This is a FAQ for the UK.MEDIA.DVD Usenet newsgroup.

This FAQ is designed to cover issues pertinent to the UK DVD industry. It also covers questions relating to General DVD issues that are commonly asked in the newsgroup.
For more information on DVD issues not covered in this FAQ a list of alternative sources of information are provided in the links section.

This is Version 1.6 of the FAQ.

It is primarily maintained by John Willis.

For a list of other contributors, please see Acknowledgements (Section 11.1) below.

Any comments/omissions/corrections etc. should be addressed to JohnWillis@Reviewer.Co.Uk if you wish to have them included in future version of the FAQ.

If you wish to help maintain/add to this FAQ then please e-mail JohnWillis@Reviewer.Co.Uk and we can sort out how best you can help.

New contributors are always welcome :-)

It will be posted in it's entirety on a weekly basis (normally on a Sunday night) in a plain text format to the UK.MEDIA.DVD news group under the heading: -

- FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - UK.MEDIA.DVD (Full Post/Updated)

A separate post: -

- FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - UK.MEDIA.DVD (Links)

Will be posted on a more regular basis, (normally Wednesday nights) pointing users to the web based versions of the FAQ and telling them how to request a text copy by e-mail.

You can have a current text version of the FAQ emailed to you by sending an email to

getfaq@reviewer.co.uk

The most current version of this FAQ is always available at the following web site:

http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/umdvdfaq
 

Various sites kindly mirror this FAQ. These are listed below:

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk
http://www.dvdanswers.com

Mirrors also appear in the 'Links' post to UK.MEDIA.DVD.

If you wish to offer to mirror this FAQ, Please contact: JohnWillis@Reviewer.Co.Uk with details.
 

As if you can't tell from the title :-))
UK.MEDIA.DVD is a forum for discussing anything related to DVD, with a bias towards UK related issues.

Yes!

The group charter is available at http://www.usenet.org.uk/uk.media.dvd.html

This is the official group charter and people are expected to read and follow it.

If you are posting commercial posts to the group they must be preceded by COMM: to indicate their commercial nature.

Before posting try a search at
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&group=uk.media.dvd to see if your question has been answered recently.

Problem (Bug) reports for common DVD player's can be found here.
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk under the Bug Reports section of the menu.

Try to use appropriate prefixes on your posts, several common ones are...

OT: - This is for off topic posts.

BA: - Bargain Alert - Found a great deal and want everyone to know about it? then use this. DONT ever use BA: for commercial advertisements as you will just offend the locals ;-).

Always use COMM: for any commercial advertisements and make sure there relevant and not posted frequently.

Several other common prefixes can be found in the 'Is the trading of DVD's allowed on UK.MEDIA.DVD?' section.

No, However, general good behaviour in both content and language is appreciated.

Yes!

UK.MEDIA.DVD generates a large number of posts and people tend to get restless if the same questions are asked again and again.
Before you ask a question it is advisable to search the recent posts for the group to make sure that your question has not already been answered recently.

Trying a search on
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&group=uk.media.dvd can also turn up many an answer to a question.

Yes, In fact the trading of DVDs is very common among the group.

However before you jump of the trading bandwagon, there are some important points to note, both regarding the newsgroups policy on trading and general good graces.

Firstly,

The newsgroup has several methods that are used to identify what type of trade is being offered.

These are identified by prefixes in the 'Subject' field of the message.

They are as follows:

FOC: ‘Free of charge’. This is normally uses in the many little ‘view and share’ schemes that run within the group. Expect to pass FOC titles on to other group members when you have finished with them.

FS: 'For Sale'.

FT: 'For Trade/Swap'.

FA: 'For Auction'. You should be using one of the many on-line auctions for this.

WTB: 'Want to buy'. Include in the subject the name of the title and region, in the body of the message type the maximum amount you are willing to pay.

All the above prefixes are for PERSONAL trades ONLY; if you are a commercial trader or offering commercial services then please use the COMM: prefix on all messages of that nature.

Secondly,

There are some good graces that are used when trading with other members of the group.

It is commonplace to finalise a deal using e-mail away from the newsgroup.
As soon as you have finalised a deal it is normal to exchange addresses and for the buyer (in the case of sales) to pop appropriate payment in the post within a few days of the deal being finalised.
As soon as payment is received, it is commonplace for the seller to pop the DVD(s) in the post and send them off to the buyer.

Note: Some people will insist on cheques clearing before they send goods, some will not. It is at the discretion of each individual trader as to how they conduct this however it is good grace to inform the other party of their choice before the deal takes place.

In the case of swaps of disks, it is common for both parties to send off the disks within a couple of days of finalising the deal; this shows an element of trust on both parties.

There are moves within the group to compile a 'Good traders' list, when and if such a list is made available I will post links and information here.

