Fox is recommending that UK customers bypass the regional encoding system enforced by DVD manufacturers. And the recommendation comes from no less an authority than Homer Simpson himself.

The call to action can be found on page four of the FAQ on the Fox UK website for the new DVD collectors' edition of The Simpsons First Series.

Potential buyers of DVD players have a much happier time in Europe. In California, Apex's multi-region DVD player was hounded off the market two years ago, with e-Bay seeking out Apex players placed for auction. On London's Tottenham Court Road, you have to try really hard to find a DVD player that hasn't been 'chipped', or a helpful sales assistant who won't explain a workaround.

Now if Homer's recommendation was made in the USA, would the cartoon character be liable for prosecution under the DMCA? We know regional coding isn't strictly an encryption scheme, but answers on a postcard please. ®

* And very good it is too: Krusty Gets Busted is described the first "modern" Simpsons episode, with the predecessors considered formative experiments. ®

Related Links

The rec.video.dvd FAQ [HTML format]
Regional Coding FAQ