BOC-L Digest / Still in the Shadows

[Paul Mather]

On Mon, May 31, 2004 at 09:51:40PM +0100, deadearnest wrote:

=> All I can say is that, for the supposed global economy we are supposed to
=> inhabit, for the supposed technological age in which we live, why the
=> sodding hell we STILL have this stupid intercontinental format thing going
=> on, is beyond me. The manufacturers of the whole shooting match
=> want.......errrrrrr........shooting!!

The problem only occurs when trying to play digital media (DVDs) on
analogue output devices (e.g., analogue televisions).  This problem
does not manifest itself when playing a DVD to a digital output device
(e.g., a multisync computer monitor).

Don't blame the manufacturers of DVDs---blame the "golden handcuffs"
of all those old analogue TVs people still want to use on which to
show their shiny DVDs!

It is the analogue TVs that are being finicky, and that's why DVDs are
"formatted" for a particular broadcast standard (NTSC or PAL/SECAM).
More modern analogue TVs may be less finicky (e.g., PAL TVs that can
also do a 60 Hz pseudo-PAL for showing NTSC), and some DVD players may
be more accommodating when it comes to the two TV standards, but, in
the end, some people may fall between the cracks and be left with a
DVD they can't view on their TV.

I guess when analogue TV broadcasts are phased out, this will no
longer be an issue, as those that want to watch TV will be forced to
upgrade. ;-)

Cheers,

Paul.

e-mail: paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
 deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
        --- Frank Vincent Zappa