Generally Yes,

If you wish to discuss the plot of a film in UK.MEDIA.DVD then it is common practice to include *Spoiler* or *Possible Spoiler* in the subject of the message and not to mention the plot in the subject.
It is also normal to leave a few blank lines at the top of the message.

This gives anybody who may not have yet seen the item in question a chance to avoid having any key elements spoiled for them by giving them a chance to avoid the message/thread.

E.G.

"Whatever DVD/Film *Spoiler*" would be better then
"Did you see that bit where (etc.)" as the subject bacause it gives nothing away.

A DVD or 'Digital Versatile Disc' is a disk superficially like a CD containing an exponentially larger amount of data, either computer, audio or visual then CD allows.

DVD is different both in it's make-up and capacity from that of standard CD formats (Both Video-CD and CD). It offers a far greater capacity then any CD format and, in it's video format, offers potential picture quality far in excess of that offered Video-CD, it also offers the option of up to around 4hours of this quality video on one site of the disk (Dual Layer format)

The Digithetre is a standalone Dolby Digital decoder, amp and speakers.
It is suitable for smaller home set-ups and PC's, it also decodes Dolby Pro Logic for existing videos and alike. The quality is not as good as that of a dedicated system however it is not to bad for approximately £200 all in including an active sub and makes an ideal entry into the world of Dolby Digital.

There is also a DTS model avalable offering better speakers and sound.
There is a review of the DTS model on http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/

A 'Region Code' is a way of ensuring that material intended for 1 region of the globe cannot be viewed on a player from a non-compatible region.

Region 0: All areas of the world. (Dependent on video standard)
Region 1: Canada and U.S.
Region 2: Japan (NTSC), Europe, South Africa, Middle East.
Region 3: Southeast Asia, East Asia, Hong Kong.
Region 4: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, Caribbean.
Region 5: Former Soviet Union, Indian Subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, Mongolia.
Region 6: China.
Region 7: Unused (Reserved).
Region 8: Special international venues (airplanes, cruise ships, etc.).

RCE is a way devised by some of the major film studies to prevent DVDs playing on players that have been modified to play DVDs from regions other then the region of purchase. In reality RCE is little more then a mechanism designed to trick you player into admitting it's not a genuine Region (X) player.

Similar systems have been used by Disney in the past and all of these systems can be avoided if your player has an option to manually set the region. Most automatic modifications also work with RCE with the exceptions of some older chips for Toshibas.

There is a dedicated FAQ on the subject at DVDTalk http://www.dvdtalk.com/rce.html this also includes a list of RCE titles.

The 'D' numbers on the reverse of most European Buna Vista, Warner and some MGM DVD's just above the catalogue number is the 'Distribution Zone' number.

'D1' DVD's are UK only releases or versions. They often have English only soundtracks and often have BBFC cuts applied.

'D2' and 'D3' DVD's are European DVD's that are not sold in the UK and Ireland. These often contain the uncut or less cut versions of films for all are European neighbours.

'D4' DVD's are DVD's that are the same for the entire of Europe.
 

Criterion, are a specialist authoring house.
They take many Classic (and some not so Classic) films and make very special editions for DVD featuring things like restored footage, commentaries and extra features by the bucket load.
They are commonly accredited as being one of the best in their field and have produced definitive versions of many great films.

There web site id http://www.criterionco.com.

Often Criterion Collections (as there DVD's are known) represent the only way to get a truly polished version of some great films.

Coupon's are simply explained, they are a way of saving money, company's (both online and high street/brand) often issue coupons that you present in order to save money on specific purchases (just like the 50 pence off' coupon on your cereal box) , this applies to some of the popular online DVD retailers who have been known to offer promotional coupons for money off there purchases. A good resource for fingig more about coupons might be http://www.dvdtalk.com.

The DIVX system was a short-lived American idea to sell player's that could view DIVX authored DVD's on a 'Pay per Play' basis.
It floundered in mid 1999 due to a lack of consumer and industry support; it just shows that not all bad ideas live on :-).

Dual-region DVD's are DVD's that are coded to work in more then one region.

Examples are DVD's that are coded for example as both Region 2 and Region 4 and will work on both regions players.
These are far more common them people realise and are not the same as Region 0 or Region Free DVD's.

DVD-Video is the video (motion picture) element of the DVD format. This format can be played with a standalone DVD-Video player (What you will know as a DVD player) or a suitably equipped PC. I say 'what you will know as DVD player' because this is only one of the formats interpretations and player's for other interpretations of the format will appear over time.

DVD-ROM is the general computer version of the format, this works in much the same way as the current CD-ROM format, however it holds over 5x-10x as much data. DVD-ROM's are used in the same way as current CD-ROM's, all you need is a suitably equipped PC.

