Who agrees? Kirk's a womanizer!

[DAYoung]

J. Allen wrote:

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I've been wreaking my brain for the past half hour or so thinking of some (legal) way for you to watch that episode, and I can't think of one short of you having to buy a DVD player. Australia seems a bit limited on their media availability! Not to rub it in (I swear), but here in the U.S., I have a dozen ways to see the show anytime I want. It's a shame you can't do that.

As far as I can tell, the infrastructure's there (e.g. cable internet, HD screens). But copyright negotiations probably make the difference. It's why folks outside Australia can't buy the ebook edition of my first book (yet). It's available, but y'all can't have it. (Unless someone tells me otherwise.)

Meanwhile, I can convert a DVD file to MP4 on my laptop, then import into iTunes. Then I can play it on a bigger screen.

But downloading it (legally) would be preferred.

[J. Allen]

DAYoung wrote:

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As far as I can tell, the infrastructure's there (e.g. cable internet, HD screens). But copyright negotiations probably make the difference. It's why folks outside Australia can't buy the ebook edition of my first book (yet). It's available, but y'all can't have it. (Unless someone tells me otherwise.)

Meanwhile, I can convert a DVD file to MP4 on my laptop, then import into iTunes. Then I can play it on a bigger screen.

But downloading it (legally) would be preferred.

If you're talking about Distraction, it's available in the U.S. on Kindle, as is Martial Arts and Philosophy.

As for the movies, I can't stand the way the distribution system works. I think releases should be available worldwide. It's not like we can't do it. I guess the big guys think there's just more money in their method.

[Gov Kodos]

I do believe it would cut down on piracy.

[J. Allen]

Gov Kodos wrote:

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I do believe it would cut down on piracy.

That would make sense, and we don't want that.

[DAYoung]

J. Allen wrote:

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If you're talking about Distraction, it's available in the U.S. on Kindle, as is Martial Arts and Philosophy.

Yes, I was talking about Distraction. But that's actually the Australian edition. This is the US edition.

I've been told you (in the US/Canada) can't buy the Australian edition, but this might not be correct.

As for the movies, I can't stand the way the distribution system works. I think releases should be available worldwide. It's not like we can't do it. I guess the big guys think there's just more money in their method.

Better still, Apple charges Australians up to 69% more for the same films (even when our dollar was worth more).

[J. Allen]

DAYoung wrote:

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Yes, I was talking about Distraction. But that's actually the Australian edition. This is the US edition.

I've been told you (in the US/Canada) can't buy the Australian edition, but this might not be correct.

Ah, then no. Interestingly enough, I can buy the Spanish edition, I can buy the Australian edition, but I can't buy the U.S. edition, even though I live in the U.S. and it's in a digital format and wouldn't require any extra effort to convert over.

Ye gods, I love bureaucracy.

Better still, Apple charges Australians up to 69% more for the same films (even when our dollar was worth more).

So it is all about money. Just the money. THIS is why people pirate things. It's completely arbitrary! It's like saying "you two men will get the book for $5, but the woman will have to pay $7 for being female." I mean, it's just as arbitrary as that, particularly when the distribution method is digital! Sometimes I just want to punch copyright makers right in the wallet, but it wouldn't do any good.

[teacake]

Buy a divx player and you can play anything, here's one for 29.00:

http://www.oo.com.au/Akai-2-Channel-...paign=ELADVD05

Or you can get them for even cheaper in Aldi at times. OR you can do like I do and accumulate dvd players from the op shop where they are about 5.00.

And then you buy your Star Trek from dvd.co.uk which is almost always dramatically cheaper than buying it in Aus. Here's season 2 for £19.79 which at just over 30.00 Australian is a great price (postage from that site is very inexpensive too).

OR you make Star Trek friends IRL and get them to loan you the dvd's.

All of which I say because Mirror Mirror is a great ep, would definitely be my top 10 TOS episodes and my favorite MU ep. It's got everything.. drama, philosophy, shock, hotness.. it's a stand out IMHO. And classic TOS in every way.

