sorry to shit on your parade but it ain't coming any time soon...

The majority of titles people are interested in (T2, Total Recall) are English language features and have English language extras. The other titles, if released in the UK, will have an English-language option for the extras.

How long do you imagine it takes to update software with the appropriate number (1,2,3,4,5) ? It's just the flick of a switch away, once the DVD forum working group decide on how the regions are going to be divied up.

Let's say they do implement region coding.

Our machines are region free as of today and will remain that way until a firmware update is released.

....and it will be our choice to update or not.

Is it? What if the HD-DVD comes with a firmware update on it? What if the HD-DVD won't play until the firmware update is implimented?

Not me. I usually listen to the commentary and almost always watch the extras unless it's a obvious marketing peice.

How much sense does this make?

Survey says....


0%

Although you guys, I'm sure, think you're trying to be level-headed about all of this, it really just comes across as HD-bashing. You're trying to dispute facts with speculation that isn't logical.

You're thinking of Sony's PSP.

An HD-DVD that implements a firmware update?

Sounds a little far-fetched.....especially since studios/manufacturers will not want the added liability of dealing with possible hardware malfunctions.

There cannot be an HD DVD that requires a firmware update to play, because it would then be outside of the HD DVD spec. All HD DVDs have to work on the players as they were when the spec was finalized.


Also, even if region coding gets implemented, all discs produced before the region coding is implemented will not be affected, as they are all regionless.

Probably that's where the idea from. I do realize now that such a prospect would be problematic. Not so much now, when there's only two players, but once the market expands, providing firmware for all possible players may be problematic.

Doesn't Toshiba now provide firmware upgrades via network connection? So it's already opened itself to it, upgrade via disc would be just another delivery method. You may be correct that studios will not want to get involved though.

What if the spec is updated? For example, people have been speculating about TL HD-DVDs. However, TL HD-DVDs would violate the spec as it stands now, and may not work on current players with current firmware. People still seem to think TL as a possibility though, so an updated spec seems a possibility. And if region-coding is part of an updated spec, then region-coded HD-DVDs will be to spec.

This is true. However, if region-coding is implemented, non-region coded HD-DVDs may end up in the minority.

Also, it's certainly a possibility that current region-free players may be able to play any future disc, regardless of later additions. However, again these might end up to be the minority.

Hopefully, if any region-coding is ever implimented in HD-DVD, it will be able to be as easily bypassed as current DVD region-coding.

This will be exactly why they will not provide firmware on a disc, as it would have to contain firmware for every player. If they enable it, it will be via the ethernet connection that is mandatory on every HD DVD player.

I think the entire point of these releases and MS helping them with these releases is due to them being able to play on US HD-DVD machines. You'd think that toshiba would make sure not to introduce region codes for the time being so that hd-dvd owners can say they can get movies from any studio that are released overseas.

However, this is a double edged sword. This will most likely upset movie studios who own the original rights in the US for the film, and would make them even less likely to release on hd-dvd, if ever. They would see it as HD-DVD double crossing anyone whos not on board with them, and in turn, push blu-ray even harder.

I should also add that there will be Universal flicks available overseas from other studios for blu-ray as well. So this doesnt pertain to just hd-dvd. Just keep it in perspective, its not a win-win like so many see it.

Perhaps, but Blu-ray has region coding in place in the hardware and software right now. HD DVD doesn't.

Well, as long as these Universal owned-titles appear on BD in Japan, then it could be played in an American BD player.

Anything outside of the US/Canada/Japan will not be playable on an American BD player, whereas HD DVD can play HD DVDs from anywhere in the world.

Exactly one of the reasons Blu-Ray has more exclusive studios. They are actually protecting the content for the studios best intrest. I know it seems like a benefit to HD-DVD owners, but it can be looked upon as a big negative as well. And as supermallet stated, any of those universal flicks to be put out on Blu-Ray in japan will be able to be played on a US machine.

Doubtful.

If they really gave shit.... I would not own a 100+ import titles for SD-DVD.

It's possible. But Sony has tried these types of things before only to find that the market hates them. Their tagging of cds didn't last long. Maybe this will work, though. They definately need to keep it from being online until they have won the war though, or it is the type of thing that would help keep them from winning.

Dave, Blu-ray region coding is already in effect. We're the same region as Japan.

In reality, the amount of people who will opt to import movies will be small, so in the long run I think implementing region coding on HD DVD would be a waste of time. I mean, look at how easily DVD region coding was overcome.

True. Does someone here remember RCE?

My eyes are bleeding and my country's crops grow fallow as waves of locusts attack my populace, but I actually agree with Blitz on this one. Any rational person would look at strong overseas sales of HD-DVD titles only available on Blu-Ray domestically and say, "Well, I guess there's a strong demand for those titles domestically from HD-DVD owners."

The studios have time and time again (DVD region coding, MPAA cigarette burns, DivX, fighting VHS/Beta, this format war) shown that logic has no place in the way they do business. I can see this happening to a Fox title and a BRA member going up to Fox Studios and saying, "Look! They are circumventing you and buying your movie in France! They're a bunch of un-American pirates! Never support HD-DVD!" And Fox would go for it.

They do give a shit. And this is for a $14MM movie.

Image discs had that long before it even had a name. And Sony RCE discs typically didn't suffer in popularity.

I think that scenario (with the studios getting 'upset' and pushing against the 'double-crossing' HD DVD) is unlikely.

I think it's more likely that they'd either:

a. Ignore the issue (much like they have on standard DVD) or
b. Realize that they are losing some sales to imports and consider releasing on HD DVD in the states