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Die Hard Packages Digital Copy With Its DVD

from the yippee-kay-yay-kay-yo dept

Tue, Oct 16th 2007 5:08pm — Dennis Yang

In a special edition of its upcoming release of the latest Die Hard DVD, 20th Century Fox has announced that it will include a DRM-free digital version of the movie on the DVD. In order to copy the WMV file to a local computer, movie watchers will need to input a 16 digit code that is found on the DVD box. It seems ironic to require people to enter some code to get at the supposedly DRM-free file. This is a step in the right direction, but it still seems like they're making people jump through unnecessary hoops. Still, this feature will finally allow consumers to legally watch the movie on their computer and portable devices without having to pay again for that right... or having to use a third party ripping tool. Perhaps this move is more evidence that the studios find the DMCA unreasonable. As we've seen before, by embracing these formats, consumers will begin to find more value from the media, and, as a result, their consumption should increase, which is ultimately good for the entire movie industry.

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Filed Under: dvd, movies

28 Comments

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DalGoda, 16 Oct 2007 @ 5:39pm

Yeah, I Guess.
Too bad it's a Die Hard movie. Oh well, step in the right direction like the article said.
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Count Porkula, 16 Oct 2007 @ 5:52pm

How many times?
I'd say its a very small step in the right direction. When they start doing this with HD movies and drop the DRM entirely, then I'll start paying for content again. Until the, its BitTorrent for me.
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Chronno S. Trigger, 16 Oct 2007 @ 6:03pm

DRM-free my A$$
"...that can be played on a computer and select portable video players."

"...Windows-based computers or portable video players equipped with Microsoft Windows' PlaysForSure feature..."

"...either the computer's hard drive or a connected PlaysForSure video player..."

If I remember past articles from here, PlaysForSure is just another name for their DRM. Small step indeed.
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Lee F. Wilson, 16 Oct 2007 @ 6:13pm

Something doesn't smell right.
I have my doubts as to whether this will really be DRM-free. If they really wanted to go DRM-free they could easily just leave the encryption off the regular MPEG-2 video already on the DVD. Instead they embed a special windows-only "Digital Copy application" on a second disc that will only produce a file in a format that supports DRM (WMV) and only on a computer platform that supports DRM (Windows) and only copy it to a device that supports DRM (Microsoft's PlaysForSure). That sure seems like a lot of required DRM support for something that supposedly doesn't need it. Something stinks.
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Lee F. Wilson, 16 Oct 2007 @ 6:16pm

Re: Something doesn't smell right.
I forgot, it also requires a 16 digit key to unlock it.
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Oct 2007 @ 6:18pm

Hey Dennis...
Don't believe everything you read, dude.
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Happymellon, 16 Oct 2007 @ 6:24pm

I'm confused
Either that or someones idea of DRM free for a file that is Digitally Restricted is skewed.
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You just don't get it, 16 Oct 2007 @ 6:25pm

Jumping thru hoops? Check it out....unless you can copy it to any media you want freely without any input of a key on a keyboard, it's Jumping Thru Hoops.

You frickin' kids nowadays....if it ain't free, I'm back to BitTorrent. You're all going to drag the world down.....
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Oct 2007 @ 6:30pm

"Digital Copy Application"
I wonder what their so-called "Digital Copy Application" will do to your computer when you run it. Root-kit?
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Oct 2007 @ 7:04pm

Windows?
All I know is that it says windows computer. I don't have one. BRB Bittorrent and usenet.
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Vincent Clement, 16 Oct 2007 @ 8:03pm

Not Giving Their Customers What They Want
I would love a DRM-free copy-protection free DVD movie. In fact, why not include a DivX or Xvid version so that I can burn to a DVD to play on my kids portable DVD player? Do that, and I'll buy more DVDs.