DVD-Audio is the emerging format for storing audio only compositions on a DVD, it offers the option of multi channel audio (surround etc.) and video information for features such as song titles and alike.
It claims to offer greater copy protection for the audio then today's CD-Audio format and uses a different implementation of the encryption algorithm uses in DVD Videos as the encryption being broken a little to easily for the standards body and the studios liking.

I will aim to expand the FAQ to cover this area in the near future as DVD Audio becomes available in the UK market.
For now, if you are interested in the DVD-Audio format I suggest that you look at the DVD Forums articles on the standards (and all other DVD standards) at http://www.dvdforum.org/.

For anyone that's interested I have confirmed that DVD Audio is indeed Region Coded in the same fashion as DVD Video (8 Regions).
I think it was assumed it would be coded but I checked anyway.

Good Question,
These days most high street record stores stock a range of Region 2 DVD's.
There are also numerous Internet based companies that offer Region 2 and many independent stores offer good ranges.

It's a tough question to answer due to the volume of company's that use the internet to offer goods, However the vast majority of these company's are fully reliable but it always good practise to ensure yourself of this fact before using them.

Often people have problems with all sorts of company's (not just net based ones) so someone's recommendation is no guarantee that you will have a problem free experience.

UPDATE: http://www.dvdguide.co.uk/ have a section reviewing European based online retailers, it might be worth a look.

This question is easy to answer; most high street retailers have problems however you walk in with money and walk out with you goods.
As always the vast majority of these company's are fully reliable but it always good practise to ensure yourself of this fact before using them.

Simple,
Who ever are offering the best deals at the time.
Many high street companies offer (2 for £30) type deals all the time and it's just a case of finding the best price for what you want.

Most high street electrical retailers offer Region 2 players, so does nearly every specialist HI-FI/TV shop and many online shops.
If you're looking for a Region 2 Player, have a look at the various reviews on some of the DVD web sites in section 9.2 to give yourself a good idea of what you need and how much it will set you back.
It is also worth considering the implication of making your chosen player multi region if you want to venture into that market.
 

Rather then provide a long list of retailers here.
I will point you in the direction of this page over at DVDTimes that has links to retailers selling most regions of disks with comments:

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk.

It's under 'Bargain Finder'.

Other then that.

I can personally recommend...

http://www.dv-depot.com - Region 1 (US)
- Based in Canada, Ideal for large orders due to 'Customs Friendly' packaging.

http://www.amazon.com - Region 1 (US)
- One of the longest standing .com shops and good customer service.

http://www.dvdboxoffice.com - Region 1 (US)
- Based in Canada, Ideal for small orders as disks are all shipped separately and postage is included in the price you see.

http://www.djangos.com - Region 1 (US)
- Good supplier with good customer service. They also offer pre-owned R1 DVD's and I have yet to tell them from new apart from no shrink-wrap.

and last but not least.

http://www.ezydvd.com.au - Region 4 (Aus)
- Good Region 4 supplirer with fantastic (IMHO) shipping times, disks I have ordered from them have takes at most 5 days to arrive.

I have had good service from these sites but as always ask around before trusting your business to any site.

On average disks can take up to 14 days, however this can change depending factors such as the carrier used by the company you ordered from, the mood of customs when you package went through or the nature of the material you are trying to import.
If you unlucky enough to get your package held up at customs then expect a substantial delay, as customs can be very picky about what they let through.
If customs cease your disks you should get a 'notice of confiscation' in the post within about 6 weeks explaining what was ceased and why, you stand a higher risk of confiscation if you try to import material that would be considered to be illicit in the UK.

If you package has not arrived after 2.5 weeks and its contents would not be considered illicit :-) then have a chat with the company you ordered from and find out what their stance on the issue is, as most will re-ship if you don't get the package within a month.

Generally, give it about the same time you would give a disk ordered from the US. (See section 3.1)

The £18 figure calculated on the declared value on the customs slip attached the package. Keep the declared value below £18 ;-) and you should have no problems, unless it's questionable material, in which case customs might confiscate it.
Customs have the right to open any package as they see fit.

Simple, Keep you purchase below £18 (approximately $28) for the package. If you go over this figure then you are chancing paying import duty. If you get 1 DVD per package you should be fine.

Yes, they can check packages going in and out of the UK from any foreign country, at will.

Personal importation is a posh name for you personally contacting a foreign company and asking them to send you goods for your own personal use. You should not have any problems doing this, as your only restrictions are those imposed by UK customs.

NO,
Importing something for personal use is one of the foundations of a free market, it will never be illegal and anybody who says that it is or will be illegal, is badly misinformed.

A business import service is a posh name for you contacting a UK based company or the UK arm of a company and asking them to import goods on your behalf for you own personal use. You may pay a premium for using theses types of services but they can offer fast delivery and will deal with customs problems and such on your behalf.

