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March 31

DVD region code

I was pondering DVD region codes yesterday. If I have a, for example, region 4 DVD and I create an iso image of it via dd (Linux of course), does the iso file have the region code in it? Thanks! --TrogWoolley (talk) 11:04, 31 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Based purely on what our articles say, yes. dd (Unix) will make a faithful ISO of everything on the DVD, including the file VIDEO_TS.IFO as described at DVD region code#Implementations of region codes, which contains the two bytes which are non-zero if the DVD is locked to any region. (VLC will then ignore this and play it anyway.) Card Zero (talk) 13:41, 31 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

There is software that will remove the region code while copying, but this may be ethically questionable and legally problematic. --Lambiam 18:48, 31 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I suppose a person who has searched their conscience sufficiently might then proceed to copy the files in the mounted ISO to a new folder, so that they could be edited, and then use mkisofs to turn it back into an ISO again, but I don't really know. Card Zero (talk) 19:07, 31 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

Thanks! Of course, dd (Unix) will only make a faithful ISO copy if it can read the DVD. It will fall over with copy-protected DVDs. --TrogWoolley (talk) 09:48, 1 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

What are ghost runners?

According to a comic strip there is a new practice of shortening Major League Baseball games with extra innings by starting a runner on second base.

Ghost runner is a redirect to Invisible runner rule which does not, and probably should not, discuss it.

Also, the comic strip comments mention Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports. Also not there.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 21:33, 31 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Doesn't appear to have its own article, but 2020 Major League Baseball season#Temporary rules for shortened 2020 season covers it, with its 8th bullet point. It was retained for the 2021 season, and despite initially being expected not to feature in this year's, it was eventually put back on the menu due to the lockout and all the mess that caused with the season's scheduling. It's now expected to be fully repealed after this year, but who knows if that'll end up being the case! Buttons to Push Buttons (talk | contribs) 22:09, 31 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Various other names have been used, including "designated runner" and "automatic runner". The rule is still new enough in Major League Baseball (and was originally designed to be temporary) that the terminology has not settled down yet. "Ghost runner" is actually one of the more recent variations of the name. In the official rules, he si simply called the "runner placed on second base at the start of each half-inning" (see here for example [1]), which is a mouthful, hence the need for announcers to be creative in coming up with a name. Xuxl (talk) 12:58, 1 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Also known as the "Manfred runner". 24.76.103.169 (talk) 16:32, 6 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Could be called a "Manfred man". --←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:16, 6 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]