When is digital going to get the soul of music?

Jabo - it is probably penny difference.

They sell us same DVDs for $20 that they sell in China for $2. In order to protect their insane profits they forced DVD player makers to play only one region (otherwise somebody would export DVDs from China to US). They would not sell in China (and other places)at loss. How is it possible that things like CDs or DVDs that supposed to cost couple of dollars cost so much - the same way breakfast serial cost $4 instead of $1 - phony competition and monopoly.

actually dual layers are nearly twice as much to manufacture. cd's, sacd's and dvd's contain royalty payments to artists, publishing royalties, marketing costs, e&o insurance, and numerous other guild payments....i'm sorry, but a 2 dollar dvd sold in china or anywhere is a pirated copy, unless its a cut-out and the royalties were already paid. sometimes cover art and/or an artista likeness needs to be licensed as well.

No Jaybo - They sell originall DVDs for $2 there. That what regional code was for. In 2006 Time Warner was selling DVDs for 10 yuan ($1.25) while Twentieth Century Fox was planning to sell DVDs for 20-25 yuan (about $3). Both companies admitted that profit will be very low and main reason is to "combat" piracy (read: better small profit than nothing). At price of $1.25 they still admitted profit - insane. Competition is phony (collude) and we're being screwed. At least piracy levels the field there and forces big companies to sell at normal prices (good for the people).

All royalties and cost of printing comes to about $1 per audio CD. Rest of it (remaining $14) is a profit. Even if you double production cost for SACD it is $2 versus $30 selling price.

Nothing new to it - a little bit of cornflakes and cardboard box ends up magically $4. TV station started investigation and next day they became silent. I suspect they were threatened to loose all advertising.

the cost of replication does not cover the publising per unit, the cost of producing the record or cd in the first place (amortized),the artists' royalty per unit, the musicians' royalties per unit, sync rights per unit if dvd, marketing, distribution, healthcare for artists and employees, freight, sometimes tarrifs, and ultimately, the put-upon retailer must make something.....you simply have to do the math, in any region, in any country...these are intellectual properties, not bubble gum....a tragic crime in any country.

Jabo - Not only they did't fall in love with Chinese people enough to sell them DVDs below cost but they admitted small profit at $1.25 Let me be generous, in spite of such admission, and agree that $3 is the price in China. What the heck - lets make it $5. Why do we have to pay $20?

What regional code is for? It is simply to prevent shipping DVDs back to US (with a profit) - no other reason.