Is the lack of region coding bad for the format in the long run?

[mogwai_macabre]

Most of the major studios already release their titles on Blu-ray without region coding. So I have no concerns with popular titles that major studios release.

I'm concerned about future state, a few years down the road, when boutique lables start releasing titles on the format. What happens when movies are tied up by different rights in different regions? Even Arrow and Criterion, who now release in both the UK and the US aren't able to offer all titles to both regiosns due to right issues. This could be much more of an issue with smaller labels.

I'd rather have a region locked release, than no release at all. A lot of stuff is indefinitely stuck in rights limbo for a particular region.

[Cobolisdead]

Yeah, no. Region coding is a horrible practice that is done to limit consumer choice in a specific market allowing the retailers to make more money. It is something that Blu-ray should have never had, and UHD did a great job in dropping.

[EbonDragon]

Originally Posted by mogwai_macabre

Most of the major studios already release their titles on Blu-ray without region coding. So I have no concerns with popular titles that major studios release.

I'm concerned about future state, a few years down the road, when boutique lables start releasing titles on the format. What happens when movies are tied up by different rights in different regions? Even Arrow and Criterion, who now release in both the UK and the US aren't able to offer all titles to both regiosns due to right issues. This could be much more of an issue with smaller labels.

I'd rather have a region locked release, than no release at all. A lot of stuff is indefinitely stuck in rights limbo for a particular region.

I don't understand the concern, has there been a precedent set before where a region rights issue forces a release to be region locked? As far as I know, even mainstream titles get region locked. I don't think the purpose is to discourage importing but correct me if I'm wrong. I don't think it will be an issue and since the studios are partly responsible for the UHD requirements, I doubt they would find it an issue since they write in the region free-ness of the format

[mogwai_macabre]

Originally Posted by EbonDragon

I don't understand the concern, has there been a precedent set before where a region rights issue forces a release to be region locked? As far as I know, even mainstream titles get region locked. I don't think the purpose is to discourage importing but correct me if I'm wrong. I don't think it will be an issue and since the studios are partly responsible for the UHD requirements, I doubt they would find it an issue since they write in the region free-ness of the format

A good chunk of mainstream releases are not region locked. I'm going to have to disagree with you there.

But I believe there is a precedent for rights issues causing region locks. For instance, older Arrow titles were rarely region locked. Then that changed. From what I understand they were required to start region locking due to rights issues.

A good current example is the upcoming Donnie Darko release. With Arrow releasing both US and UK titles you'd think they'd be releasing this title in both regions. But they aren't due to rights. I'd bet my money Donnie Darko ends up region B locked.

There's also been cases where English subtitles were not allowed on releases in non English speaking countries. I know some of the German Shaw Brothers releases were affected by this.

I don't think this is limited to a handful of examples either. I'm sure Shout, Arrow, Criterion, etc. would jump at the opportunity to release region free releases if they could. These types of labels cater to collectors who aren't afraid to import.

I'm not saying I like region locking. I just don't want to see titles dead in the water because some rights held by different companies in different countries.

[Petey Parker]

Originally Posted by EbonDragon

I don't understand the concern, has there been a precedent set before where a region rights issue forces a release to be region locked? As far as I know, even mainstream titles get region locked. I don't think the purpose is to discourage importing but correct me if I'm wrong. I don't think it will be an issue and since the studios are partly responsible for the UHD requirements, I doubt they would find it an issue since they write in the region free-ness of the format

Battle Royale was originally released as Region Free from Arrow but eventually had to be region locked because negotiations were underway for a US release.

[BozQ]

Region lock is no longer relevant in this digital cinema age.

It was quite necessary when film reels are expensive to produce and has to be shared around the world. Hence, the necessity for region codes on home media format.

But digital cinemas is the most common form of projection now. Movies are distributed in hard disks, it's economical and easy to distribute.

[EbonDragon]

Originally Posted by Petey Parker

Battle Royale was originally released as Region Free from Arrow but eventually had to be region locked because negotiations were underway for a US release.

My question is, has a release ever been held back from ALL regions because of an issue such as this? Region locking was what it was back then. But all UHD releases will be region free. There's no option to region lock. Will a studio REALLY skip out on a format simply because they don't have the option to region lock?

[RealorFake4K]

The answer is the topic is ....



The question was answered, time to close the thread.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Even if there are rights issues leading to different distributors for certain titles, you could always import a UHD Blu-ray from a different country and it would still play on any UHD player.

You cannot say the same for regular Blu-ray's.

So, again, NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[BozQ]

Okay, even if some of the smaller movies have rights issues, I don't see how having region codes will help facilitate a release in a particular region.

Like I said earlier, in this digital cinema age, this is no longer relevant. And one more, TV refresh rates is also no longer an issue. For DVDs, it used to be separated between NTSC and PAL, that's fine. But Ultra HD is two generations ahead. And ten years since Blu-ray first started.

So no. I'm glad we're finally done with region codes.

[disrember]

Living in the U.K., all region coding did was make the players more expensive and limit the releases globally.

CDs never had region coding and record labels have agreements with retailers i.e. Amazon, HMV will not stock foreign imports as general stock. This leaves domestic releases intact and buyers can buy import direct from retailers over seas