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US and Japan to share region code?

Bluray_1 According to PC Advisor, a report in a Japanese newspaper is stating that the US and Japan will share the same region code for Blu-ray discs. Existing DVDs have had separate codes for the US and Japan, though haven't been difficult to crack. Next-generation disc manufacturers have been looking at changing the current set of 6 DVD regions.

Those backing HD-DVD are said to be waiting to see what the decision on Blu-ray is before proceeding in order to make things less confusing for customers.

Of course, none of this has been officially confirmed, but it makes for some interesting rumour. Though a region-free system would be good, it's not going to happen and the UK/Europe will probably be stuck in their own region apart from the US and Japan, whatever happens there.

Powermat: Revolutionary Gadget Charging

Posted by Andy Merrett on August 17, 2006

Comments

If USA and Japan do become one region while we are forced into another i'll probably end up buying a Japanese player (for their general superior build quality) and just not bother with the European releases.

Posted by: Simon | August 17, 2006 10:04 PM

...Unless they implement a DRM system like WMVHD where you have to get a licence to play the content online. The licence server may not issue a licence to a request from a UK server. This has happened with at least 1 WMVHD title that I know of.

So much for free trade... these big companies can export all our jobs overseas for convenience, but when free trade is implemented by consumers it's a different thing.

I just hope this is hacked fairly quickly like DVD region coding. To be honest these film companies are going to push people into the hands of the pirates the way they are carrying on.

Posted by: Kirsty McTear | August 18, 2006 7:42 PM

Indeed, it will be a matter of time before its cracked soon to be followed by 'region-free' players in your local asda/tesco/whatever for next to nothing.

As for the DRM you mentioned, I have that problem with my copy of T2 Extreme which means you have to find a working US proxy just to get the damn film to play! Such a pain.

Posted by: Simon | August 18, 2006 9:01 PM

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