From: judas@net44matters.co.uk (B J Dowling)
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 22:14:02 +0000
Subject: Space1999: Things DVD
Hi folks,
For those of you who may be interested, there's been an update on Daphné
Vézina's campaign page. It seems that PolyGram do actually read some of
our letters. Can't remember the URL, but you can reach it from the UKVL,
Cybrary, Cyber Museum and lots of other Space:1999 sites.
To those who got replied from PolyGram I can say only this - "You lucky so
and so-s!". Two months I've been waiting for a reply from my last letters.
Anyway, there is a definite contact address for the video section:
PolyGram Video
Oxford House
76 Oxford Street
London
W1N OHQ
If you're a EuroAlphan or a UKAlphan, write to them and tell them what
idiots they are for deleting the 20 volumes which most folk need to
complete their collection. Then tell them to get their heads out of their
asses and release remastered versions, soundtracks and other quality
merchandise.
I would suggest a little more politeness than that, however. Today I sent
off my letters to them asking for release and deletion dates. We will see
what, if anything comes back.
DVD - A couple of things. I understand that DVDs will come in three
different zones - Europe, North America and the Far East. One from one zone
won't play in another. So much for one standard which will play
everywhere...
Here's a thing...
The BBC have plans to release some DVD products towards the end of this
year, according to an informed posting in uk.media.tv.sf.drwho. Prime
candidate for the first Doctor Who DVD release is The Five Doctors. The
same story was part of a two tape box set with The King's Demons but
suffered from the audio track being out of sync with the video track.
Kind of annoying, and it resurfaced again when UK Gold showed both stories
recently! Whoops! Be very interesting to see if this problem carries over
to the DVD release.
This planned DVD release program by the BBC might just kick PolyGram up the
rear into announcing a few releases. If you're writing to PolyGram, let
them know the BBC are going to get in first!
From: "Eric T. Hagen" (urk@worldnet.att4tag.net)
Subject: RE: Space1999: Things DVD
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 1998 10:04:45 -0500
DVD - A couple of things. I understand that DVDs will come in three
different zones - Europe, North America and the Far East. One from one zone
won't play in another. So much for one standard which will play
everywhere...
PAL, NTSC, and SECAM (respectively) TV transmission standards I suspect.
-Eric
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 1998 21:45:45 +0100
Subject: Re: Space1999: OT Things DVD
From: HNoll@t-on44line.de (Horst Noll)
The Data on the DVD's is the same, nomatter which code is used. The
reason why you won't be able to play them in player with another code is
the code added to the disc.
When the player recognizes the Code for North America and is for playing
Europe Files only, you won't be able to play it back.
The main reason why this was done is to prevent Europeans purchasing
American titles which are normaly released much earlier then the
European one's (see LaserDiscs).
Technically ther wouldn't be a problem to make DVD's which can be player
everywhere with the Soundtrack in 9 different Languages.
But the big companies didn't want that, so they tried to prevent this
form the beginning. There's only one player with no code recognition on
the market, but it was an early one and is currently unavailable.
Another problem was the Sound. Philips wanted to push MPEG2-Encoding for
the sound track in Europe, others wanted AC-3. The final descision is
now AC-3. But this slowed the release of DVD over 1 year.
And last, for the DVD-RAM there's another crackpoint : There are at
least 2 incompatible standards. So if you buy such a device now, you'll
be possibly unable to use your discs later.
There's only one way : Wait and see .....
At least in Europe I can't consider it right to pay a DVD-player now.
Perhaps DVD will die at the end (if the companies continue to make such
crap).
Horst
From: LKJ1999 (LKJ1999@aol4tag.com)
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 1998 16:02:52 EST
Subject: Re: Space1999: OT Things DVD
I say stay away from DVD. Until they make up their minds about all the changes
they keep doing...
Chas P. LKJ1999
From: judas@net44matters.co.uk (B J Dowling)
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 23:29:53 +0000
Subject: Space1999: Campaign stuff
Hi folks,
Some campaign and related information - please delete if you are not
interested in how you can help contribute or how the campaign is
developing.
There are now four conspirators listed on the campaign site - last week I
accepted the invitation to join Daphné, Jerry and Catherine as named
MoreSpace fanatics. Along with news of my recruitment, there's a link to
my campaign page, which I'll integrate into the UKVL sometime this weekend.
