derren brown tv specials

[Guest]

Hi I was wondering if anyone here knows where I can get copies of derren brown tv specials that he did in england?

Thanks
Amir

[Guest]

You can order it on Amazon...

[Guest]

The dvd is not coded to play on north american dvd players, so check your regional encoding first to see if you can alter it.

J

[Richard Kaufman]

Regional encoding is not the only problem. The DVD is most likely in PAL, and we operate on NTSC--a different system. The DVD will play in your computer if you have a DVD drive, but most likely NOT in your DVD player, unless it is a PAL converting, all region player (which you can buy for about $260--the best are made by a company called Maleta I think).

[Guest]

thanks guys I been trying to find one of his specials everywhere, it says it is going to be released on oct 6. I think I have to buy it and have someone transfer it to the correct coding.

[Frank Yuen]

It also appears that that is a new dvd and not a recording of any particular special. The case says, "includes amazing footage from the Channel 4 series Derren Brown's Mind Control".

Frank Yuen

[Guest]

I saw Derren on tour a few months back and he said that the DVD would be a compilation of highlights from all of his specials, but would also contain some new segments that have not been broadcast on TV.

[Guest]

I think it's great. Having not seen the specials (don't live in the UK) but considering the commentaries of Derren Brown and Anthony Owen on the DVD it is a mixture of several specials. It gets quite freaky and scary sometimes but that's fine. But you'll have to see it for yourself ...

Cheers,
Harry

[Guest]

Just thought I'd post an update on this topic. If you are interested in the dvd, it may be possible to convert your dvd player to all regions on your own. Do a search on region free dvd players. Some can be altered using key strokes on the remote, while others may require a chip to be installed.

J.

[Matthew Field]

I ordered the Derren Brown "Inside Your Mind" from Amazon UK, and it does contain pieces from all his specials. It's very good. I was going to review it in Genii, but the regional encoding is a problem -- I've got a program called "DVD Region Free" to unlock my computer's DVD player, but otherwise it is a problem. The program is not freeware.

The PAL/NTSC situation is NOT a problem. DVDs, unlike tapes, have only the information, and the player converts it to the proper system.

As jiggyjer says, the encoding lock can be disabled on many (not all) stand-alone players.

Matt Field

[Richard Kaufman]

Matt, I think you're wrong about the NTSC/PAL thing. While a PAL DVD will play with no problem on your computer, PAL DVDs (region free ones, of course) will not play on your DVD deck attached to your TV.
Oh--and I think you SHOULD review the Derren Brown DVD for Genii. :)

[Matthew Field]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
Matt, I think you're wrong about the NTSC/PAL thing. While a PAL DVD will play with no problem on your computer, PAL DVDs (region free ones, of course) will not play on your DVD deck attached to your TV.
Oh--and I think you SHOULD review the Derren Brown DVD for Genii. :)

You might be right, Richard, about the compatability situation regarding TV viewing (vs. computer viewing).

We'll see about writing up the Derren Brown DVD for Genii. As you are painfully aware, there are space and scheduling limitations involved in publishing.

Matt Field

[Bob Walder]

Hi guys,

Those of us on this side of the Atlantic have had to find our way around the region coding and PAL/NTSC (Never Twice the Same Colour!) problems if we want to see the latest blockbusters on DVD before Hollywood decrees we should be allowed to.

"Chipped" DVD players are common over here and easy to buy - but you may have problems acquiring them in the US since there is not often a good reason for you guys to NEED to defeat region encoding. For this reason, look out for the cheaper Far Easterm DVD players which allow you to defeat region encoding using a "hack" on the remote control - a Google search should give you the info you need.

On the PAL/NTSC thing, you do need to be careful. NTSC videos and DVDs will appear in black and white on players/TVs which are PAL only, but I am not sure how it will work in reverse. You may get B&W, you may get nothing - perhaps somoene else can shed light on that.

