Surprise: Widely Owned Cell Phones Are Most Likely To Be Stolen

Record Labels Come Up With Another Physical Format You Don't Want Or Need

from the upgrade-time dept

Fri, Aug 4th 2006 12:49pm — Carlo Longino

Despite the entertainment industry's constant claim that they can't sell content when people can get it for free from file-sharing networks, there are plenty of ways they can (and already do) "compete with free": convenience, legitimacy, or simply offering consumers better value for their money. To that end, Warner Music is planning to start selling music on DVD, with a bunch of added content in addition to the music tracks. This isn't the same as DVD-Audio or DualDisc, but yet another format being foisted on the public. The DVDs would contain albums mixed in stereo and surround sound, as well as added video content and other digital extras that could be accessed on a computer. Bundling additional content with the music is an idea that sounds good in theory, but the WSJ article is short on details, and forgive us for expecting the record labels to follow through on this in their usual way: maximum inconvenice for marginal benefit. The biggest drawback is that the DVDs obviously can't be played in CD players -- Warner's workaround to this is to put "pre-ripped" digital copies of the song on the DVD that users could copy to a computer, then burn to a CD. That's fine -- if they're of sufficient quality and aren't encumbered with all sorts of copy protection and DRM, but we're not holding our breath, since apparently Warner is in talks with Apple to somehow use its DRM on the "pre-ripped" tracks, which makes it sound like you can forget playing them on any non-iPod digital music player. Of course, the DVDs will carry a higher price tag than current CDs, so any idea that this new format could offer better value might go out the window, too. Another issue is the labels' continued insistence on trying to find another physical format to sell people, instead of putting more effort into making online digital distribution work.

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29 Comments

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Whatever he said, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:13pm

More features please...
So much crap. A friend of mine has a new BMW 8 series, the seat alone has 23 adjustments. Its a badass car, but you damn near need a class from the dealer to own it.

Wasn't there an article yesterday on how rediculously complicated cell phones are getting?

One has to wonder at the future of the music industry with all the added content. The MTV revolution pretty much killed good music by replacing quality audio content with clever visuals. Will the success of future bands depend on their ability to offer as many frills as songs? Probably.
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- Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:17pm
  
  Re: More features please...
  there is no new 8 series buddy, 7,6,5,and 3 series only
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  - Don Gray, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:29pm
    
    Re: Re: More features please...
    Don't tell this guy...
    
    He's driving around in a non-existent car!!!
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  - Whatever he said, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:32pm
    
    Re: Re: More features please...
    Ooops, the 8 must have been from the $80,000 price tag, and now that I think about it, it was a 7 series. Sorry, I only drive American (not that there is such a thing), and my car is half the price with almost double the horsepower, so I don't really pay that much attention -- I don't need 23 seat adjustments at 130.
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Aug 2006 @ 7:57pm
  
  Re: More features please...
  There is no 8 series maby the 7 series but no 8. as far as this new format goes...well I say it will flop...and I shall laghf
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Don Gray, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:29pm

Non-existent BMW...
http://foto.spullenbank.nl/common/img/00/00/01/92/_T19213.jpg
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BMW, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:32pm

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=BMW+8&btnG=Google+Search
No 8 series HUH?
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- Nope, no NEW 8 Series, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:40pm
  
  Re:
  http://www.answers.com/topic/bmw-8-series
  
  "Worldwide production ceased 12 May 1999. Total built: 30,621"
  
  May have been new to him but now NEW.
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beefer, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:55pm

no 8 series huh?
wow, those of you who have never heard of an 8 series are in the majority but still are stupid for jumping down the guys throat before posting stupid comments about "non-existant cars". do some research next time, just because you haven't heard about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
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- Guy getting out of idots throught, 5 Aug 2006 @ 8:00pm
  
  Re: no 8 series huh?
  Sorry
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John, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:56pm

WOW...where can I get one???
Not that this is a thread about automobiles, but the smallest engine that comes in the new BMW 7 series is 360 horsepower. Please tell me where you purchased your $40,000 vehicle with almost 720 horsepower? The closest that you are gonna get is the newest Corvette Coupe ($45,000 base price with a 400 hp 6.0L V8) or a Shelby GT 500 Mustang ($42,000 and 500 hp 5.4L V8)...
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- Whatever he said, 4 Aug 2006 @ 2:16pm
  
  Re: WOW...where can I get one???
  2003 Cobra, but don't think it's stock (620hp at the wheels -- my math was off)
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- Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2006 @ 2:53pm
  
  Re: WOW...where can I get one???
  i don't think that guy even has a car.
  
  he was just trying to make a point and have people appreciate him. unfortunately, his point was lame and he made it in a lame way.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2006 @ 2:06pm

TechDirt community rocks!

