2007-10-04 09:27:00 · 9 answers · asked by James 2 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Other - Electronics
These are the facts:
When DVDs were being developed, the film studios, movie companies and copyright holders wanted more control on where and when movies were released. This hadn't happened with videotapes.
They got together in 1988 and formed the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG). MPEG forced the production companies to regionalise their DVD releases, so the films could be 'drip fed' into different markets across the world. This was to keep demand (and profits) high. The format was known as MPEG-2.
So, if you wanted a film that was released in America (Region 1) you would have to wait until it was released in Britain (Region2). This was because MPEG also forced the manufacturers of DVD players to regionalise their products, too (much to the disgust of the manufacturers, who did not agree with MPEG's rules).
Of course, human nature being what it is, we all turned around and stuck two fingers up at MPEG. Hence, 9 out of 10 DVD players sold in Britain today are 'multi-region' and will play DVDs from anywhere in the world.
Nowadays, MPEG has moved it's influence elsewhere into TV, on-line streaming, mp4 players, etc.
2007-10-04 10:58:39 · answer #1 · answered by Nightworks 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A video format describes how one device sends video pictures to another device, such as the way that a DVD player sends pictures to a television, or a computer to a monitor. More formally, the video format describes the sequence and structure of frames that create the moving video image.
Video formats are commonly known in the domain of commercial broadcast and consumer devices; most notably to date, these are the analog video formats of NTSC, PAL, and SECAM.
Why it is not a universal format is beyond me, but it is not. The video format used in the USA is called NTSC and Europe and Asia is PAL & Secam. Unless your playback device has a video decoder/converter, it will not play unless it is NTSC.
2007-10-04 16:38:31 · answer #2 · answered by SacTownFlash 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
despite all the conspiracy theories listed there is a simple explanation. It has to do with the advent of TV way back when
the US standardized its picture standards earlier than Britain, it has to do with resolution. Britain didn't have TV as soon as we did so they waited longer to standardize. So we have NTSC and they have PAL. They actually have a better picture than we do until we crushed them with our HDTV.
So it is just a timing thing when the countries standardized there formats, nothing more
2007-10-04 16:41:10 · answer #3 · answered by no one special 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
part of it is film releases (the film companies say this) more than likely a dvd is alot cheaper in the usa and its to stop us buying them there !
heres the boring reason
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code
2007-10-04 16:32:03 · answer #4 · answered by Nutty Girl 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Different regions.
2007-10-04 16:50:42 · answer #5 · answered by taxed till i die,and then some. 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well razzle has it pretty much. but the technical reason is because there two diff formats.
the united states uses NTSC and Europe uses PAL format
2007-10-04 16:30:46 · answer #6 · answered by robfronte 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
they will if you buy a multi-region dvd
2007-10-07 17:21:03 · answer #7 · answered by the devil wears camo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i agree with the person abover me
2007-10-04 16:30:14 · answer #8 · answered by josephahn72 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
to make all the companies more money of course.
2007-10-04 16:29:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