> Thanks for the info, Paulo. I'm not very au fait with codecs, which is why I
> asked. It's not really 'my thing', but it is nice, sometimes to be able to
> play a disk. Actually, to be really honest, it just peeves me that someone
> can try to stop me viewing something that I've legally bought :-) It's a bit
> like saying that I can buy a book, but I can't read it on the train, in bed
> or in the bath :-)
Anne,
what breaks the dvd protection is libdvdcss (illegal in certain countries).
This is why in linux (or in windows, if you use vlc) there is no need of
setting any region in the dvd player.
However, the MPAA ( http://www.mpaa.org/) has financed a long battle, since the source code appeared
on the net.
If you like to know the whole history, then check for instance, this link
(despite of the name, it is just a magazine):
http://www.out-law.com/page-4335
/Paulo Roma.