Some examples of company that offer these services are below:

http://www.play247.com
http://www.movietyme.com

It depends on where they are based.

However some do operate is the same grey area that you local region 1 dealer operates in.
FACT has tried to take some business importers to court, however the cases have in the most part been thrown out.

(Update)

As of the 13th January 2000 'Laser Enterprises Ltd.' lost a court battle and the ruling has suggested that importing of non Region 2 DVD's by businesses (be it for over the counter sales or a 'per order' import service) be made illegal. Laser Enterprises Ltd. are appealing against the decision however until matters are resolved you may find that your local friendly Region 1 supplier maybe a little less then willing to sell those lovely Region 1 DVD's.
There are also reports that a lot of Region 1 shops have had visits from Trading Standards over the last few days advising them to stop selling non Region 2 DVD's by the 20th January 2000.
 

You got lucky.
Postmen should either ask you for the money at the doorstep or leave you a note asking you to go the local sorting office to pick up the package. If they leave the package without getting any monies owed you can consider yourself lucky as they cannon return to collect the money later on.
The is not true of operators such as UPS or Fed-Ex however as that can take up to 6 weeks to present you with and invoice for customs charged and admin fees if you use there door to door courier services.

Well if you reading this you probably have your 'notice of confiscation' in front of you so you will know why they are keeping you disks for themselves :-).

If the disks are of an 'illicit' nature, it's probably best to chalk it down to experience as, unless you plan to challenge it in the courts, you aren't getting you disks back :-).
However if you are importing 'regular' films it might be worth contacting customs to ask why it was confiscated.

There have been some recent updates to the guidelines on what is aceptable in the UK on video. As such customs may not be confiscating the same disks that would have been seized 6 months ago.

A short while ago I would have said yes and told you how to get one, but these days there are a number of good cheep players available (and some junk) that can be easily be made region free so my personal view is that it is not really worth the hassle and loss of warranties associated with importing from the US (my main player, A Panasonic 310, came from the US) as you can get some good players in the UK for good prices if you hunt around.

Just put the disk in and press play, the only other concerns relate to the video format of the disk (NTSC or PAL) however this is covered in section 6.11 of the FAQ.

Not officially,
However most (if not all) players can be modified to play disks from other regions. The user, using the remote for the player, can modify some players to make them region free, others however require a modification to be made to the players hardware, This is called chipping.

It is worth noting that players are starting to come on to the mainstream markets that are region free in hardware.

No and it never will be, however there is a grey area concerning modification's that alter firmware, as the firmware is copyright of the machines producer.

Some players can be made multi region using the remote control from the unit, other players require hardware modifications that can cost around £50-£70.

If you player is not listed specifically in this FAQ then try http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/info/multiregion/ as this site list's information on how to modify many UK players using there Remote control's, also look at the usual news sites for information or ask in the group for recommendations of chip suppliers should you player not have a remote hack.

Yes and No,
Modifications that do not require any modification to the inside's of the machine should not invalidate any warranties, this includes hacks using remote controls and so called e-mod's that are connected without any soldering or case opening.

However most company's that offer chipped player's will offer warranties to provide a similar amount of cover to that offered by the manufacturer.
 

This is because you display does not support true NTSC (The main US video standard).

If you have a player that outputs NTSC only player you will need an external standards converter to allow colour or you might consider connection your player using RGB via a SCART connection if that type of connection is available on your player (see manual) as it bypasses the PAL/NTSC colour standards.

If you have a UK or US modified player there is a high likelihood that it will support the PAL60 standard, this will use NTSC's frame rate and refresh rate of 60Hrz (This will be fine as long as you B+W picture is stable) but use PAL's colour encoding allowing colour, this setting should be in your players manual or in the instructions that came with the players multi-region chip.

This setting should allow colour on NTSC formatted disks.
The only problems with PAL60 are that it is not supported on all displays and may just 'roll' uncontrollably if you do not have a vertical hold on your TV.
Most new displays will handle PAL60 fine however, especially if your display is stable with the B+W NTSC picture.

Maybe,

Not all DVD Player can be modified via the remote control however there is an ever growing number of players that can be modified using appropriate remote codes.

DVD Reviewer has an excellent 'Multi Region' page full of hacks for players, including new ones as they become known.

The Page is available @ http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/info/multiregion/

If you player is not listed you will probable require a hardware modification to enable your player to become ‘Multi Region’, please see the appropriate section in the FAQ for more information.

More often then not, this is caused by having a player that is capable of converting NTSC (The US TV standard) to PAL50 (The UK standard).

This technology allows TV's that are incapable of NTSC/PAL60 to view US DVD's however there is a down side. The conversion drops every 5th frame or so leading to the noticeable judder. Some players handle this better then others.