However, what you need is either a DVD player or a TV that will do NTSC/PAL conversion. My guess is that PAL-capable TVs are not going to be too common in the US, so make sure your DVD player has the capability. Most of the high end players - Sony and Pioneer - can do this very well. Ironically, since they have to appeal to the widest market, a lot of the low end Far Eastern players can do it as well - if it supprts defeat of region encoding there is a good chance it will give you PAL/NTSC conversion. But do check before you buy.

If you want to watch it on your PC you have no problems - it can all be done in software and the hacking programs are easily obtained on the 'net.

Good luck - and Merry Christmas

Bob

[thecardman]

Originally posted by Bob Walder:
Hi guys,
On the PAL/NTSC thing, you do need to be careful. NTSC videos and DVDs will appear in black and white on players/TVs which are PAL only, but I am not sure how it will work in reverse. You may get B&W, you may get nothing - perhaps somoene else can shed light on that.

Here in the UK, VCRs that play NTSC are commonplace, with multi-region DVD players starting to become popular (my best mate was given one by his wife this morning for his Christmas - lucky git!). From my experiences, if you try and play an NTSC tape in a non NTSC-playback machine you do not get any picture at all. Just a load of distortion with some of the sound filtering through.

Hope you are having or have had a very Happy Christmas.

Best wishes

Peter
:)

[Richard Kaufman]

A Chinese company makes an all-region DVD player called the Malata that can be had in the US for about $200. There are others that are less expensive. It hooks up to any TV and will play NTSC or PAL DVDs, regardless of how they are region encoded.
It requires no hacking or funny codes to be punched in on the remote--does it all automatically and looks pretty good, too.
Oops--I guess that must mean I have one.
Sssssssshhhhhhhhhhh.

[Guest]

Some good models that are currently available on eBay:

JVC 602
JVC XV-N50
Pioneer DV-363

For below $100 you can get AKAI DVPS760.

Make sure you get the modified version and not the originals which are much cheaper. A few companies are selling these models on their websites somewhere between $200 to $399. Get them on eBay for much less, which is what I did recently.

[Richard Kaufman]

DVD region free players that will play both PAL and NTSC discs are available here:
http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/
I have purchased from this dealer and found them to be reputable and honest.

[Bill Mullins]

Just stirring the pot here . . .

Does anyone believe that hacking the region codes has the same ethical problems as making a duplicate on tape?

You are busting the same copyright laws, after all, plus the DMCA . . .

[pduffie]

No

[Guest]

No. What a ridiculous concept. coding the world for distribution. Imagine if you were visiting a far off land and wanted to purchase a piece of music you liked that was indigenous to the area of the world you were visiting. Now further imagine that music companies conspired to keep you from playing or listening to that music which you honestly purchased because they felt that poeple in one part of the world shouldn't have access to the music of another part of the world. Ridiculous.
J

[Guest]

Also as an aside, as many people have mentioned, region free and pal are not the same thing. My DVD player plays both pal and NTSC discs, and after the hack I used (very simple combination of #'s puched into the remote so there is no danger of voiding the waranty as with a chip) it is entirely region free. However, as has been mentioned, this doesn't mean that the television I'm using will accept the pal signal. I have ordered the dvd anyway and will post an update later when I find out what happens. If it doesn't work, I'll just have to watch it on my computer.
J

[Guest]

If your computer has a DVD player in it, then you can play PAL version DVD's and VCD's in it and watch it on your computer monitor.
PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat
AB Stagecraft
http://www.mindguy.com/store
We now have 5 different endings possible with
FRAGMENTS - the greatest magazine test available!

[Richard Kaufman]

You may be able to watch a PAL DVD on your computer as long as it is region free, but if it is region encoded then you will have to change the region on your computer in order to watch it. My new Sony Vaio only allows me to change regions four or five times before it locks onto the last region and NEVER ALLOWS ME TO CHANGE IT AGAIN!
Corportions are run by greedy bastards--or did anyone really need to be told that.

