I must inform you that the Progressive Times DVD compilations
of clips from Germany’s Beat Club television
programme (which you reviewed in your June 2008
issue) are blatantly unofficial.
The clips in this 8-volume series were recorded from
recent re-broadcasts by European cable or satellite
channels (mostly from a channel named Festival), and
the logos of those television channels are superimposed
over the upper left or right corner of the screen
throughout these clips. If these broadcasters believe
that blemishing the picture with a superimposed logo
will deter bootlegging, these discs prove that they are
quite mistaken.
Furthermore, for the manufacturer of these discs to
use the Beat Club logo on their packaging could
mislead consumers to think that these are official
releases.
These discs underscore the need for Radio Bremen
(the owner of the Beat Club series) to market more of
this material officially. Yes, I’m aware of a 10-volume
German DVD series (released in 1997), which I’ve got
in my collection, but this series, which only contained a
small percentage of the existing material, has long
since been deleted.
Also, I should note that the statement on the
Progressive Times DVD packaging that the discs are
NTSC/All Regions is incorrect. The discs are in fact PAL/
All Regions.