The best way to resolve this is to see if you TV will support NTSC/PAL60, most DVD players with this technology have a QuasiPAL setting somewhere or an option to enable PAL60/NTSC. Try turning QuasiPAL on or enabling PAL60/NTSC and see if the picture looks normal. If this works you should no longer see a judder. If however this does not work and you see a rolling picture then you may well have little option but to live with the judder as your TV cannot lock to the 60Hrz signal.

If you see a black and white picture or want more info, look at other sections of the FAQ dealing with PAL60/NTSC.

Composite is the lowest common denominator; it allows all the component parts of the signal to be 'squashed' down a single wire in a combined (Composite) format, this is the lowest possible quality interconnection.

Component is an output format found on most American players, It is similar in it's make up to Europe's RGB format, however very few displays sold in the UK support this method of connection so it is best ignored. On a Component compatible display is offers a picture comparable to RGB and is one of the best forms of interconnection.

S-Video breaks down the signal into a number of component parts with signals for Chrominance and Luminance. This offers one of the better forms of interconnection.

RGB, as its name suggests, breaks the signal down in to its Red, Green and Blue component parts. If your display and player support RGB then this should be the interconnection of choice.

All the above formats are only for video transfer, Audio is normally either handled by a dedicated amplifier or is carried along the same cables as the video as left and right audio streams.
 

Simple, if you display supports any formats other the Composite then use them :-).

As for the quality of the remaining formats:

Component will most lightly be unavailable (If it is the by all means use it).
S-Video and RGB offer similar standards of picture quality, however if RGB is available the general consensus is that it pip's S-Video at the post for the best interconnection method.

As long as you can use a format other then RF or Composite then your picture should be very good however it's worth experimenting with different connections as S-Video and RGB often have subjective differences and you may prefer one over the other.

As always, it pays to use good quality cables for the interconnections. You need not be extravagant but you will notice the difference with good quality leads as apposed to the standard ones.

It is a small round socket with holes or a connection method via your SCART socket.
Either way this is actually a miss labelled S-Video connection, this is because in the standards early stages it was often confused with S-VHS, which is an enhanced version of our beloved video standard that uses S-Video to display pictures on a display.

This is a question that I have been asked so many times :-).
It's not an issue as SCART is a connection method and S-Video is a signal format.
S-Video signals can be fed over an appropriate SCART system with the same quality as a devoted S-Video point all things being equal.

Yes, well mostly yes.
Most modern displays offer S-Video connections over at least one of the SCART sockets, however there is no guarantee of S-Video signal support, try it or look in you displays manual.

The US does not use an RGB system like we use in Europe. They have a similar system called Component that offers similar specifications to RGB, however the 2 systems are incompatible.

In theory yes, however there are a number of factors that can stop this.

Firstly, Macro vision.
This is a copy protection system that is commonly applied a vast majority of disks (any region) that offers the effects of causing a copy to have massively varying colour balances and no hold on the pictures rendering copies useless. Macro vision can also cause problems with some projectors and a few displays.
You can have many DVD players modified to remove macro vision or you can buy external macro vision signal strippers.
Some videos on the market such as those made by Ferguson are not affected by macro vision.

Secondly, NTSC when trying to copy NTSC encoded disks.
NTSC has both different frame and refresh rates to PAL; it also has a different colour system.
Attempting to copy an NTSC DVD (Even in PAL60 mode) to a PAL video (even without macro vision) will result in failure.
There are ways around this problem; one is to use a standards converter to convert an NTSC signal into a PAL 50 signal compatible with your VCR however decent external converter's can often cost much more then the player in the first place. Even with a standards converter you still have to deal with macro vision.
Another is to use a multi-standard VCR that can record and play NTSC tapes.

Another option is to try a player like the Samsung 709 that has a built in standards converter and you can easily remove macro vision with a remote control hack.

Macro vision is a copy protection system that is commonly applied a vast majority of disks (any region) that offers the effects of causing any attempted copies to have massively varying colour balances and no hold on the picture, rendering copies useless.
Macro vision can also cause problems with some projectors and a few displays.
Some videos on the market such as those made by Ferguson are not affected by macro vision.

Well in truth it's not the audio level from the DVD that's too low, it's everything else that's higher. I know this is a horribly generic answer, But here is the reason.
Movie soundtracks are extremely dynamic in nature, ranging from near silences to very loud bangs :-). In order to support an increased dynamic range and hit the peaks as was originally intended without distortion, the average sound level must far lower then most other equipment. This is why the line volume from DVD players is substantially lower than almost any other home cinema source such as a Video or CD Player.
 

Dynamic Compression is a term used to describe a method where the dynamic range of sounds is compressed into a smaller audio range.
In English, with a setting such as this enabled you are deadening the highest and lowest points of the soundtrack, ideal for watching those disks without waking the neighbours or baby when the sub woofer kicks in :-) however you will loose some detail from the sound field.

