A few months ago I was on a cruise to NZ (I live in the US). Shipmates sent us a CD with pictures on it, which we could not open. My husband remembered reading somewhere that CDs are now coded by regions, so that they cannot be copied and shipped around the world. Our friends have a technologically savvy son who was able to get around it after 3 tries. My concern is -- what about my genealogy? Is it only pictures that are unable to be shared, or are the CDs I'm making for all time and eternity only going to be seen by those who live in my state, or my country? Nancy

With the newer computers one can change the region. I watch movies limited to PAL (non-USA) on my PC and with cable I can use the PC and watch the movie on my TV. But I cannot put the movie disk into my DVD player because my DVD player won't play it. By the time your records are being shared, I suspect most everyone will have learned what can be done to get around the regional limitations. We use NTSC in this country. Ridiculous isn't it? Elaine Find an aim in life before you run out of ammunition. --Arnold Glasow Hello Nancy On Thursday, October 1, 2009, you wrote > A few months ago I was on a cruise to NZ (I > live in the US). Shipmates sent > us a CD with pictures on it, which we could not > open. My husband remembered > reading somewhere that CDs are now coded by > regions, so that they cannot be > copied and shipped around the world. Our > friends have a technologically > savvy son who was able to get around it after 3 tries. > My concern is -- what about my genealogy? Is > it only pictures that are > unable to be shared, or are the CDs I'm making > for all time and eternity > only going to be seen by those who live in my state, or my country? > Nancy

Hello Nancy, Thursday, October 1, 2009, 3:02:08 PM, you wrote: NT> My husband remembered reading somewhere that CDs are now coded by NT> regions It's only DVD movies that are coded this way. DVD data discs, Audio CD's, data CD's are not and will be readable no matter where you are in the world. There are some DVD players that can be switched to a 'region free' mode and these will play DVD's from anywhere. Good to see that you go that picture CD readable but it won't have been due to a wrong region. -- Best regards, Barry mailto:barry@yobunny.co.uk MicroSoft Free Zone running Ubuntu 9.04 'Jaunty'