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HD DVD Player Delays in Japan
TheSync writes "EE Times is reporting that Toshiba is delaying introduction of HD DVD players in Japan because of the unavailability of Advanced Access Content System (AACS) DRM system licensing. The Register reports that Toshiba is still planning a late Q1 launch of HD DVD in the US." From the EET article: "Toshiba hoped to introduce HD DVD players by the end of 2005, ahead of Blu-ray Disc players, but decided in September to postpone the U.S. introduction until 2006. In July, IBM Corp., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Sony Corp., Toshiba, Walt Disney Company and Warner Bro. Studio formed the AACS Licensing Administrator (AACS LA) to develop license AACS technology. AACS LA has completed its version 0.9 of the technology."
How much of the delays in either format has to do with the actual demand for the format?
I've had HiDef for years -- not including just the monitors on my PCs. I've always been happy with upconverted video, and the variety of HD coming over cable is getting better every day. I'm in no rush to repurchase all the DVDs that I have in HD, especially when I'm happy taking an anamorphic DVD, upconverting it, and feeding my projector its native signal.
I'm likely one of their preferred targets, but I will definitely not be one of the first buyers -- probably the first time with new technology that I'll take a backseat at the release.
How long will AACS keep HD DVD secure? Two weeks? Three? Place your bets, people! Closest to the mark wins, oh, I don't know, you think of something.
When they delay HD-DVDs because they can't get licensing for their DR-MMMMM! Now that! Is! Irony!
Lack of DRM? Impossible, this is 2005...
Sure, they could just borrow Sony's DRM technology.
Bradley Holt
DRM is not about increasing sales, its about getting studios to sign on and release movies in your format. This has nothing to do with the consumer and everything to do with making the studios happy. No studios no movies, no movies no sales.
It'll be due out in 2015 once all the standards, licensing, in-fighting and backstabbing is complete.
Sorry, typo...I mean 2051.
...a lawsuit?
see what DRM is doing? it's beginning to delay technology!
without DRM we'd probably have the next gen DVD formats by now since a huge chunk of development time toshiba and sony are just trying to get their DRM/encryption as perfect as possible so that it takes 3 weeks to crack it instead of 2.
I guess I have to get DVD-Jon something else for Christmas.
"Trademarks are the heraldry of the new feudalism."