Hollywood: Where Up Is Down, and 'Anywhere' Is Actually A Small Number Of Places
from the truthful-advertising-and-other-non-sequiturs dept
The latest Batman film, The Dark Knight, released on DVD this week, and I saw a TV ad for it the other night, touting the "digital copy" of the film you get if you buy certain editions of the DVD. That sounded like a great idea, and then the voiceover guy finished his sentence, saying that the digital copy could be enjoyed "anywhere." Given Hollywood's long and storied history of using a different dictionary than the rest of us, I was more than a little curious to see what exactly "anywhere" meant to them. The first thing I learned was that different studios use different copy protection, so the digital versions of different movies can be played on different sets of devices, which is a really nice way to make things easy for consumers. So I clicked around and found out that The Dark Knight is a Warner movie, and followed the trail over to its site, where I discovered Warner's "anywhere" means an internet-connected Windows XP or Vista machine and PlaysForSure-enabled portable devices. So Macs or Linux machines, iPods and other portable media players without Microsoft's copy protection (you know, the one they've been wanting to shut down), apparently aren't included in Warner's definition.While it's not surprising that the digital copy will play on a narrow range of devices, Warner's advertising of these as "anywhere" is more than a little grating. It reflects the mentality that they know what's best for consumers, and they should get to determine exactly where, how and when people get to enjoy their legitimately purchased content. For Warner's purposes, iPods, other brands of PMPs, Macs and Linux machines don't exist, so in their own minds, saying the digital copy can be enjoyed "anywhere" is true. And thus the mentality that gives us the current state of affairs, in which the MPAA thinks that by limiting how people can playback their legitimate content, they're doing them a favor is explained. In addition to being the year's highest-grossing movie, The Dark Knight was also the year's most pirated film. Given the wide availability of the film on file-sharing networks, what incentive does a consumer with a playback device outside of Warner's "anywhere" definition have to buy a legit copy? And how can that be good for Warner?
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Re:
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Re: Re:
Anywhere!=everything.
Just because it doesn't work on _your_ device does not mean it can't be played on compatible devices....anywhere.
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/sarcasm
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Anywhere: A virtually unlimited amount of locations.
If you have a compatible device, this is in fact, TRUE.
You people's gripe is that it doesn't work with "Everything".
You people lack a basic understand of the English language, apparently.
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well...
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Re: well...
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Re: Re: well...
Warner says that its "digital copy" can be played "anywhere." However, Warner is only letting customers play the "digital copy" on a limited number of devices. Sure, maybe a million "PlaysForSure" devices have sold, heck, let's assume that a billion such devices have sold, but that subset of devices does not equate to every device sold.
Clearly a small and limited number of devices can in no way mean "anywhere."
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Re: Re: Re: well...
Because devices are *things*, not places, you ignorant twat.
Did they *say* it could play on anything? No.
Go back to school.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: well...
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: well...
Hardly. They use words that mean specific things. The fact that you morons don't understand those meanings is not their problem.
Sorry.
Idiocy isn't a right.
The stupidity of the people here in no way mandates that I or anyone else cater to that stupidity.
If you don't know the difference between "things" and "places", you get screwed. Know what? Learn English and this won't be an issue.
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Re: well...
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Re: Re: well...
The "unlimited" in that sense refers only to the "always available" connection versus the "on-demand" connection of Dial-up.
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Minimum system requirements
* Internet Connection
* Microsoft Windows XP or Vista
* Windows Media Player (WMP) 11 or above
* 2.0 GB of available hard drive space
* Internet Explorer (IE), version 6 or higher
If your downloading a movie, why do you need a DVD drive?
That's right, silly me.... to watch the DVD because the download wont play for sure.
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Re: Minimum system requirements
My guess is that what's really required is the DVD decoder, which comes with DVD drives, but that it's just easier to list "DVD disc drive" as the requirement.
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Re: Minimum system requirements
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Re: Re: Minimum system requirements
Correct.
