What's with R1 DVD box-sets appearing after R2?

[RedM]

As we won't subscribe to cable we usually buy US series on DVD.

 

We've gotten used to getting them before the UK airings finish if not even sooner.

 

Now though, we find Battlestar Galactica S3 will have been out for months here before the R1 release and, to cap it all, Lost S3 (full season set) is out on Monday, over a month before the US release.

 

Why is this and does anyone know if it'll be worth waiting for the R1 sets?

[lexsum]

it is to stop you buying it at the cheaper us prices and not paying for people like sky's subscription and be forced to be fleeced by the rip-off britain system. it is the only reason regions were invented and they learned that from CD sales.

 

if ever there was a global anti-compitition measure introduced unquestioned it was regions on dvds! you can probably tell it bothers me. corporate bastards, the internet will kill them yet!

[RedM]

AVforums reckon it's to do with syndication rather a global conspiracy to rip people off.