[J. Allen]

Still, it's a shame he has to do that, when all I have to do is press "Play" on my Roku box or computer and watch any episode of Star Trek that I want. That's why the distribution method we use right now is awful for anyone outside the continental U.S.

[teacake]

Why does anyone buy dvd sets in the US?

[J. Allen]

teacake wrote:

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Why does anyone buy dvd sets in the US?

I buy the DVDs for archival purposes, but there are so many options in the U.S., I could buy digital movies from Amazon.com and access them anywhere there's a computer with an internet connection, I can buy the DVD, the blu-ray, rent movies through Amazon, buy subscriptions to movies and TV shows through Netflix, walk down to the store and rent a new release DVD/Blu-ray/video game from Redbox for a night (and reserve it in advance if I like), and my town's out in the middle of nowhere, just think how easy it is in a large city!

[Gov Kodos]

J. Allen wrote:

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I buy the DVDs for archival purposes, but there are so many options in the U.S., I could buy digital movies from Amazon.com and access them anywhere there's a computer with an internet connection, I can buy the DVD, the blu-ray, rent movies through Amazon, buy subscriptions to movies and TV shows through Netflix, walk down to the store and rent a new release DVD/Blu-ray/video game from Redbox for a night (and reserve it in advance if I like), and my town's out in the middle of nowhere, just think how easy it is in a large city!

Or, in Korea, I might want 'Monarch of the Glen' a BBC series which isn't available for sale here at this time. I can catch the last couple of seasons on BBC International, but region nonsense means I can't buy and play it here through legal means.

[DAYoung]

[QUOTE=J. Allen;6184819]

DAYoung wrote:

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So it is all about money. Just the money. THIS is why people pirate things. It's completely arbitrary! It's like saying "you two men will get the book for $5, but the woman will have to pay $7 for being female." I mean, it's just as arbitrary as that, particularly when the distribution method is digital! Sometimes I just want to punch copyright makers right in the wallet, but it wouldn't do any good.

Yes. I'm a supporter of copyright laws, but not of unfair pricing.

[DAYoung]

teacake wrote:

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Buy a divx player and you can play anything, here's one for 29.00:

http://www.oo.com.au/Akai-2-Channel-...paign=ELADVD05

Or you can get them for even cheaper in Aldi at times. OR you can do like I do and accumulate dvd players from the op shop where they are about 5.00.

Whoah. That is cheap. My local Coles supermarket has DVD players, but not quite that cheap.

And then you buy your Star Trek from dvd.co.uk which is almost always dramatically cheaper than buying it in Aus. Here's season 2 for £19.79 which at just over 30.00 Australian is a great price (postage from that site is very inexpensive too).

Double WHOAH. That's very cheap. I'm also after DS9, seasons 6 and 7 (not on iTunes). That's even cheaper...

OR you make Star Trek friends IRL and get them to loan you the dvd's.

In real... what?

All of which I say because Mirror Mirror is a great ep, would definitely be my top 10 TOS episodes and my favorite MU ep. It's got everything.. drama, philosophy, shock, hotness.. it's a stand out IMHO. And classic TOS in every way.

I'm actually reading the omnibus of Mirror episodes, Glass Empires, and it's really whetting my appetite for the original TOS episode. Well, that, and Barbara Luna.

[teacake]

Divx players are MUCH cheaper than dvd players. Why I don't know. Maybe they are just designed to be cheap and not full of promises about being fabulous. The prices at dvd.co.uk fluctuate but Trek is incredibly cheap atm. I have bought several seasons of Dr. Who there which were easily 1/4 of the price at JBHiFi. I've bought all my TOS and TAS there. Excellent company.

Your other option is to give someone who owns the Trek you want a USB so the can put the eps on it, assuming they can rip them to their computer. That may be crossing a copyright boundary for you though.

[King Daniel]

J. Allen wrote:

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I don't know, I'd probably risk it. Though I would be cautious.

Futuristic adaptable condoms, made of the same stuff Batman's cape is, and equipped with microcircuit AI. Can survive the heat of a Horta, the teeth of a Gorn and the pressure of a dark matter nebula. He never leaves the ship without 'em!