Sony CTO Starts New "Buy Once, Play Anywhere" Group

jriding writes to mention that a new effort, headed by Sony Pictures' CTO, will attempt to allow customers to stream video content seamlessly on any device that they own. One has to wonder how successful or "all encompassing" it will be without Apple, TiVo, and Amazon, some of the major players in the space. "It's all very much in the future, however. The press release is peppered with confidence-wilting phrases such as "will define and build a new media framework" (something this complex hasn't even been defined yet?), "we are developing," and "over time." Without even a spec in place, there's no way we will see working products for at least a year, quite possibly longer. And, if the strategy document we discussed in August remains accurate, new DECE-ready devices will be needed to make the whole scheme work. By the time video stores adopt the tech, electronics firms implement it, movie studios support it, and consumers purchase all the pieces to make it work, will it still matter?"

Comments

"Anywhere...as long as we say so"

[elrous0]

Sony are notorious control freaks and DRM stalwarts. Need I remind anyone of the Rootkit CD fiasco, or the fact that they sold their Blu-ray format largely on the basis of its not one, but *two*, different "uncrackable" DRM layers?

Is there anyone in the world who believes for a SECOND that their "Buy Once, Play Anywhere" will translate to anything other than "Buy Once, Play Anywhere, as long as you let us put our intrusive DRM schemes on your devices and let your devices phone home to get our approval first"?

Anytime you have a hardware manufacturer who is also a media content producer, you're going to get heavy-handed DRM on their devices and media content, all under their strict control. Sony is no more going to let you make copies of their movies willie-nillie than they're going to let you have access to the GPU on the PS3 for your homebrew.

Re:"Anywhere...as long as we say so"

[davester666]

This is not just Sony. This is pretty much the ideal DRM system for the big media companies.

Because it is centrally controlled, and it is setup so the copyright owner controls what you can do with your purchase.

This is the basis of a long-term strategy by the RIAA/MPAA companies.

First, create a DRM system that is completely controlled by themselves, and get hardware manufacturers to embed it into as many devices as possible [like DVDCSS and AACS]. Make sure it is not beholden to anyone else [such as Apple or Microsoft].

Second, push adoption of this system by making it initially fairly cheap for HW companies to license and by making content available for it that has fairly reasonable limits [ie, as many of your devices as you wish, probably cheaper than what competitors can offer, while denying competitor systems similar possibilities].

Third, squeeze out the competition. Either keep content exclusive for this system, or make it cheaper and more flexible than what the competition can offer.

At this point, the media companies need to basically wait for customer adoption. Music will difficult because it is already offered DRM-free, but video will be easier because they can throw this stuff into the DVD and Blu-Ray specs so you can transfer new releases to computers and portable devices, while preventing competing systems from working.

Fourth, (and this step depends on adoption), just outright deny licensing content to competitors, and now they are free to start locking down the system by say, having a small fee for transferring that movie to your phone, or increasing the licensing fees [so they get a decent cut of all hardware sales], or just increasing prices, as you don't have a choice [other than piracy].

The MPAA companies have seen what Apple has done to the music industry and they won't let that happen to their industry. They are willing to spend a LOT of money to try to replicate it, but so the system is totally under their own control. They don't want to have to only charge $10 or $15 bucks for a movie, because that's what Apple thinks is a reasonable price for a movie. That's why the iTunes movie store selection is so crappy. They'll take some money from Apple, but they are hell-bent on making sure nobody but themselves will be dominant in the distribution chain for video. And the RIAA companies are only too happy to jump onto this bandwagon. And the hardware companies are eager for any system that gives them access to content, particularly video content.

Re:"Anywhere...as long as we say so"

[mabhatter654]

I'm going to defend them on one point that they finally almost get the "play anywhere" idea and are willing to work across companies to achieve what Apple has already done. Apple has proved that people will buy up electronic copies sold "just like a book" and usable on so many devices. The "pairing" of iPods and Apple TVs to "mothership" computers has worked out very well. The only flaw Apple's stuff has is that you can't automatically aggregate stuff (to backup all your media) among machines even under the same account.. that's disabled because they still think we're all pirates. My opinion is that the "missing link" in Apple's cap is that Time Capsule should also act as a storage for all the iTunes you might purchase then treat PCs just like iPods to "check out" songs.

I think that's exactly what Sony and co. want to do. You'd have one "mothership" at home, constantly "phoning home" but everything else would be invisible.. you'd buy on a phone, or email, or PS3 and all the sales would go back to the "mothership" for archiving the keys. Buy however many media devices you want and sync away all day.

This is just like Amazon mp3s, the media companies will create a whole new thing simply to do what they've already obligated Apple NOT to do.

I dunno . . .

[catbertscousin]

I kinda like my membership in the "Download Once, Play Anywhere" Group.

Re:I dunno . . .

[hansamurai]

More insightful than funny. Why do we need DECE-ready devices to support this when plenty of no copyright-bit-detecting devices already exist?

Re:I dunno . . .

[bughunter]

I like my rip once, play anywhere cult.

We've interpreted "fair use" to include portability and archive reliability since, ooh, 1985 perhaps...

Unfortunately, Congress effectively outlawed us with the passage of the DMCA, even though we kept to the spirit of copyright law by not giving away our portable copies and archives.

