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Ghostbusters Is First Film Released On USB Key
arcticstoat writes "Are you the USB keymaster? You could be soon if you pick up PNY's new 2GB USB flashdrive, which comes pre-loaded with Ghostbusters. A spokesperson for PNY explained that it comes with a form of DRM that prevents you from copying the movie. 'They have DRM protection,' explained the spokesperson, 'so customers can download the movie onto their laptop or PC if they wish, but they have to have the USB drive plugged in to watch the movie, as the DRM is locked in the USB drive.' The music industry has been playing around with USB flash drives for a few years now, but it hasn't been a massive success yet; will USB movies fare any better?"
Waiting to hear news that the movie's been unlocked in 3... 2... 1...
Can't rip it, can't archive it, can't move it to my HDD without the dongle. And if the flash drive gets damaged, who you gonna call?
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
and let me guess, requires windows visa with the latest service pack (DRM++)
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
Aw. That's adorable.
Can't rip it, can't archive it, can't move it to my HDD without the dongle. And if the flash drive gets damaged, who you gonna call?
The pirate bay.
Curiosity was framed, Ignorance killed the cat.
You probably can't even get Ghostbusters down at your local "Three DVDs for $20" guy on the corner; his stock is all newer. Everybody who wants this movie already has it. I can't even imagine who they expect to sell it to, except as a novelty.
Presumably they're keeping an eye on how long it will take for the DRM to be broken. People will break it for the challenge and because they hate DRM, but it's like stealing cockroaches from my kitchen: you're welcome to it.
Can't put it on a portable media player, either. What's the point of digital media you can't take on the go?
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Well apparently it works on Linux as well (As long as it has the right KERNAL)
From Argos.co.uk.
2GB storage.
Plug and play.
Compatible with Windows ME, 2008, XP, Mac OS, 8.6 and Higher, Linux, Kernal 2.4X and any operating system with a USB port.
Compatible with USB 1.1 and 2.0.
Size (H)2 (W)6.3 (D) 0.8cm.
Black USB pendrive.
Full length movie and link to argos website included.
Full installation guide included.
Although I guess that is wrong for the DRM stuff.
Tom...
Blue Ray won't "win" the format wars until they sell more than standard def DVDs
No sig for the moment.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
I would rather use the device and medium of my choosing without dongles.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
I've actually had USB drives survive the washer-and-dryer bit. Not that I'd recommend it, but it's not necessarily fatal.
Paleotechnologist and connoisseur of pretty shiny things.
With apologies to Ray Parker, Jr.:
If there's D-R-M, on your movie now,
Who ya gonna call?
The Pirate Bay!
If the U-S-B, key just died,
Who ya gonna call?
The Pirate Bay!
dooodooodit doo dit do dit doo dit doooo dit doooo dit dooo dooo dit dododo
I ain't afraid of no cops.
dooodooodit doo dit do dit doo dit doooo dit doooo dit dooo dooo dit dododo
I ain't afraid of no cops.
My blog
Apparently if it asks you if you're a god, you say YES!
Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
What would you do if your girlfriend came up to you with that preference?
The industry is looking to set a record on longest lived DRM scheme. Everyone has this already, so no one will need to crack it, and a presentation will go to a CEO somewhere about this new scheme that has not been broken in over a week.
What would you do if your girlfriend came up to you with that preference?
Ask to watch.
> With apologies to Ray Parker, Jr.:
who in turn apologizes and makes a substantial payment to Huey Lewis for shamelessly ripping his tune off.
That can be easily fixed.
Get a 4 gig usb key instead, a DVD of ghostbusters and a copy of handbrake. (you will want to rip with settings that give you about 3.2gig because the film was created on very low grade film it cant be compressed hard without artifacts.)
rip the dvd to a OPEN unencumbered codec. place on USB key.
Voila. same thing in BETTER quality without the DRM and is compatible with most computers.
hey hollywood, until you offer me something that is NOT DRM encumbered I aint' buyin' it! I'll violate your copyright instead...
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
And this is why Windows is fine for nerds and hobbyists, but not ready for the mainstream desktop.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
I can sell you a can of high tech USB scratch remover. For only $19.99, this spray will remove scratches, improve picture quality and cure your herpes, but wait, now for a limited time offer you can get TWO cans for only $39.99...
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
I thought that you were allowed by fair use to make copies for your personal use. You aren't violating copyright, since you purchased a DVD of Ghostbusters. The DMCA is another matter, though...
I dunno. USB keys have a far superior form factor, and the installed players need only have a USB port and whatever processing is needed to actually view the movie.
You could have media players smaller than a Nintendo Wii, far better future compatibility (both the players and the disks are likely to be backwards compatible in a way that either could work with the other for quite some time)
The media is far less susceptible to scratching, impact, and even heat and chemicals: I've put USB sticks through the washer AND drier and what came out has worked perfectly for over five years.
It's also more portable. You can grab a handful of films and stick 'em in your back pocket before visiting friends (so they're also likely to be lost easily.. a big win for Hollywood!)
The only drawbacks are capacity at the moment (it's not anywhere near as cheap as optical disk. Although I wonder how expensive 30GB mask roms would be for a print run the size of a typical hollywood film (if anyone was making mask rom of anywhere near that size, that is)) and DRM: a usb stick can have active crypto circuitry, which really changes the game quite significantly.
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
OMG PNY!!!
But would you publish it without DRM?
...required me to keep possession of a USB-key-sized physical object in order to maintain access to it, then I calculate that I would need to keep about two thousand pounds of USB keys, which would be enough to fill approximately twenty desk drawers.
I guess it's not impossible on the face of it.
I could store them in shallow drawers, vertically, alphabetical order, with little P-touch labels on the end of each one.
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
This is insanity. I can download a copy of that stupid movie without Dumb Restrictions on Media from TPB, or I can just watch the tape I already paid for over ten years ago. Now, I'd buy the key with the movie pre-loaded, but to pay good money for crippleware when I can get a perfectly useable copy for free is just brain-dead stupid.
DRM doesn't affact copyright infringers whatsoever. It only inconvieniences paying customers. The only rational explanation for the MAFIAA's insanity is drugs - cocaine. It must be all the coke they're snorting/smoking/shooting that makes them behave like a bunch of thieving, distrusting, irrational crack whores.
I just started reading Cory Doctorow's Little Brother (HTML version linked; there are other formats here), and its preface has something to say about the insanity that is DRM (I've abbreviated it a bit):
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
As I can't fathom cocaine users, I asked a crack whore why she thought the coke shooters running the movie studios would do this.
"Sure, I'll tell you, but it'll cost you twenty dollars".
"Twenty dollars??? Sorry, babe, I'll buy you a double cheeseburger at McDonalds, how's that?"
"OK, that'll do. See, they want this to FAIL and fail hard. They're doing this to prove that the concept is unworkable."
"Ok, I'll take you to McDonalds now."
"Man, I ain't goin' nowhere, I'm tweakin', dude. Just go get the burger, it's for my dog anyway, I'm not hungry. OK?"
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
The want they hardware keys back!
That sinking feeling deep in your gut when you KNOW you screwed up bad summed up with: {head desk} {head desk}
Duh! 500% _of_a_CPU_ on an 8-CPU machine...