Finland, where I am currently (for a month longer), just switched to all-digital broadcasting on Saturday. The majority of broadcasting had been all-digital already since last summer, but on Saturday they pulled the plug on all analogue broadcasting.

As for why Criterion chooses to release in R1, probably those holding the rights to the movies dictate this decision. It would, obviously, lower the value of their product (i.e. selling rights to different parties) if Criterion put out region free releases.

HDDVD would not have had region encoding, if I remember correctly, and currently something like three quarters of the released Blu-ray discs have been region free. So, there is hope that the madness might end. In any case, I would not be too keen having to learn another region code map, after I finally got familiar with the DVD one. It saddens me as a European that Japan has been given to the US. Traitors!

I have, by the way, always wondered why it is so difficult to make equipment for the American markets that displays both PAL and NTSC (and SECAM)? I think all or at least most TVs and DVD players in Europe have been able to display all of these formats for at least the past decade. Or have I somehow been cheated?

Its purpose in the beginning was to prevent dvd release at different times to flood another region. Say a movie is out of dvd in America, but still in theaters in the UK, you wouldnt want people getting the American dvd and hurting the UK theater sales. But few would even bother importing the dvd, if would be cheaper to just go the the theater-or steal off the internet.

Region coding dvd only movies, like Criterions is just dumb if someone from elsewhere wants to watch a movie why stop them.

At any rate your top end dvd players can easily play all regions, the expensive dvd players always “forget” to disable certain hidden service menus

I just hate dealing with PAL and NTSC, something that cant really be avoided- you know with you damn Europeans and your 50 Hz electricity

Its a hassle to doing the conversion with editing software and having to break the copy protection just to do so. –btw you could just watch it on your computer without having to do anything, other then getting some good DVD playing software

Criterion should release in European markets, so its cheaper and easier to get a hold of them for everyone outside the US. I dont know why its only a US thing, maybe something with cost and licensing with the owners of the movies.

A company like Criterion would of course be badly needed for the European markets. There are plenty of country-specific companies releasing old films, but with their markets being limited to single countries, it makes no financial sense for them to undertake any restoration work on the scale that Criterion operates these days.

I wonder if Criterion might ever feel secure to license their transfers to non R1 companies. Of course, it still remains to be seen whether Criterion goes on with region encoded discs when they start putting out material on Blu-ray.

LOL I said distrusted instead of distributed-damn you firefox spell check

what does an Oscilloscope have to do with movies?

I think the Criterion newsletter mentioned that Oscilloscope Pictures is a division of the Beastie Boys Oscilloscope Laboratories.

BTW what does an Oscilloscope have to do with movies? Something like Histrogram would make more sense at least

I too was a bit puzzled about the competing with Criterion comment, it could just be a joke of sorts.
I was under the impression that Oscilloscope was to buy film festival movies-the ones that were passed by larger studios–sort of like what heineken beer is attempting to do at one point.
His website list equipment for recording, and nothing for restoration and distribution. I dont think he will release any old movies, after all Criterion would have such a large advantage and knowledge on the ordeal competing with them wouldnt be the wising thing to do-money wise