Disney To Begin Renting Self-Destructing DVDs
from the doomed-to-repeat-the-past dept
In 1999 Circuit City ended up quietly killing Divx, their incredibly overhyped DVD-competitor that would have the DVDs self-destruct after a certain period of time, unless they paid to unlock them permanently (not to be confused with the completely different DivX video standard). Despite all the hype, almost no one had any interest in self-destructing videos, but that won't stop companies from making the same mistake. Two years ago another company tried to come out with self-destructing DVDs, but that technology hasn't caught on much either. Now some more major players are getting involved. Disney has now announced plans to release self-destructing DVDs themselves. They always say the same thing: renters will like this because they don't have to return the videos. Unlike Divx, there's no option to ever reuse this DVD. After two days, it's just not usable any more due to a chemical reaction when exposed to the air. It remains to be seen if consumers have as short a memory as Disney seems to have.
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Leakage?
Are you stuck with a mostly-usable DVD?
Do the math - what's the cheapest you could make a disposable DVD that is sellable through multiple levels (i.e., maker, distributer, retailer) and at how low of a price level can you still make a profit? Don't forget to add a case with some basic artwork. Don't forget the special protective coating and shrink wrapping.
$5? $6? Would you be willing to pay that to rent a movie for 2 days and not worry about late fees?
I wouldn't. Heck, I hate paying the $3.99 that the BlockBuster closest to my house pays, I drive the extra half mile the other way to go to the BlockBuster that only charges $3.49. If I rent 3 movies (which I usually do) that saves me $1.50. Sometimes over a long weekend I'll rent as many as 6 or 7 movies, so that extra $0.50 adds up, and if it were to suddenly jump to an extra $1.50 - $2.50, I'll definately be renting a lot less movies.
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I forgot one thing...
Hmm... it might just work out in our benefit in the long run...
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Re: Leakage?
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Vacuum
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Re: Vacuum
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No Subject Given
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Disney DVDs
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No Subject Given
companies that produce products like this should be sued into oblivion.
my two pennies.
sum.zero
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Re: Vacuum
"Krylon Krytal-Klear DVD Protectant" The perfect choice for video left-overs...
"No drips, no runs, no error messages."
What are those folks at Disney smokin'?
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GE self destructing DVDs, refrigerators, radios...
(the plastic on these is a GE invention)
The complaints people will have on this one will be huge - high off the shelf failures, for one - And how will they know if it was ok when you tried to watch it? Please give me another one free...
These will tar anyone associated with them with the gooey residue of consumer ill will.
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Self-destructing DVDs
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Re: Self-destructing DVDs
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Re: No Subject Given
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Self Destructing DVD's
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Re: Self Destructing DVD's
That's the point... you can put it in the microwave and stare at the crackling for days. They certainly aren't going to call you looking for their self-destructing dvds.
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Re: Vacuum
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Re: Self-destructing DVDs
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Re: Leakage?
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You nuts?
These cheap DVDs will be like dvix, featureless, low quality picture. The DIVX packaging and discs were cheap. The discs only had the movie, period. Maybe not even scence selection, I don't remember.
In Asia, you can by DVDs dirt cheap, $2~3USD. these are NOT DVD-Rs. A friend returned with some discs. Its a little neat, but I do want to buy legit stuff. But it proves that the Studio pays less than a buck to make a 2-disc set and makes a ton of profit. If they want to stop piracy and increase sales - sell them new for $10~12. I and twice more likely to buy a NEW DVD on sale for $15 than $20. At Wal Mart, they usually do this for the first 3 days of a NEW major title (Harry potter, ET, Lilo & Stitch etc) and I scope them up...
BTW, one of the movies he brought over was a Minority Report. I happen to bring over my LEGIT USA version. The picture quality was 99% as good as mine. But was was ODD, was that the MENU interface was DIFFERENT!
We figured out that it was a pirate version of an EARLER DVD, a beta-version. It looked VERY COOL, different from the normal... but not quite as polish. Hard to read some things. Then he pops in his Harry potter, and it was easily filmed in a theater - looked & sounded like crap.
Because of crappy economy and such, I typically buy the $20 for 3 DVDs at Blockbuster... And when I had a bad disc, they happly exchanged it for another or credit towards another disc.
TO Diseny - this DESTRUCTIVE DVDs makes me angry that you're doing this stupid stuff again, like with DIVX, for which Diseny was a major backer of the format (Back then, there were NO disney DVDs!) Imagine, Diseny on DIVX only and your children having to constantly "rent" the discs 1-2 times a week. They saw $$$ in their eyes! You paid about $10~12 for these discs, that were featureless!!! Take them to a friends house and you would have to re-rent them again.
Its the same with these destructive DVDs, but dumber in different ways. This kind of stupidity and greed make me NOT to want to buy another Disney DVD again! And I own at least 8 titles.
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Re: Leakage?
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Re: No Subject Given
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