How The Entertainment Industry Plans To Kill DVDs
from the focus,-people,-focus dept
The entertainment industry really has a knack for focusing in on the wrong thing at the wrong time. We've already discussed how delivering content on plastic discs is increasingly not going to make sense, and rather than work on making it more appealing, the industry seems to be getting into (yet another) standards battle over what type of annoying copy protection to include on next generation DVDs. Yes, that's right. They're battling over how to make these increasingly obsolete discs even less valuable. There is no consumer benefit at all -- and when those discs now have to compete with other ways of delivering content, that's going to make it an increasingly difficult sell. The entertainment industry is so obsessed with this false belief that all content needs copy protection that they've forgotten that their customers aren't all criminals and that giving them a product they want, rather than one that restricts them unnecessarily, is probably a good idea.
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discs not so obsolete to business
DVD sales currently represent one of the largest chunks of revenue from motion pictures, often surpassing theatre grosses. you may not like them, but they sell big and are major revenue movers in the entertainment industry.
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Re: discs not so obsolete to business
I get the feeling the industry leaders are a bit like these 419 scam victims. They've been sold a lemon (in the guise of copy protection) by cowboy wannabe computer scientists and pseudo programmers who are laughing all the way to the bank every time they get Sony or Warner to buy the latest straw man system that will be hacked down within a week.
Rather than turn about 180 and admit defeat these guys would rather see their entire industry flushed down the pan and save face than admit they've been had.
Nobody will ever develp a copy protection system that works. It is just not possible, axiomatically.
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Re: Re: discs not so obsolete to business
It's just that the whole pipeline to the output devices has to be in on the game.
There are unhackable hardware designs. NSA has a chip that self-destructs upon opening.
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Re: discs not so obsolete to business
If the distributor sold downloads of the movies (with appropriate price reductions) I'm willing to bet they'd steal a significant chunk of that market.
The OP is right. I don't want any more boxes and bits of plastic cluttering up my house.
I want to browse a list of movies on my computer, pick whatever I'd like to see and either stream it or download it. I'm not bothered which option they'd like to go for as I generally watch a movie once.
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Do I hear crickets?
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Re: Do I hear crickets?
That being said however, maybe if the industry people READ these articles from time to time, or just surfed this site, they might get an idea of what sort of cluster-bugger they are about to get themselves into.
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Re: Do I hear crickets?
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Re: Do I hear crickets?
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Re: Do I hear crickets?
I totally agree with you Tim
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Hacking
GIDDIDY GIDDIDY GIDDIDY
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Or, vote with our pocketbooks, like I do. I will not spend one cent on anything that comes from the entertainment/industrial complex as long as they treat their customers like the enemy. If I can buy music from the artist directlly, I do. As for movies, I'll watch them at friends' houses or borrow their copies of DVDs. Last time I checked, that was still legal, no?
I would be happy to see the entire industry collapse and be rebuilt.
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Re:
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3 weeks?
I download music (not really! just in case any RIAA fanatics are reading), but I've never thought of downloading DVD's (unless it's porn! I mean... not really! just in case my wife is reading..) and I pretty much come to the conclusion that the legal consumers will continue to purchase their dvds at their local retail store, and limit their use to the family dvd player- Considering most consumers wouldn't deal with playing a dvd on a small pc monitor.
Unlike music, which can be played over limitless mediums, dvd players are pretty well limited to dvd support game consoles, dvd players, or the pc- where the copy protection will come into play.
Don't get me wrong, I think copy protection in general is just a headache, I just don't have as much against the MPAA as the RIAA.
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Fools
Sadly, it would have been much easier to simply download the movie in the first place. Yet another example of the entertainment industry devaluing their own products.
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Re: Fools
I do get real irritated when DVDs come loaded with previews of other DVDs (Ads) which cannot be skipped. I'm also inclined to rip the DVDs, and reauthor them (without the ads) in MPEG4. It really irritates me to pay for content, and then end up forced to watch ads. The DVD publishers are their own worst enemy. It's now actually easier to download illegal content (ad free) then to buy legal DVDs with unavoidable advertisements.
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Re: Fools
The reason they're there is because the producers know most consumers don't care, and will buy the disc anyway. That's capitalism.
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The new workaround
Now, entertainment industry, can you tell me why I should want to buy what you have to offer?
Besides, of course, the fact that I don't have an HTPC. :(
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xbmc
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Seriously though were not all criminals and there will be piracy where ever you go and no matter what you do to try and stop it. In my opnion hollywood needs to just shut up about pirates when ever i see those stupid comercials i want to do it even more becuase just before i saw that i saw a tabloid that said "Tom Cruz buys 120 million dollar mansion!"
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Analog Capture
or Analog at good quality it can just be put
out for download on a myriad of p2p networks,
and they are just becoming more intricate.
Indirect transfers like mute and encryption will
make it exceedingly hard to catch the actual
people sending the file.
As all files will be piece meal routed thru other
nodes in truly statistically random algorithm.
people using Wifi hotpsots for their downloading
will likewise be somewhat harder to catch if they
have visual security of ppl trying to triangulate them
with directional atennnas.
Friend based VPN's like hamachi.cc will make encrypted
internets that exist within the internet that will be
private, encrypted, and can run most of the serverless
p2p apps with an added layer of anonymity.