You'll get either no picture or a picture in black and white depending on your set-up.

Dolby Digital appears to be the main stay of the digital surround formats.
It offers 5.1 channels of audio (Left, Right, Centre, Back Left, Back Right) and a separate channel for the sub woofer.
You will need a compatible amplifier to listen to Dolby Digital DVD's however it's benefits for atmosphere when set-up correctly over Dolby Pro Logic and standard stereo are very noticeable.

DTS DVD's are DVD's with a DTS (Digital Theatre Sound) multi channel 5.1 sound track.
Currently you can get DVD's with either Dolby Digital (AC3) or DTS sound tracks however disks should appear soon that will offer both formats on the same disk.
You need a DTS compatible amplifier to listen to DTS DVD's in surround.
DTS offers subjective benefits over Dolby Digital however it does seen to offer more 'punch' on the DTS DVD's that I have watched such as Saving Private Ryan.

MPEG Surround is the official European standard for multi channel DVD surround, however very few disks use this format.
It can offer up to 7.1 channels of audio; however it is easily surpassed in terms of quality of sound by both Dolby Digital and DTS.
It never gained wide acceptance in the industry with producers preferring to use the existing soundtracks produced for other versions such as the US which were commonly already in Dolby Digital or DTS.

This is because you display only supports 1 of the 2 versions of NTSC. There are both an NTSC 3.58Mhz standard and an NTSC 4.43Mhz standard.

If you have an NTSC only player you will need a standards converter to allow colour, If you have a UK or US modified player there is a high lightly hood that it will support the PAL60 standard, this will use NTSC's frame rate and refresh rate of 60Hrz but use PAL's colour encoding.
This setting should allow colour on NTSC formatted disks. The only problems with PAL60 are that it is not supported on all displays and may just 'roll', uncontrollable if you do not have a vertical hold on your TV. Most new displays will handle PAL60 fine however.

One thing worth noting is that connecting your player via SCART using RGB if possible can get around this limitation as RGB transmits the colour information independent of the PAL or NTSC so your display only needs to handle a 60Hrz refresh to function correctly.
 

I was going to write up a good description, but having found these sites, all I can say is take a look at http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/information/anamorphic.htm. It provides a very good explanation as does
http://home.clapro.com/widescreen/.

Simply put, Anamorphic is a method where by a picture is encoded into the disk in such a way as to allow the best possible quality and resolution when played back on a wide screen or 16:9 TV.
It is also often referred to as 'enhanced for wide screen TV's'.

A flipper is a DVD that you have to turn over halfway through to watch the whole film.

No.
This kind of disk is simply known as a duel sided disk, as there is no requirement for you to turn the disk over halfway through to watch the film as a complete copy is on each side.
The same rules apply to disks such as 'Practical Magic' that have the extras on one side and the film on the other.

Yes, this is what's known as the layer change. It's the point on the disk where the player switches from reading one layer to another.
It is applicable only to duel layer disks and can be of varying lengths from almost instantaneous to at worst a few seconds depending on the title and player.

Most modern Sony TVs include an "engineering" menu which allows a service engineer to make these kinds of changes.
The televisions are by default setup for use with PAL; when an NTSC input is fed through (e.g. using an NTSC (Region 1) DVD), the image is shifted due to differences in timing. To solve this, do a search for your model number on an engine such as http://www.northernlight.com, there are a number of sites dedicated to
providing such technical information, including instructions on which
sequence of buttons to press in order to activate the engineering menu. It should be noted that these menu options are not generally intended for use by the general public and use of them may invalidate your warranty. Be careful and always note the default settings and if in doubt take it into a Sony Centre.

Most DVD players include a number of outputs for a dedicated signals. These include S/Video, RGB and Composite. None of these can be directly connected to an RF socket, because they contain a completely different type of signal. It is possible to connect a DVD player up to a television without a dedicated socket, but don't expect to see the stunning picture quality that would be available through the normal route. One method is to buy a dedicated Composite/RF conversion unit, these units take a Composite input and provide a lead you can plug into your television. Alternatively, if your
video has a SCART socket, you can connect your DVD player up to the video and then watch a DVD by tuning to the video channel and selecting the AV/Line 1 input on your video recorder. However, one caveat with this route is that the Macrovision anti-piracy facilities built into a DVD player will first need to be disabled (see section 6.8 in this FAQ).

You can buy a dedicated NTSC/PAL50 converter unit, but this is cost prohibitive >£250.
The simplest way to buying a converter therefore seems to be to buy
an appropriately equipped DVD player (e.g. Samsung 709).
Look for a unit that supports outputing an NTSC signal as PAL50.
This will alow you to watch NTSC DVD's on displays that do not support NTSC/PAL60 however you may have varying results with this due to the fact that 1 frame is dropped each second during the conversion leading to a slight 'judder' in fast moving or complicated sequences.

