Why release different content in different regions?
 

I've been waiting for a SE/CE/2-disc whatever of Lilo & Stitch for ages - we all knew it was coming just had no idea when - and after looking at the Ultimate Disney site I see there are a pair of SE's out in R2. Then of course there are all the other region LE's with the niftiest packaging imaginable. Why do it? Wouldn't the yucks in the US be more likely to buy anything? I know region free is the way to go on these, but I'm too cheap to go and get a nice R-Free player, when my current one is nice and sexy.

Well sometimes the rights are owned by different companies in different regions, which would help explain why there are differences. But with Disney, I suspect they control all the rights to Lilo, so I have no good reason why it is like that.

Ah, liscencing. Fooey. But I'm talking about more mainstream movies than niche films. I'm not much of a savant or artiste, just watch what I and the other enjoy.

Generally, the other regions have lower sales and require more content to get potential customers interested in buying the DVD over the region 1 release.

Ah that makes a lot of sense actually. They do it there because they have to, and dont do it here because we'd buy about anything. But wouldn't the cost of producing whatever extras and releasing them here be easily covered by the numerous buyers anyway. Guess I'm just a bit peeved.

but we would buy it twice...

and if you live in asia, you can get a "movie only copy" on the street for under two bucks...so they must add the features.

other liscencing (like the pink panther box) just fall under the...it would make it too expensive in the states.

Hmm.... maybe we should stop buying these thin versions in protest. I bought an R4 version of Bram Stoker's Dracula instead of the US R1 version because ours didn't have the documentary I wanted. It certainly wouldn't have killed them to add it here... unless they plan to play the "new & improved" game and re-issue it here someday.-rolleyes-

i knew it was coming, but when? and are there any specs?

Supposedly coming in fall along side the release of L&S 2. Should be features on par to the euro releases. Check the Ultimate Disney site.

One of a few Disney animated titles I don't have yet. Glad to here about a SE coming up, so I'll be waiting for this one.

-AC

Agreed. It is the only animated classic that I don't own that I actually enjoyed. For shame Di$ney.

Region 2 and such would most likely not suffer many more sales to region 1. However the first part of you text is true. Remember that many of those who don't speak english as a first language would perhaps want subtitles. And you can't find nearly any stores that sell region 1, wich is why i buy them over the internett.

The "new" SE R1 will just be a porting of the R2/R4 version that's out there already ... It includes English, French, Spanish (and on disc 2, 5 additional languages).

The movie itself is on disc 1, with commentary by Chris Saunders, Dean, and a lady whose name I cannot remember.

Other features spread out over the 2 discs include a behind-the-scenes "making of" documentary that is well over 2 hours long, several deleted scenes including the "death of Pudge the Fish" and the original 747 ending, an additional music video (the a*teens one is still there, this one is new), more games, and at least another hour's worth of docs and featurettes.

Mind you, this is all from memory, and is from my R4 Australian dvd.

The R1 version is supposed to be released at the same time as Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, which is on my birthday ... August 30. :D

region coding also deals with the fact that a movie may come out on dvd in the US or another country before it even hits the theater in other countries. a lame attempt at combatting piracy and things like that. also, it used for releasing different versions of a film, depending on censorship issues or keeping films that have been cut due to objectionable content out of other countries.