BD region coding; can somebody please explain?

[tmax]

I am still 100% supportive of blu-ray but today has become one of the most embarrassing, frustrating and disapointing days of my life.

Disney I hope you are listening.

First off I live in Australia and I buy ALL my DVD and now Bluray movies from Amazon, (bigger selection and they have movies that NEVER get released here) anyway I pre-ordered Ratatouille on blu-ray because they had on their website that it was region free (now they have changed it to region code 1). So today I received it, an was getting ready to do a bit of blu-ray preaching by watching this with my friend and his son.

I Put in to my PS3 and guess what it's F@$#$ng region protected.

You should have seen the look on my friends son, he almost started to cry, here I am telling them the picture quality is going to be great, the audio is amazing and now this.

Please Explain, because I'm trying to understand how this this is going to help Blu-ray. I know movie studios like to release movies at different dates but I still can't understand this obsession with region coding, we all now live in a web - based - online WORLD ECONOMY where there are no borders but it seems not when it comes to blu-ray releases.

This is were Warner has shown it is truly serious about HD with there open borders and no region coding. They are to be congratulated with not treating fans of their movies like criminals.

And yes HD-DVD Friends are laughing at me right now.

Oh and I think I've already said we have bloody bugger all selection of Blu-ray movies in Australia.