> Thanks for the info, Paulo. I'm not very au fait with
codecs, which is
> why I asked. It's not really 'my thing', but it is nice, sometimes to
be
> able to play a disk. Actually, to be really honest, it just peeves me
> that someone can try to stop me viewing something that I've legally
> bought :-) It's a bit like saying that I can buy a book, but I can't
> read it on the train, in bed or in the bath :-)
Anne,
what breaks the dvd protection is libdvdcss (illegal in certain countries).
This is why in linux (or in windows, if you use vlc) there is no need of
setting any region in the dvd player.
However, the MPAA (
http://www.mpaa.org/) has financed a long battle, since
the source code appeared
on the net.
If you like to know the whole history, then check for instance, this link
(despite of the name, it is just a magazine):
http://www.out-law.com/page-4335
I've read the story of DVD-Jon over the years, and cheered along with everyone
else (almost everyone) when the courts upheld his rights. No-one will ever
convince me that we are doing anything wrong in viewing a DVD that we own.
We have bought the right to view it, and they took our money. That's a
contract in my eyes. And we're not the ones that broke the contract.
Anne