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Ross gets it...
It technically doesn't imply "anyhow"
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Re: Ross gets it...
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Re: Ross gets it...
It technically doesn't imply "anyhow"
I have to agree here. There are plenty of things that the movie industry does that's worthy of criticism, but this isn't one of them. To me, "any where" means just that, any location, not any how. It's a tempest in a teapot.
If there's any legitimate criticism of the "anywhere" statement, it should be about how the region restrictions limit where you can watch a DVD.
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Re: Re: Ross gets it...
It's still misleading in any case by pretending that this is some kind of extra bonus worth paying for. The DVD will play anywhere (well, technically within North America, thanks to region coding), the digital file is the only thing restricted. It's just an attempt to get people to part with money for something they already have the legal right to own (by ripping the DVD to their own devices) by pretending that this right doesn't exist.
Whether or not you agree with the jumping off point in the article, this is the biggest problem the MPAA has - people recognise its tricks and are tiring of the misinformation they pump out to "protect" its profits (which tends to do exactly the opposite).
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Re: Re: Re: Ross gets it...
"Misleading"? Probably. But not "false". Isn't "misleading advertising" a redundant term anyway?
It's just an attempt to get people to part with money for something they already have the legal right to own (by ripping the DVD to their own devices) by pretending that this right doesn't exist.
Agreed, however this is no more misleading than advertisers who put "Fat free!" on food that never had any fat in the first place. To me this quibble over "anywhere" vs. "anyhow" is generic to the entire advertising industry. In other words, it doesn't rise to the same level of the other dirty tricks that the movie and music industries have used.
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Re: Re: Ross gets it...
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Re: Re: Re: Ross gets it...
By that standard, almost every piece of advertising in the history of advertising would be "false".
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Re: Ross gets it...
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Still technically wrong...
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Re: Still technically wrong...
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Irony
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Being a mac user...
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I can view my copy anywhere
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It CAN be played anywhere...
Audiences shouldn't be afraid of the Movie Studios. Movie Studios should be afraid of their audiences.
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It's like playing Twister...
I dunno about the DK, but the Star Wars Clone Wars movie DVD lists quite a few restrictions:
Windows Media only, No Mac, No iPod, Must reside in USA or Canada, must have broadband internet, latest IE (don't want it) and so on. OFFER EXPIRES May 11th 2009. What's the point?!? Better off to just rip it yourself instead of wasting your time with all that nonsense.
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Yet another pointless discussion.......
You really think a major movie will be released in DRMless (or without any other "protection") soon, do you?
There is no way studios are going to make as much money they are making no without copyright protection. Because of copyright protection many people are still paying for their movie (they are afraid to break the law + convenience).
Until they figure out another business model (I dont know better models and I havent seen anybody else, including mike, suggest one), we are stuck with these "fool"proof protections.
If you disagree please suggest another model (dont point to a previous post that links to another. post gist of ur idea here on this thread).
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Re: Yet another pointless discussion.......
Theaters could provide an experience. A big, good quality picture that can't be replicated in most homes, comfortable chairs, good food and drink, a place that doesn't smell like a bathroom in a bar. A full social gathering. Sounds easy to me.
DVDs and Blu-Rays can provide a better picture than most downloads, special features that usually aren't in the download, artwork, an actual physical copy (means something to me), a discount to their next theatrical release. Maybe release the movie for a more reasonable price. Maybe release the hardware for a reasonable price.
Having a movie that is actually good would help both of them. Maybe creating a new movie not just a rehash of something they already did. It may also help them if they got good actors and didn't just pay 20 mill for a face.
No download that I have ever seen on P2P has ever had DRM. Including it on the legit copies not only can give problems to legit owners but also can say "We don't trust you with the stuff you just payed for". It's why I didn't buy a few things (like spore).
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Re: Yet another pointless discussion.......
If that's true, it's still misleading. After all, you could just as easily say that the DVD can be "played anywhere" as well, since you can watch it via your laptop anywhere you go.