I keep hoping the majority of you people will actually post something worth reading rather than your own childish rants. Read the article, post something intelligent.
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- Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2006 @ 2:15pm
  
  Re:
  re by A.C. above... the idea i think, is the article is really nothing new... and the TD community has definitely discussed DRM AT-LENGHTH.
  
  plus the bmw 840 is a sweet machine...
  if i remember right... all aluminum v-12 that does, yeah, like 360 hp. check THESE OUT.
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Whatever he said, 4 Aug 2006 @ 2:26pm

Sorry
I was just trying to illustrate that sometimes we just want the raw meat, not all the bells and whistles.

Before someone starts slamming my car, let me offer this -- Its loud, rattles, and gets pretty decent milage for what it is, but it ain't no BMW and I know it. But damn is it fast.
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stop ranting, 4 Aug 2006 @ 2:52pm

Actually about this article
stfu about everything that is NOT related to this artcle.

I think this DVD with "pre-ripped" music is moronic. As a consumer, why would I want to buy a piece of plastic, and then use my computer to transfer the music to another piece of plastic which I've paid a few pennies for JUST so I can play the music in a device I have owned for years?!

This will add more time in between the purchase and when I actually get to listen to the music and it will fill up landfills with more garbage.

Way to go executive morons at Warner Music.
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punk b@tch, 4 Aug 2006 @ 3:10pm

at least
at leest their not ranting abuot typos. Iv'e rred 2 manie cowtless threds where that all anyone has a comment.
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On the bandwagon, 4 Aug 2006 @ 3:34pm

8 series RULES!
It comes with a DVD reader too, so your buddy should be in good shape.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2006 @ 3:48pm

Theres too much testosterone on here, you know what they say, "The bigger the car the smaller the p#%!, you petrolheads are seriously over compensating for something.. LOL
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Aug 2006 @ 8:04pm
  
  Re:
  all true man all true
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Whoever, 4 Aug 2006 @ 5:27pm

New format
So, let me get this straight... a DVD-audio disc with DRM, (obviously) region limitation, and probably even offered as a DIVx DVDs,like those that came up at the early days of DVD (remember? those that you had to unlock overthe phone?) Thanks, but no thanks. I'll stick to vynil, TYVM. Analog rules.
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Whatever he said, 4 Aug 2006 @ 5:32pm

Actually I'm bored of my ass waiting on emails and money. In the future I will avoid auto references since so many people obsess.

As for this article, I was trying to point out that I'm sick of new formats, and this one doesn't look any better.
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Uway, 4 Aug 2006 @ 6:10pm

DVD on one side CD audio on the other
This technology is about 2 years old..Because i mix music i have always been scared that people would be wanting there music on dvd because i do not have a 5.1 set up. What the music industruy is not quite understanding, is that music is all about the feel...it is proven time and time again that no matter how much money you spend on sound people will always gravitate to feel good music...people can stil dance to pounding on a table..my ears cringe when i hear a unproperly mixed song and it goes platinum. who do we blame for that? the consumer..and thats just what we are consumers..in the audio business there are three catigories for products..Car audio, Consumer audio and Pro audio...This new format i feel will not change a thing but just another thing consumers buy..im trying to find the burners that do this so im ahead of the game..i know sony made one but it was some big price tag for a single burner.
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- Uway, 4 Aug 2006 @ 6:20pm
  
  Re: DVD on one side CD audio on the other
  One more thing i wanted to mention cd audio is slowly but surly becoming obsolete as a consumer audio. I would not be surprised the record companys get rid of it all together..lossless audio from mac is half the size of cd audio and no loss in quility..and if a dvd can play both formats already insted of a cd player there will only be dvd players and thats that..cd audio will probably only be used as pro audio in stuios for the small artist still struggling.
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jsaltz, 4 Aug 2006 @ 6:44pm

I think it is an abomination.
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Dissapointed, 5 Aug 2006 @ 6:25am

I was cool with music going onto DVDs. DVD audio is sweet, much higher bit-rate and can offer 5.1. I was cool with it because DVD is pretty much all over the place. Just about everyone has a DVD player in their home and/or at least a DVD ROM drive in their computer, and a good handful of people have DVD in their car, so DVD, like CD, would have good potential for taking over.

On the other hand, these Warnder DVDs, from what I understand, could only be used on a computer, which sucks. If I'm wrong and it can be played in any DVD player, then it'll be fine.

It took CDs a heck of a lot longer to gain popularity (invented in the late 70s, didn't catch on mainstream until the early 90s) than DVDs did because technology wasn't progressing as fast back then, but once these DVDA discs start getting out there, people will buy and companies will produce cheaper DVDA players.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Aug 2006 @ 11:44am

I've gone back to vinyl. It's a little extra work to rip them as mp3's, but very satisfying.
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bruno, 28 Sep 2006 @ 9:03am

me
im from philly [the worlds most dangerous place] i thinkin that this is somewhere i could get my mixtape poppin
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