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Region 4 Winners and Losers

Region 4 Winners and Losers

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Explanatory Notes
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Title Best
Futurama-Season 3 (Box Set)=

    At this stage there is no Region 1 version available, but past season sets have been almost identical in the US to our versions. The Region 2 version of season 3 is absolutely identical to Region 4, and I even noted that each corresponding disc from the two Regions has the same number of bytes used up. This, plus the fact that the sets are dual encoded Region 2 and 4, would lead me to the obvious conclusion that these are the same in every way (same master).

    The packaging is slightly different, with Region 2 sets getting a flashy plastic sleeve to go over the 4 disc box. So if you're into collecting nice packaging I'd go with Region 2, since the prices are pretty similar after conversion. Otherwise, there's no reason to not pick up a local copy.

    One additional note concerning the Region 4 discs; there have been a lot of complaints on newsgroups and web forums about faulty DVDs that won't play properly (disc 1 seems to be the worst offender). It appears that a bad batch of discs is out there, so there is an element of risk in buying locally. However, I had no problems with the review discs, so it does seem to be a fairly random thing.

    Update: As can be seen from the comments at the bottom of this page, the problem with the Region 4 discs seems to be far more serious and widespread than I first thought. It's got to the point where major B&M stores such as K-Mart are doing recalls on these DVDs. Fox's initial response was posted by MichaelD below, and following is a copy of it:

At this time, Fox are saying that there are no known problems with the Region 4 Futurama Season 3 Box Set. They have suggested that if anyone is having a problem with their discs that they should call Fox Customer Service on 1 300 369 843. If there are any further updates on this situation, we will advise you all.

    It seems however that they have since changed their tune, and we'll be posting the new response as soon as we can. At this stage I'd highly recommend getting the Region 2 set over our local copy.

    Update 2: MichaelD has provided the following update on Fox's position:

Fox have now officially acknowledged that there is a problem with some copies of this box set not playing back correctly on some equipment. If you are affected by this issue, you can call Fox Customer Support on 1 300 369 843 to arrange for replacement discs.

    Update 3: From all I've read on web forums and in newsgroups, it appears that the new batch of Season 3 discs now available has none of the problems outlined above. I'd imagine that all copies of the original batch are no longer on shelves, but I'm not aware of how to discern between the two versions. If anyone knows of any indication on the packaging please let me know, and I'll post it here.