This depends entirely on you sound card or decoder card. If either of these have SP/DIF digital out it should be possible in theory to output a digital signal to an appropriate amplifier.
Sound card like the Sound Blaster Live (Full) and some versions of the Vortex 2 cards have suitable SP/DIF out's, as do most dedicated decoder cards such as the Real magic Hollywood + cards. You may need to look in the manuals for your kit for instructions on how to connect things together.

This is not really the question.
The question is how do I make my DVD drive or software Region free.
See 6.3 + 6.4.

Some drives do not have any region protection anyway, some drives require a firmware upgrade to make them region free.
A good information site for making DVD ROM's region free is below:
http://www.dvdutils.com/

If you update the firmware on you drive you are taking a small risk that it might not work afterward, if your not comfortable with that then don't play with the firmware.

Firstly you need to confirm that you DVD ROM drive is region free (See 6.3), then it is just a case of downloading the appropriate patch for you player.
A site containing patches is below:
http://www.dvdutils.com/

PC Friendly is a company that provides the PC software that is used on a majority of video DVD's that feature PC specific content.
Their web site is at:
http://www.pcfriendly.com

Simple, It was not filmed that way.
The films nature as a documentary suited it being filmed in a full-frame format.
The DVD release is the same as the cinema release and has not been 'Pan and Scanned'.
 

It is intentional; if you want to know why certain parts have the green tinge whilst others do not, watch the 'Making of feature' on the DVD.

Again, This was intentional.
The lens's where specially ground down to get the effect that is akin to war footage.
 

Simple :-)
Just go into the extras menu and wait (don't move the cursor) after a few moments Dr. Evil's ship will appear allowing you to access the Dr. Evil special features.

This is due to a fault with the firmware (software that makes the player work) in early models of these players.
This fault stop's the player from recognising some disks that are authored in a particular fashion.
 

A fix is available for all the known faults with this player including the ones listed above, you can obtain the fix from the place you purchased your player or the company that chipped your player if you have had it chipped.
Failing that Techtronics (http://www.techtronics.com) offer an upgrade service for the cost of postage as they can claim the costs for the upgrade from Samsung, I have had good reports on this service.
 

This is due to a fault with the firmware (software that makes the player work) in these players.
This fault stop's the player from recognising some disks that are authored in a particular fashion.
 

At the moment no fix is available as far as I know, As soon as a fix becomes available I will update the FAQ to reflect the new information. Currently Kingfisher (who sell the Proline) are trying to shift the blame to Warner for the disk.

This is due to a design fault in these players.
Pioneer has stated that there is nothing that can do to fix this as there 'player is within specification'.
However in the most part people can happily live with this 'feature' as it is only major on a handful of titles.
 

The x07 series of players all have basically the same insides and the same problems.
This can be anything from glitching on some titles through to the player failing to read some disks.
Samsung UK have told me that they do not know when/if a fix will be available for these players.
Some people have had success in returning their player to the store for a refund or exchange for a different player.
 

A list of players with problems would be a big task in it's own right.
Suffice to say that a vast majority of players on the market will work with 99% of disks; I find it hard to believe that there is a player in existence that will play every disk with out any problems due to the various interpretations of the standard.
If you player has major problems with a title and other people with the same player do not experience problems then you may wish to get the player checked for faults.

Colin @ DVD Times has a database of problem players and disks at http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/ under the 'Bug Reports' section.

If the disk fails to work at all, you may wish to ask on the news group as others may be experiencing the same problem or your player/disk could be faulty.
Please check that this disk is clean before posting a question to the news group.
Instructions for cleaning a disk are elsewhere in the FAQ.

Colin @ DVD Times has a database of problem players and disks at http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/ under the 'Bug Reports' section.
 

Firstly, Please check that this disk is clean as this is the biggest cause of glitching.
Instructions for cleaning disks are elsewhere in the FAQ.

Secondly, This might be a result of what are called digital artefacts. This is where the MPEG 2 compression used to make the DVD was either badly set-up of the master was of poor quality (common with older films) and the compression system compressed all, including imperfections in the original,
On some of the first DVD's available there are some noticeable artefacts however most modern releases are of a very good quality and major artefacts are rare these days.

Thirdly, You may be using poor connection between you DVD and display or they be set-up incorrectly. See other section in the FAQ for advice on connecting up you display.

Fourthly, and finally you may just have a disk that has a problem with you player.
Colin @ DVD Times has a database of problem players and disks at http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/ under the 'Bug Reports' section.

If that does not help you may consider a post to the news group. Make sure that you question has not already been answered recently before posting.
 

Firstly, You should always clean CD's and DVD's with a soft lint free cloth. Moving outwards from the hub to the rim in lines.
You should always rest the disk on a firm surface with another soft lint free cloth underneath, this is especially important with duel sided disks.
NEVER clean it in a circular motion, as any scratches caused by the cleaning material are more lightly to be damaging to the disk.

