screens.

Edit, sorry Mike. This posted and then I saw your warning. Maybe this can be shaved off somehow and this DVD discussion could be moved in to a new thread if the mods have that power? Thanks in advance.

[starbkjrus]

Let's move back on topic afore this one gets out of hand.

>>>>>>>>>>yaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnk>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >

It really is an excellent movie. Helen Mirren was asked in an interview if she expected a call from HM The Queen. She just laughed and said no, not really. A news article is reporting now that she's to be invited to tea with HM. If that's true then I assume the movie was well received at the palace. Ms. Mirren has portrayed ER I and ER II amazingly well and I understand that next she's doing Mary, Queen of Scots.