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Theaters vs. Camcorders, Round 27
ackthpt writes "CNN is reporting two people, one in Los Angeles and one in Canada, were caught recording The Day After Tomorrow in cinemas, while a third got away. No mention if night-vision goggles, as previously mentioned, were of assistance." Reader azmatsci writes "Tuesday Sony was issued a patent for technology that will attempt to block camcorder recordings in movie theaters. Funny to me because I just came up with the same idea and discovered it while doing a patent search. Only problem with the idea is it will only block camcorders that use CCD recorders, which are sensitive to IR light. Another jamming idea which probably work for all camcorders can be found here."
What kind of provisions does the MPAA have, most likely under the DMCA, to prosecute people who are caught recording movies in the theaters? Will these people go to jail, or just get a slap on the wrist?
I do not know too much about camera filters, but I have heard of ones to block IR. Would that not make the system pointless?
Are there just a lot of geeks among reviewers who want information to be free? Are they selling them? It's strange to risk your job over something like this.
-I am an elective eunuch.
Sony, in addition to film and audio distribution, also make camcorders. How much you want to bet that they are simply going to integrate into their camcorders some kind of wireless "switch", and sell transmitters to the theaters? They could then license this technology to all the other camcorder manufacturers (or if the problem is big enough, give it away?). You might say "Well, I will just bypass it, like with mod chips" - if integrated at some low chip level, without external antennas (or using the "ground" plane as an antenna) - and more powerful transmitter (to make up for the embeddedness) - it would probably be damn near impossible to bypass it (although nothing is a "sure thing")...
Reason is the Path to God - Anon
It costs the same or less to rent a movie than to see it in the theatre. All of your friends can come over and you can all watch it without having to pay more.
I don't have any friends, you insensitive clod! And my crappy living room only has room for two sofas.
No ringing cell phones and crying children.
Nope, ringing regular phone, and crying child. Hardly a net gain.
You don't have to be subjected to 30 second commercials before the previews and the movie.
What movies are you getting on DVD? Seems like every movie I get makes me sit through an ad or two, some trailers, an FBI warning, an Interpol statement, and the beginning of some seriously lame ass animated menus.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
will whole theater go blind after starring 3hours at strong IR source?
I'm with you. Those ads are a downright insult. I may stop going to the theater just because of that. It is ridiculous. Of course, DVDs will probably go the same route. Many already have ads that you can't fastforward through (not being able to fastforward your OWN DVD in itself an abomination).
"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
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Every single week, I read about yet ANOTHER movie that has had 'the biggest box office opening weekend EVAR!!1!!111'
If piracy was such a problem, wouldn't box office openings be down?
Spending millions on anti-piracy technology, when it seems that more and more people are seeing the movies, seems, well, stupid.
The quality of a camcorder recording is already crap! Both the sound and video are usually awful. Does anybody really buy these things *instead* of going to the movies? A friend of mine bought the LOTR bootleg when he went to NY, as a gift for me to tide me over until the DVD came out, but I couldn't even bear to watch it, it was so bad.
WWJD? JWRTFA!
Strangly, it is people like you who think it is OK to steal, but get pissed off when someone steals from you.
How is recording something considered stealing? Its not that hard to get the idea across in your mind that you are making a copy of something (poor at that). Even though you might not come out and say it, you are sure implying that you feel that copying a movie is the same as mugging someone, and it's not that hard to see the difference between the two.
exactly.. and because of this arms race and inability for people in charge to see the wood for the trees, it'll end up like the situation we have with audio CDs (or is consumer opposition reversing the tide yet?), where they're f**ing up quality that humans can perceive in the name of "copy protection", but all that's happening is they're pissing of their customers (you know, the people who pay to go see movies) and not stopping piracy, as someone gets a clean un-fucked-up copy (either before the protection is applied, or by figuring out how to remove it). I already find the dots ("crap codes") annoying - i go to the cinema for the great picture and sound - if you take that away, what's the point? i urge the industry, just in case anyone's reading, not to get into this arms race, for their sake and ours (speaking for the movie-going public, not for pirates). While you're at it, remove the damn "don't copy" messages, and do more simultaneous worlwide releases, please.
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