Since Warner specifically calls out the digital file as being playable "anywhere" that implies MORE than what the DVD allows, and it appears that's not the case. So it's still false advertising.
There is no way studios are going to make as much money they are making no without copyright protection.
There is absolutely no evidence to support this.
Because of copyright protection many people are still paying for their movie (they are afraid to break the law + convenience).
I would argue an equal number of folks do NOT buy the DVD for those same reasons.
Until they figure out another business model (I dont know better models and I havent seen anybody else, including mike, suggest one), we are stuck with these "fool"proof protections.
That's simply incorrect. There are plenty of business models that would work that we've discussed here.
If you disagree please suggest another model (dont point to a previous post that links to another. post gist of ur idea here on this thread).
Why not? Why should we waste our (scarce) time retyping arguments we've discussed in detail before? Your laziness is not an acceptable answer.
However, if you want to begin to actually understand the movie business, recognize it's always been about selling scarcities: seats in theaters for an experience. Then begin to explore and you'll find tons of business models that work.
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I Got Your Anywhere Right Here
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Re: I Got Your Anywhere Right Here
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Who is your target consumer?
It seems this is a business problem where a solution has been produced by the industry.
But, the thing is, the solution requires the consumer to conform to a set of standards, which were probably set based on pre-existing business agreements, hence, the XP and Plays-for-Sure requirement.
It's important to note that iPods and iPhones make up over 70% of the personal media devices sold today. So choosing a platform which hasn't obtained critical mass means that the majority of consumers can't meet the requirements. Thusly, the "Plays Anywhere" claim seems false. There are requirements, and the requirements do not cater to the majority consumer base.
Now would be a good time to re-read the "Thoughts On Music" argument Steve Jobs penned in February last year.
But as long as the content companies continue to value content over the distribution channel, ease of acquisition will continue to have little value proposition. This should change.
Put simply, it means customers will be angry if you adopt technology standards which prevent consumption/delivery on your promise to a majority of the target consumerbase.
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I don't think any of them were warner, though. They were Journey to the Center of the Earth, Incredible Hulk, Wanted and one other I can't remember.
The digital copy was not a download, it was a file you copy from a second disc.
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iPod
On Macs, you use iTunes to acquire the digital copy. When you insert the 2nd disk, open iTunes, select the disk, input a redeem code that's included with the movie, and it downloads.
Simple.
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Re: iPod
This article, and a lot of the comments, are flat-out wrong when they say that Warner's digital copy of The Dark Knight won't work with Macs. While I'm not fan of DRM, at least get your facts straight before deriding it.
(Note: I don't know if the limitations on TDK are different than other Warner films, or if there's additional DRM that won't let me transfer TDK to my iPhone [haven't tried that yet].)
Also, for me, the digital copy was a nice benefit, since I bought the Blu-ray edition and don't have a regular DVD to rip even if I wanted to.
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Tell Mike...
;)
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Apple Does It Again
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Re: Apple Does It Again
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Re: Apple Does It Again
Simple."
...for those who actually know what they are talking about, it seems.
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Re: Re: Apple Does It Again
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Re: Re: Re: Apple Does It Again
Funny how that works, isn't it?
Apple is selling it, but the Digital copy gives you a coupon to receive it _free_.
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...Are you people retarded?
I ask again...
Are you people retarded?
So it's not compatible with _everything_. You folks do know that "Anywhere" and "Everything" are two entirely different words, right?
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False
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I'm confused...
So, this leads us to the conclusion that the commercial wants us to believe that the digital copy is more valuable because it can be played "anywhere"?
Even if this isn't false advertising, it's misleading. The very fact that this thread is debating the usage of the word "anywhere" is proof enough.
I really think this word is used in the commercial as legal-speak so Warner can get themselves out of any accusations thrown their way when the digital copy doesn't play properly.
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Blu-ray digital copy
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