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Microsoft Invents A 'Play-Once Only' DVD
auckland map writes "Microsoft has developed a cheap, disposable pre-recorded DVD disc that consumers can play only once." From the article: " Buying an ordinary DVD of a new film costs between £15 (E22, $26.40) and £20. Microsoft's new disc will enable the studios to release a "play-once, then throw away" copy for as little as £3, much the same as renting a video or DVD. But unlike a rented DVD, the new disc allows consumers to decide when they watch films and there is no need to return it. The new generation of DVD disc will spearhead a fresh assault by Microsoft on the home-entertainment market." Update: 10/06 03:38 GMT by J : Kinda important to read the followup story.
What did they invent? This appeared and failed years ago, it was called Divx
I'll stop being cynical when the world allows
As long as you use DVD Shrink to play it the first time!
My power went out, now I have to wait to watch the end of the movie... HEY!! I can't see how this can be done without compromising the whole DVD concept. Menus, special features, secondary audio tracks, etc., etc.
Yes, we have been here before. Crippled DVDs have been tried and failed.
Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
You cannot wash away blood with blood
Didn't anyone else notice you'd have to buy an entirely new DVD player to have the privlidge of buything these watch once then throw away discs? What is going through these people's heads when they think this is a good pitch?
Not only will I have to buy a new type of disc, which offers little over today's rentals (what, I don't have to return it to the store? Welcome to Netflix 5 years ago.) but at the same time I'm supposed to want to replace my entire living room set to do it?
Then there's the question of whether or not this new tech will work with the next gen of DVD's. I might see people replacing their DVD players if that means they'll get the 30GB or whatever version of DVD's, but for the same 9GB crap we have now? Don't think so.
Granted they went into zero detail as to how this will work, but I wonder if it will incorporate into the new DVD formats. (or maybe that's they way they plan on releasing it, who knows)
Funny though that the music and entertainment industry would rather put their fate in the hands of MS over the hands of their customers. Although the customer might eventually stop putting his/her hand in their pockets to pull out their wallet at the drop of a hat, and least they won't be putting their hands around your throat.
Netflix, by contrast, was a low-tech approach (except that DVDs were still early-adopter back then) that absolutely rocked, because it matched what most customers generally wanted to do most of the time.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Microsoft Denies Single-Play DVD Plan
On Tuesday, Microsoft refuted earlier reports that it plans to introduce single-play DVDs aimed at curbing music piracy. A Microsoft representative told me there is no single play DVD initiative at the company, denying a report that first appeared in "The Business."
"It appears there is considerable confusion coming from [the] article in The Business about features within Windows Media DRM that allow for single-play of promotional digital materials," a Microsoft spokesperson told me. "This has been an option for content owners to use for some time with the Windows Media format--but not for the MPEG2 format found on DVDs. Windows Media DRM technology allows for a wide range of business models and scenarios, but it's important to realize that this is at the discretion of the content owner to implement and that the market will dictate whether or not these features are compelling enough for consumers to make a purchase."
"Sufferin' succotash."
Surprise, surprise. Sure would be if fact-checking was a requirement of being an editor around here.
Microsoft Denies Single-Play DVD Plan
On Tuesday, Microsoft refuted earlier reports that it plans to introduce single-play DVDs aimed at curbing music piracy. A Microsoft representative told me there is no single play DVD initiative at the company, denying a report that first appeared in "The Business."
"It appears there is considerable confusion coming from [the] article in The Business about features within Windows Media DRM that allow for single-play of promotional digital materials," a Microsoft spokesperson told me. "This has been an option for content owners to use for some time with the Windows Media format--but not for the MPEG2 format found on DVDs. Windows Media DRM technology allows for a wide range of business models and scenarios, but it's important to realize that this is at the discretion of the content owner to implement and that the market will dictate whether or not these features are compelling enough for consumers to make a purchase."
"Sufferin' succotash."
Of course, it may kill us, and then we *will* be dead.
More disposable products means increased manufacturing, which for the forseeable future means increased carbon dioxide production, which will certainly wipe out 3 in 5 species of plants and animals in the next few *decades*, not centuries!
So yeah, it'll be us that try to survive the mass extinctions, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, et al, not just our descendants. We can try to cut down our CO2 dumping, and maybe only kill 2 in 5 species, but regardless of what we do now, our activities in the last fifty years have already "committed to extinction" a large number that it's too late to save. Goodbye Great Barrier Reef, goodbye Polar Bears.
If you can't tell, I'm proud to live in Australia, which, along with the USA, are two of the only four nations (the other two are tiny) in the world not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Hooray for us.
PS: There's a great book on this stuff, with lots of great geeky science behind it all, published in Australia in September 2005, and due for release shortly in the US (according to Amazon). It's called The Weather Makers, by Tim Flannery. Despite the tone of this post, the book is dire, but positive about the actions we can take personally to help things.
Your confusing Divx with Divx;), the former being a limited-time DVD-rental/viewing scheme, the latter being a video codec named in honor of the stupid former (therefore the wink ;) )
Basically, DivX the codec was named to make fun of Circuit City's DIgital Video eXpress. From http://www.divx.com/support/what.php:
When we say "DivX," we are not referring to the Digital Video Express
(DIVX/DVE) service previously marketed by Circuit City. If you need
information about Circuit City's DIVX, you might try the DIVX Owners'
Association.
The really funny part is how many people keep posting complaints about Microsoft's new product after the fact that Microsoft isn't doing it has been posted here several times.
Fact-checking is fast on the internet, but not yet effective.