[mrgoat]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
You may be able to watch a PAL DVD on your computer as long as it is region free, but if it is region encoded then you will have to change the region on your computer in order to watch it. My new Sony Vaio only allows me to change regions four or five times before it locks onto the last region and NEVER ALLOWS ME TO CHANGE IT AGAIN!
Corportions are run by greedy bastards--or did anyone really need to be told that.

Mr K

You can easily alter your laptop to run region free.

YOu need to ascertain the make of drive in your machine. I did a quick seach on

'vaio region free firmware flash' into google and quickly found this

http://www.dvdidle.com/download/DVDRegionFree12.exe

if you whack your actual drive into google and add 'flash firmware region free' you will find a programme to do it for you.

Obviously this will probably cause any manufacturer's guarantee invalid.

Your mileage may vary etc.

I have done this on every laptop I have ever had and experienced no problems at all.

Best of luck.

Goat Lad.

[Bob Walder]

Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
Just stirring the pot here . . .

Does anyone believe that hacking the region codes has the same ethical problems as making a duplicate on tape?

You are busting the same copyright laws, after all, plus the DMCA . . .

What a ridiculous concept! What copyright laws are you breaking? You are not making a duplicate of the DVD - you still need to purchase the original. The people who lose out are the film distributors in whichever country you are based - the license money goes to whoever has distribution rights for Region 1 (or whichever region the DVD you purchased is from)

There is a very simple way for the studios to combat this problem - day and date releases world-wide. There is no evidence that this reduces sales anywhere - quite the opposite so far - for example, by the time we get the "blockbuster" DVDs in Europe (weeks or months after they appear in the US) a lot of the initial hype has worn off and sales end up being lower.

World-wide simultaneous releases are also another means of combating piracy - the market for bootleg/hacked copies is reduced if everyone has access all at once. The old argument about the cost of producing multiple prints of the movie for a world-wide release no longer holds true when digital copies are used.

Hollywood could solve this problem overnight and do away with the need for region encoding, but it is stuck in "this is the way it has always been done" mindset

Hacking region codes is a "good thing" - it will eventually force the issue. Believe me - if things were the other way around and it was the AMERICAN public which was on the receiving end of this "discrimination" you can bet things would have already been resolved! ;)

Bob Walder

[Bill Mullins]

Originally posted by Bob Walder:
What a ridiculous concept! What copyright laws are you breaking?

The ones that say that copyright owners not only have the right to restrict reproduction of their works, but also exhibition of their works (sect 106 of the copyright act). This is the same principle that says if you buy a magic video, you aren't allowed to charge people to see it at a showing, or to rent it out.

Also, you are breaking the Digital Millenium Copyright Act -- a completely separate law.

Believe me - if things were the other way around and it was the AMERICAN public which was on the receiving end of this "discrimination" you can bet things would have already been resolved!

You'd think, wouldn't you. But while our friends in France and Japan can legally buy copies of the Disney film "The Song of the South", it isn't and probably never will be for sale legally in the United States.

The DVDTalk Forum is full of lists of movies that are only available outside Region 1 (North America), or are available in "better" versions in foreign countries (Letterbox/16:9, DTS sound, etc)

Look, if it were an issue for me -- if I had a foreign DVD and the ability to hack a player to view it -- I'd do so. The way that corporate owners of intellectual property attempt to enforce their rights generally seems stupid, and some of the laws that support them are also stupid. Jack Valenti's recent stand on "screener" DVDs for Oscar voters was particulary ill-conceived. I'm just not going to pretend I'm doing so from any moral, ethical or legal high ground. It's not legal, it's stealing, and it's hypocritical to say otherwise.

[Richard Kaufman]

Neither buying an all system DVD player nor purchasing PAL and DVDs other than Region 1 is illegal. Both are perfectly legal.
Hacking your computer's DVD drive software is illegal.

[Elwood]

Why is hacking your DVD software illegal, Richard?

Surely you are entitled to alter software that you have bought and paid for in any way that you like, as long as it's for your own use.

Surely that is like saying it's illegal to alter the factory settings on your car stereo, or to change the temperature of your refrigerator from the temperature it was set on when it was delivered?