For stubborn dirt or greasy fingers/chocolate etc. try a little water, or a little water with a touch of washing up liquid (not to much) this should shift most muck. Don't be temped to use strong household cleaners or any abrasives, as they will damage the disk.

If the disk is badly scratched you may want to try some of the commercially available CD repair kits that include a mild abrasive and polish.
All repair kits labelled 'For CD's' will work just as well on DVD's.
 

These days, Try your local video rental shop, most now carry some DVD's.
All the big names now rent out DVD's on the same terms as videos (bar some which require deposits left).
There are also some 'By Post' rental schemes running where you have the disk for (x) number of days and then pop it in the post back.
 

The BBFC are the British Board of Film Classification.
They are responsible for handing out certificates so that films may be given general screenings in the UK.
They are often also responsible for films being cut to suite the British market. :-(

FACT are The Federation Against Copyright Theft, they are an entertainment industry funded body who have been trying to stop UK retailers importing and re-selling Region 1 software buy claiming that it amounts to piracy or copyright infringements.
Unlike, for example, the office of fair-trading they have no legal powers to stop people selling Region 1 software and rely on going through the courts to resolve matters.
 

FACT has a long-standing history of oppressing the use of Region 1 software in the UK.
They have previously attempted to take companies to court over their importation of disks, however most of these cases have been thrown out in favour of the retailers and FACT have since dropped the vast remainder of cases.
 

Rather then give an explanation here of the do's and dont's of requiring a TV license I will point you in the direction of Vicky Larmour's excellent little FAQ on the subject.

http://www.jifvik.org/tv/

There's Jim Taylor's excellent REC.VIDEO.DVD FAQ. It cover's a lot of stuff not in this FAQ and goes into a lot more technical detail.

http://dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html

There are also many other short FAQ written by various DVD sites on the web, have a look at the usual suspects and see if they can help.

This is an FAQ for all you Samsung owners.
http://homepages.tcp.co.uk/~blades/samsungDVD/index.html
 

Below are some of the Main UK/US/Europe independent DVD web sites.

DVD Times.
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/

DVD Reviewer.
http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/

DVD Debate.
http://www.dvd-debate.com/

DVD Web.
http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/

The Region 2 Project.
http://www.r2-dvd.org/

Home Cinema Choice.
http://www.homecinemachoice.com/

DVD Engine
http://www.dvdengine.com/

The Internet Movie Database
http://www.imdb.com/

The Digital Bits
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/

That should get you started, if you want more sites, most sites listed above have extensive links sections.

Most of the DVD sites in section 10.3 carry extensive review sections for all regions (0,1,2 and 4 mainly).

A page over at DVD-Debate lists retailers selling most regions of disks with comments, It's under the 'feedback/discs' section.
http://www.dvd-debate.com.

Whilst not a retailer review site http://www.dvdupdate.co.uk/ will allow you to compare prices from various retailers for both region 1 and 2 titles.

This site will allow you to convert those dollars/yen etc. in to good old sterling so you know what you are paying http://www.xe.net/currency/.
 

This FAQ has been written after requests from various members of the news group for an up-to date FAQ, it is maintained by John Willis primarily with help from many others. (See below)

Extreme thanks go out to the following for all the help in putting this FAQ together.

It is really appreciated: -

Robert Shepherd.
Colin Polonowski.
Lee Stoneman.
Mark Fountin.
Tim Sneath.
Vicky Larmour.
Bardo ;-).
Stroller.

All Sites that Mirror the FAQ.

The help from various members of UK.MEDIA.DVD both directly and indirectly is also very appreciated.

Like all good FAQ's we have a section for unanswered question, well we would if we could think of any, If you have any questions which merit inclusion in the FAQ, or you simply can not find an answer for after asking the group, e-mail the maintainer and we will see if we can help or add it to the FAQ.

Before you post a question to the group, try checking the other FAQ's listed in sections 10.1 and 10.2.
If you can't find an answer there give http://www.dejanews.com/ a try and use it to search all the recent postings on the news group (in case your question has been answered recently).
 

This document can be freely distributed on any media as long as it is in its entirety with the version, date, and acknowledgements intact.
All electronic copy's stored in mirror or archive service should be kept up to date with the master and the maintainer (John.Willis@Mindless.Com) should be informed if that copy is to be made available for public access.
No part of it may be sold for profit or incorporated in a commercial document without the permission of the copyright holder and main contributors.
This document is provided as is without any express or implied warranty or suitability for any purpose, neither any site hosting or involved with this FAQ or any person who contributes to and/or authors this FAQ will be liable for anything, under any circumstances with regard to this FAQ or the information it contains.