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Sony May Sell HD-DVDs
MarkRH writes "Although many sites posted the Reuters story on Sony merging its optical storage operations with NEC, people forget that NEC is one of the four senior members of the HD-DVD Promotion Group. What this means is that by next year the merged unit could sell CD drives, DVD drives, Blu-Ray, and 'perhaps even that other format,' a Sony spokesman told eWEEK. A bit shocking, given the acrimonious nature of the rivalry so far."
Is it possible to put a rootkit on on television?
...they will start recalling the drives, due to rootkits found embedded in the firmware.
Really though, you just know that they are going to put some kind of serious DRM crap on these. You'll be able to burn a disc of data (mp3's) but not copy your own data or play it in a different burner I imagine. What a crock. Sony sucks!
Perhaps Sony could take this revenue and buy some ethics.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
BUT, I'm not going to BUY them personally. I'm sticking to my no Sony policy.
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself no matter what they say
How appropriate, "Nothing to see here, please move along." This would be the caption for my mental associations with sony whenever I'm out shopping for Christmas gifts. Sony producing new technology isn't terribly interesting to me if I know they might be installing rootkits on my boxen.
I pity the foo that isn't metasyntactic
Given Sony's ethics lately, I think I can safely say that I won't be buying anything with the Sony brand name stamped on it for a long time to come, especially if the device stores any data. Frankly, I won't even buy any CD's with the Sony label any more. I really hope the class action lawsuit against them cripples them pretty seriously, though I suspect it'll be more of the slap-on-the-hand variety of justice. If only the courts could take a division of a company as punishment, sell it off, and prohibit them from playing ball in that field in the future.
If ya can't beat 'em, join 'em. ;P I'm such a kidder.
-"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
Decisions, decisions... Regular or extended version... Letter box or full screen... Rootkit or non-rootkit... I thought VHS vs. Beta was bad.
Anyone developing a new media format that doesn't have anything to do with Sony? DVDs are nice and all, but I no longer like the fact that a small part of every DVD and DVD player sale goes to Sony.
Sony caused a lot of the divide between DVD-R and DVD+R. The standard should have been -R but Sony backed +R. Then Sony was the first to market with drives that could do both.
Now they're doing it all over.
hmmm.. didn't RTFA.. maybe a cheap, easy way to get out of the Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD mess??
/. is good for you.
Ok, who is the idiot that modded this up?
That's something I'd like to know too. Metamods: pwn grandparent.
Are you saying that we don't live in peaceful times?
..I don't don't need a rootkit, but thanks for the info :)
MacGregor Despite Them!
That wasn't even funny
$sys$I $sys$dont $sys$think $sys$so!
:q! Oh crap, not again...
...that Microsoft are talking about adding a layer of complete vendor control and lock in to modern PCs, but Sony does one thing and suddenly everyone is up in arms about them.
Somehow I doubt the top people at Sony had anything to do with the rootkit debacle. I find it more likely it was someone in Sony BMG being told to protect Sony's interests and they took it a step too far. That, or it was a rogue manager in Sony.
Goten Xiao
Is it possible to put a rootkit on on television?
In Soviet Russia, rootkits put you on television.
Come on, now. What has Sony done that wasn't a flop? The only thing I can think of is the compact disc. The CD did not have any real alternatives, so it was a safe bet. However, look at Beta... VHS killed it. MiniDisc? Couldn't overtake the CD. Memory stick.. this one's a real laugher.. :-) The point is, that Sony is an innovative company, you have to give them credit for that. The problem is that they aren't good at getting others to share in their vision and then they try to be the only player in the game. They overprice their merch and offer to license their tech for exorbitant fees. In the meantime, their competitors develop cheaper, more user-friendly alternatives which consumers see as a better value, and the Sony product fails. We've seen this time and again. Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD is just the same thing all over again. Blu-ray may very well be technically superior to HD-DVD, but it will be more expensive, and HD-DVD will be good enough for consumers that they won't pay the Sony tax for Blu-ray. Add to that that HD-DVD guarantees at least some possibility of making backups, which is a big step towards user friendliness. Anyone who has kids who watch DVDs knows this already!
Now since Sony has a rootkit on cds. How far are they going to go with the blu ray technology? Personally I am scared now and it makes me even more scared to buy a Sony product. Now I am also more scared of DRM. Microsoft had it right when they picked HD-DVD. Hopefully this will tip the scales towards HD-DVD.
SONY isn't as confident as it was 5 years ago. (its stock price fell 70% in the last 5 years) Before it was one proprietary format after another...now it is playing it safe by investing the other guy's technology.
Can anyone see where this is going?
1. Make 2 incompatable formats
2. Force people to buy equipment for both formats, so they can use whatever format they want
3. Sell both formats and their hardware, thereby increasing profits.
The dirty bastards.
...with virtually no input into the decision-making process, let me ask you anyway: What would it take for you to forgive and forget (or at least hit the "reset" button on your image of us)? A public apology and restitution? Firing everyone currently in management? What specifically would you like to see us doing differently, and how long do you think it would take to restore our reputation in your eyes?
I'm as horrified as anyone at my company's actions of late, but I still believe things will get better here.
I will only buy a Sony product if it comes with a written guarantee of NO DRM, no root kit, no surprises and they can say this in less that 50 readable English words. I am not going to read line 1254 a EULA in 1/32nd of inch print on a common product like a PC, wireless card, USB (any), camera, CD, DVD, home video camera, HD-DVD, DVD player, cell phone, TV or anything for find out about rootkit privileges for the vendor.
Yes, most if not all of the above devices and more can infect your computer.
Maybe it is time to have an organization that will certify a product to be DRM rootkit free.
Surely that's a shocker of equal importance, and relevance, to "Sony May Sell HD-DVDs"? So why emphasize the latter?
Spin, spin, spin.
Everyone I know wouldn't buy one. Sony? You have GOT to be kidding me.
So Sony is the new Microsoft now? I, for one, welcome our new /. corporate chew toy.
a trick question? ó_ò
doesn't it occur to you that Sony is trying to BREAK the allegiance between HD by buying NEC?
either way, BR-ROM is way better....
SCO announces the release of ScoLinux 2.7, buy now before the the post-Thanksgiving shopping spree begins.
It's true no man is an island, but if you take a bunch of dead guys and tie 'em together, they make a good raft.
How fucking long will it take until we can see an article about something Sony does without a bunch of fucking morons mentioning the DRM/rootkit?
I hope this just doesn't become a thing like DVD +/- R. The two formats battled each-other, and now we have drives that support both formats, but have to buy different media. Why can't it just be one or the other?
Sig: I stole this sig.
before I get flamed some more.. I can feel the heat rising.. I just wanted to point out that I was referring to emerging technologies, not to new consumer products. The point was that Sony's tech has done very well where there was no viable alternative product. Ultimately, what will probably decide Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD is which one the porn industry embraces. HD-DVD will be cheaper to mass produce. I see that as being an enticement for the porn industry and the consumer. Blu-ray will probably become a niche product for techno-snobs the same way that laserdisc was.
Sony's bent towards the proverbial proprietary turd will ensure that whatever they sell, you'll need three special interfaces (all Sony) to view / hear / experience whatever media you have. Universality to Sony just means that they think the universe revolves around them.