As with the rest of my site, feedback is welcome.
I hope to be able to use some of the resources available to me at work to
help move the campaign forward, wherever it spreads its wings. With
Space:1999 rumoured to be running at some point this year, I think that the
UK is ideal territory to get more support for the campaign.
With that in mind, I have received confirmations of correspondence from
both the BBC and PolyGram Video, who have promised further contact shortly.
I am hopeful of positive responses from both companies, but these hopes are
tempered by previous experience with the BBC and Blake's 7.
You who read this, I would ask a couple of things of you...
Please tell a couple of friends about the campaign, get them to visit the
campaign site and sign the guestbook. PolyGram *are* serious about seeing
the contents of this guestbook - here's an opportunity to tell them what
you want!
Think of some kind of idea to help promote the campaign outside of our
online community. You may find this hard to believe, but although a
multitude of people have computers, only a small proportion are online and
knowledgeable with it (as opposed to online and surfing round the sites in
the latest .net magazine). If you think there's a workable idea, please
let us know - we're not difficult to contact.
In closing, my reasons for "joining up" are many - some personal, some
trivial, some perhaps downright odd. What I will say on-list is that I
have no hidden agenda, no siding with any particular argument on or
off-list in recent times, no angles on getting one over other people or
anything like that. What you see from me on list, off-list or on website
is the same as what you get in real life.
I have two simple objectives as 1999 approaches - do what I can to help
Space:1999 to get the recognition it deserves and to make damned sure that
come 9/13/1999 I'm in LA for the convention. The first will help make the
second a lot more enjoyable.
The discussions of the episodes and the talents of many of the list members
exhibited over recent times shatter irredeemably the stereotype of the "sad
sci-fi geek" - with a little effort from many of you we can achieve our
target and the kind of credibility which fandom everywhere can only dream
of reaching.
Thank you for your time. My best wishes to you all,
Brian Dowling - Online Alphan #144 - Birmingham, England
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 22:18:04 -0800 (PST)
From: Marcy Kulic (mkulic@wizard4tag.com)
Subject: Space1999: Campaign Site Revamped! (fwd)
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Marcy is forwarding Daphnee's note...:]
Date: Sun, 01 Mar 1998 10:22:38 -0500
From: Daphnee Vezina
Subject: Campaign Site Revamped!
Hi you all!
First of all, let me tell you how glad I am to write you again after all
these endless weeks of studying for my Bar Exam (due March 11th). My
earthly occupations kept me from doing my Campaign Newsletter in January
and February. Sorry for the inconvenience!
But that dosn't mean the Campaign is not busy! In fact, things are
starting to move our way... We are working pretty hard so that a
breakthrough will come very soon. Hang in there!
My Campaign site has been revamped so that it will be easier to consult
and prettier (well, for me at least... Beauty is in th eye of the
beholder). No more frames, folks! I experienced problems with those a
few weeks ago (thanks, Robert for mentionning it) and I decided to get
rid of them altogether. You will find the latest news concerning the
Campaign, among which the Derek Wadsworth open letter to Fanderson, in
which he explains the now famous/infamous promo CD imbroglio in his own
words. A must read!
Please place your bookmarks at:
http://www.mediom.qc.ca/~dvezina/acamp2.htm#camp
This is now the ONLY URL for the English version of the Campaign site
(For you Quebec people: la version francaise est au meme URL pour le
moment -voir ci-bas-)
Stay tuned for further developments and further contacts!
Yours truly,
Daphne
Pour les quebecois: Le site francais de la campagne va subir les memes
changements que la version anglaise au cours des prochaines heures. Vous
obtenez exactement le meme contenu qu'en anglais, avec la meme
presentation. De nouveaux developpements dans la campagne sont a venir
tre bientot! Restez aux aguets, comme on dit! En attendant, veuillez
consulter la section "nouvelles" et lire la lettre ouverte de Derek
Wadsworth a Fanderson! Le CD promotionnel est enfin explique....
A tres bientot!
Daphne
--
Daphné Vézina
Juriste et biologiste
http://www.mediom.qc.ca/~dvezina/