Instead I get stuck with DVDs that won't play in several DVD players, forcing me to rip a copy with all DRM, copy protection and extras removed. And the RIAA and MPAA wonder why people are downloading content for free?
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John Doe, 16 Oct 2007 @ 8:29pm

Sigh* WMV? I'll still have to encode to to work w/ all of my apple ipods stuff.
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Anonymous, 16 Oct 2007 @ 8:45pm

Play it cautious
I'll let everyone else be the guinea pig on this one. I shouldn't need an app to copy 1 file. This is highly suspicious.
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Oct 2007 @ 10:22pm

Re:
your fault for owning an apple product
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Oct 2007 @ 11:03pm

I was going to buy it either way, but usually I buy it and then download it off Piratebay to put on my media pc. I am totally stoked! Now I hope they re-release the other 3 the same way...in fact that could be a new market! Re-release the old movies with a digital copy, but I prefer AVI or DIVX. Now to be totally honest...I already have a copy of the movie in digital form, but I am going to still buy the DVD.
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Paul, 17 Oct 2007 @ 5:01am

Re: Not Giving Their Customers What They Want
I'm confused as to why you can't just play the original DVD on the portable DVD player, unless you're saying DVD's tend to not work on the DVD player due to DRM issues.
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Tod, 17 Oct 2007 @ 6:07am

He meant...
He meant a free DRM file.
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4-80-sicks, 17 Oct 2007 @ 12:39pm

Read carefully!
Nowhere does the post say "jumping through hoops."

Also, I don't think the "Digital Copy application" is actually a program, it's probably more like a batch file that says "put this file on the hard drive/player." I'm as suspicious as anyone of rootkit shenanigans etc., but this doesn't sound like it runs a program except to permit circumvention of the copy protection. And yes, it is still DRM, albeit slightly more convenient than what we've seen in the past. (good one, Tod)

For the Mac users: it probably won't work as prescribed on your computer. But if you can get it on your hard drive some other way, there's a free plugin for Quicktime, called Flip4Mac, that lets WMVs play in Quicktime. (but this does not work for iPods)
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Oct 2007 @ 3:30pm

Re: Read carefully!
Also, I don't think the "Digital Copy application" is actually a program,
Do you have some kind of insider information?

it's probably more like a batch file that says "put this file on the hard drive/player."
I hate to tell you this, but batch files are programs.
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Brad, 17 Oct 2007 @ 4:57pm

Re:
But I won't have to transcode it in order to stream it to my XB0X360 or any of the other half-dozen media players in the house.

Sorry you're on the wrong side of this one, but not everyone is.
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Mike B, 18 Oct 2007 @ 12:21am

flip4mac
FYI, even with Flip4Mac installed, it won't play this file because of the Plays For Sure DRM. Flip4Mac can only play non-DRM'd wmv/wma files.

So mac users are still left out.
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Hate IT, 20 Nov 2007 @ 3:47pm

I've tried it POS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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stupid useage, 22 Nov 2007 @ 12:17am

Info
Digital Copy must be claimed by end of year 08. One Step forward sure but two steps back. what happens if we have to reformat after that date? and are we going to be able to back up said digital copy?
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U all SUC, 12 Jan 2008 @ 7:16pm

Morons on usenet and torrent
Poor babies... all of you that are crying that this is not exactly the way I want it... boo f'n hoo! All of you that download the movies and refuse to go pay anything for it, YOU are the reason that not may good movies have been comming out, every time that you do it, the industry says they refuse to take a chance due to the fact that it is an industry THEY are in it to make MONEY!!! If you refuse to pay anything for it, then they wont make money, if they don't make money, they won't make more... see the issue u f'n morons!
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2008 @ 10:40pm

Re: Re:
All they would have to done is to make it MP4 which is a big standard and cross platform.
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Offsprung, 2 Jun 2008 @ 4:46pm

Why do Fn Morons always see others as themselves?
Who said they wanted it for free? how is BUYING a dvd getting it free? The point of this is to get a digital copy of it that keeps up with todays needs. Instead of buying and ripping or downloading to get a digital copy have it come with the PURCHASED media!
AGAIN, SLOWLY....
HOW IS BUYING GETTING IT FOR FREE?

DAIFs!
DRM Free does not mean NO MONEY!
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Nick, 8 Jun 2008 @ 9:54am

Getting Somewhere
I think it's good that digital copies are being given with DVDs, but as far as unnecessary hoops, I think that it's relatively easy to rip the video from a disk, and not that much of a hassle.
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LJW, 22 Jan 2009 @ 4:49pm

Works only once
When I got a new PDA device, I could load the movie files to it as the code only works once. Called Fox, they confirmed that though I paid for the movie, I could not load it again. Pretty crappy.
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