[Bob Walder]

It's not legal, it's stealing, and it's hypocritical to say otherwise.

Actually it is neither illegal NOR stealing - a legitimate copy of the DVD is purchased and is not used for rental purposes etc (so I am not sure which bits of the copyright and DMCA laws I am breaking either - perhaps you could enlighten me - you ARE a lawyer, aren't you, Bill?)

As Richard says, owning a multi-region player is not illegal, and nor is the purchase of DVDs from regions not your own - at least it's not over here!

Frowned upon, yes (Hollywood does not like it for reasons on which we have already touched), but not illegal.

Bob

[Bill Mullins]

Originally posted by Elwood:
Why is hacking your [computer] DVD software illegal, Richard?

Surely you are entitled to alter software that you have bought and paid for in any way that you like, as long as it's for your own use.

When you "buy" computer software, you don't own it. You buy a license to use it under specific circumstances. This generally does not include permission to modify it. That's basic contract law.

In addition, the Digital Millenium Copyright Act says:

Sec. 1201. Circumvention of copyright protection systems
`(2) No person shall manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof, that--

`(A) is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title;

Big Media copyright owners are generally interpreting this to mean that, among other things, you can't rewrite software, hack ROM's, strip copy protection measures, etc. This would include hacking a set-top DVD player. Courts have already determined that it means that you can't even write your own software, much less hack someone else's, that allows you to access material that you aren't otherwise allowed to access. Just because no

I personally think that the DMCA is a pretty crappy law, but there it is. If you agree that it is bad, the Electronic Frontier (WEB LINK) Foundation is a pretty good place to investigate.

Actually it is neither illegal NOR stealing - a legitimate copy of the DVD is purchased and is not used for rental purposes etc (so I am not sure which bits of the copyright and DMCA laws I am breaking either - perhaps you could enlighten me - you ARE a lawyer, aren't you, Bill?)

It is illegal under the DCMA, as posted above. It is stealing in the following sense: the original copyright owner has licensed his intellectual property to be used in a particular DVD region. If you go to such lengths to see it in another region, you are taking his property without his permission. I can't see how that is anything but stealing, but if you think the law says otherwise, please tell us how. Remember, if you buy a DVD, all you own is the plastic. The content still belongs to the copyright holder, and you have only bought a license to use it under certain circumstances. The owner gets to define those circumstances, not the user. This not only applies to making new copies, but to exhibition of the work as well.

And no, I'm not a lawyer. But I know how to read, and I try not to have the common attitude "I want it, I have the ability to take it, therefore it must be allowed".

[Richard Kaufman]

It is NOT illegal to import and resell or purchase Multi-Region DVD players in the United States.
It is NOT illegal to import and resell or purchase DVDs from other countries and regions in the United States.
Therefore, no illegal act occurs when you buy the machine and the DVDs and watch them!

[Guest]

Back to "Inside Your Mind." I watched it last night and I am completely clueless of how he accompished some of his effects. They look like real magic. Wow.

[Bob Walder]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
It is NOT illegal to import and resell or purchase Multi-Region DVD players in the United States.
It is NOT illegal to import and resell or purchase DVDs from other countries and regions in the United States.
Therefore, no illegal act occurs when you buy the machine and the DVDs and watch them!

The same is true in the UK apart from the first point - it is NOT illegal to import DVDs fro other regions for PERSONAL use only - you are not allowed to resell them (at least not in the sense of setting up shop to do it en masse)

Bob

[Guest]

Well, my copy of inside your mind arrived today. I tried it on my dvd player which has been altered to play region free dvd's with a remote control keypad hack. The disc played beautifully. The PAL system doesn't seem to be a problem. As far as I know my t.v doesn't have a pal option, though the dvd player does. I did not have to set the Dvd player to pal. The disc just played. It's possible that the player I have is converting it all on its own though it's a cheap KOSS model. Anyway the DVD is full of fantastic stuff and so far interpol has not beat down my door with a battering ram. So there you have it.

J