The only thing they will be able to tell at the ISP
level is that your uploading a lot, and could call that
probable cause for investigation and then assign
tempest gear to your physical location for snooping.
The most secure uncopyable media can still be
captured even digitally as it hits the HD display
cable as a raw signal and then converted .
That will cost more than they can afford.
So it is more or less an issue of attrition.
If you can see it with your photo receptors of
cones and rods, it can be re-recorded and then
re-transmitted ad infinitium.
Ex-MislTech
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hackers are faster than manufacturers; cracks even come out before protection occasionally. It’s a futile endeavour, it would be smarter to just figure out a new way to cut down on piracy by a new low cost / high return medium.
And most un-piratable mediums are unpopular because of that fact, nerds, geeks and tech-heads create the early market - many if not most nerds, geeks and tech-heads are driven by pirating because of little respect for copyright laws and a belief in freedom of information, and sometimes just to piss off the MPAA/RIAA. Yarrr.
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DVD Article
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Re: DVD Article
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Piracy
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Yep. Sort of getting to be a theme song,
nah, nah, nah consumer companies don't understand consumers
nah, nah, nah, rather than trusting their customers ...
nah, nah, nah, going down a path that never has delivered value
nah, nah, nah, when will they ever learn
All true,
However, when will get off this thing and move to some fresh ideas?
People will not surf here if they don't see value so if you want insiders you better deliver value.
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"The entertainment industry is so obsessed with this false belief that all content needs copy protection that they've forgotten that their customers aren't all criminals and that giving them a product they want, rather than one that restricts them unnecessarily, is probably a good idea."
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Hollywood focuses on the wrong group
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speaking of experience
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Now if only i can figure out how to rip MP3's to my 8 track?
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Re:
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BS
They're battling over how to make these increasingly obsolete discs even less valuable. There is no consumer benefit at all
[end quote]
So in other words, you feel that if a DVD cannot be copied it is worth less??? That's a load off bullshit, and you know it. I'm sorry to offend all you copying and pirating junkies, but that statement makes as much sense as stating that anti-theft devices in retail stores are stupid and should not be implemented.
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Re: BS
We were told that dvd's would last forever, we have since found out this is not true. Any number of damage can happen to a dvd to make it unplayable.
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DRM is useless
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Want some cheese?
Good grief people... what is up with all the whining about ads and previews? I don't see you asking the entertainment industry to not play ads and previews in the movie theatres... I don't see you whine about all the commercials on TV while you watch your favorite shows... (generally 1 hour of TV show consists of about 25 minutes of commercials and previews).
I agree with Clueful... the ads and previews is what keeps DVD's affordable. You want them gone? Be prepared to pay twice as much for them as what you are paying for them now.
And please, find something else to whine about... the whole discussion about the copy protections in the entertainment industry is getting old really fast...
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Re: Want some cheese?
Then open your eyes. The most prevalent complaint apart from the lack of quality is the 20min tirade of boring, patronising, insults to their intelligence and self esteem that the average person is forced to sit through when visiting a movie theatre.
"I don't see you whine about all the commercials on TV while you watch your favorite shows."
Again, do you even own a television or speak to ordinary people outside your door? Television advertising has reached such a nadir of taste that even the most braindead couch potatos are switching off in their millions.
"I agree with Clueful... the ads and previews is what keeps DVD's affordable. You want them gone? "
Exactly, you agree with an argument which has no economic basis whatsoever. I bet you love advertisements and feel enriched by the wonderful world of products out there you never even knew you needed. There is a word for this which I believe is "gullible".
"You want them gone? Be prepared to pay twice as much for them as what you are paying for them now."
Now you're actually talking some sense. People pay a premium for quality. The higher the quality of the product the more they are prepared to pay. Unfortunately (see point 1) if the current industry had to survive on the merit of its products it would be dead within a week.
You're still thinking the dog wags the tail. It's the other way round. Low quality pap from the Hollywood saussage factory is the vehicle that keeps the advertising business alive.
"And please, find something else to whine about... the whole discussion about the copy protections in the entertainment industry is getting old really fast..."
Again you're wrong. The debate is highly relevant, topical and imo hasn't even begun in earnest. Your pejorative use of the term "Whine" only leads people to assume you work in advertising, and given that you have so spectacularly failed to get your argument across might I suggest another career.
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Re: Want some cheese?
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Why hell would you want to Download a DVD??
Just because there are other more "advanced" ways to do something doesn't meant that they are in any way shape or form better ways.
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Re: Why hell would you want to Download a DVD??
Just because there are established ways to do something doesn't mean that thay are in any way, shape or form better ways.
Everything I watch is displayed on my computer monitor (its not very small either). I do not have any kind of TV in my home. I receive all of my content via the interweb (usually bit-torrent). I still buy DVDs made by artists I respect. But this is usually after I have already received this same content via the internet (usually weeks in advance of release). It still baffles me that I can have "the ultimate media center experience" with out any DRM roadblocks, all while the content industry is still trying to figure out what the hell is happening. Reminds me of "Tarzan Economics." Sometimes you have to let go of a revenue stream before you can grab onto the next one.
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Re: Why hell would you want to Download a DVD??
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Re: Why hell would you want to Download a DVD??
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Re: Why hell would you want to Download a DVD??
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Obligatory
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who cares?
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Re: Why hell would you want to Download a DVD??
Thats quicker and easier than walking to my nearest dvd shop.
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