Buy once! Play anywhere! ...

[AioKits]

... as long as it's on a Sony product! But trust us, it's really close to anywhere!

Open formats

[Lord Lode]

To play anywhere we want at any time, we need open or widely implemented video and audio formats supported by any hardware and which can be carried on any kind of memory (optical drivers, flash memory, ...) and that can be transfered from one device to another using standard connection protocols like USB mass storage device, FTP, ... No lock-in crap, closed formats, or "DRM that allows playing on any device in your domain" or other such silly short lived things. So if what I described isn't what Sony plans, it sucks.

Good, but they can do better :

[unity100]

buy once, stream to anywhere, anytime without restriction.

i want music provider to be my backup vault. if anything happens, i should know i can get what i bought from there again, with a click.

if i go traveling anywhere, i shouldnt need to worry about taking my mp3 player with me, platform, framework and shit. i should just be easy to know that from anywhere, i can login to the 'music provider x' and get whatever i need from there, again. they can limit my download to 1 per day if they want or anything. or, even can charge me something like 0.1 cents for each additional download for all i care.

i just want NO hassles, and full reliability.

its amazing that it took them THAT long to realize that this is the real deal.

Re:Good, but they can do better :

[Firehed]

If you subscribe to their notion that you're purchasing a license to listen rather than a copy of the music, then yes, they should absolutely replace broken/damaged/lost media. I think there's a saying involving cake about their approach...

Re:Good, but they can do better :

[Firehed]

As to Firehed... If you buy a book and then lose that book or accidentally set it on fire then do you think you have a right to another copy? You paid for your copy, you ruined/lost/destroyed it, you then have to buy another one. The same thing goes with the CD. Your argument only strengthens my point that once you obtain your copy you are responsible for preserving it. I don't prescribe to their notion of licensing and fair use supports me.

I agree, when you're buying physical property. According to the music industry, we're not buying music but in fact are buying a license to listen to said music. Moreover, they've been claiming that we're buying a license to listen to music under specific conditions only. Either I'm getting a CD/tape/LP/8-track/download that contains music where protecting the product and its contents are my responsibility (which gives me legal authority to make as many backups as I deem necessary, so long as I'm not distributing those backups), or I'm buying a license to use the content.

I like supporting artists and content providers, but if I'm buying a license to play back that content rather than the content itself (mind you, me buying content doesn't give me redistribution rights, though I would have resale rights as I'd give up my own copy), then I will not buy unless I have unlimited rights to play back the content I've licensed whenever and however the hell I want. That means on my iPod, my phone, my desktop, my laptop, my TV, and any other device capable of audio or video playback.

If they're going to insist on selling a playback license bound to my possession of a piece of physical media (or series of bits) that I don't have permission to protect or otherwise back up, then they're not getting my money.

Short version: I'm never buying another product with DRM, period. I've been burned more than often enough to say "fuck it." If they won't offer me reasonable terms for the purchase, I'm taking my money somewhere else.

Does that mean

[Cro Magnon]

that Sony has written a multi-platform rootkit?

Correction in Title

[Rie Beam]

Title should read, "Rent Once, Play Certain Places Until Obscure Format is No Longer Supported"

Round Two

[PMuse]

Dupe? Not really, as we now see just how much support this thing has.

It already exists.

[JustinOpinion]

According to Singer, video should become a buy once, play anywhere technology like CDs and DVDs. ... will define and build a new media framework

Ummm.... doesn't this already exist? I mean, if you want to release video in a format that will play anywhere, on any device... this is trivial. Just release it using a well-established video codec. Every laptop and OS and browser and media center and video iPod and mobile phone can then play the file.

Of course this would be by far the most consumer-friendly approach, and would satisfy the requirement of "play anywhere technology." But of course the subtext to the article, which isn't explicitly stated, is that they want a "play anywhere" format... but with DRM.

This is basically an oxymoron, though. Like a "drive anywhere" car, that is incidentally specifically designed to shut-off if you drive outside of a pre-approved range. Or a "cook anything" microwave oven that reads the barcodes off your instant-meals, and incidentally won't turn on if unrecognized things (like home-made food) are put inside.

This whole venture is doomed to fail. It will fail because for a truly "play anywhere" ecosystem, the DRM spec would have to be open and not costly (in which case, homebrewers and hackers alike will circumvent it within minutes). It will fail because big companies (like Apple) have no reason to help this idea. It will fail because the implementation will be complicated and error prone. It will fail because consumers will still notice the DRM, and have to overcome it frequently (thereby defeating the purpose).

You can't achieve "play anywhere" with DRM.

Typo

[commodoresloat]

It's actually called "Buy Once, Pay Anywhere" ... they want to make sure that you have to pay for your content no matter where you watch it.

Time saver

[Dan East]

I'll save them millions of dollars and thousands of hours of meetings and development time: Xvid / MP3

Re:Time saver

[TheAxeMaster]

Here, I'll save everyone even more money: Xvid / OGG

No pesky mp3 licensing fees.

Things that defy mathematics, part CMXCVII

[David Gerard]

DRM is mathematically impossible, customers loathe and despise it more than any industry person could comprehend, and it never actually works.

But they're so addicted to control they'll keep begging people to take their money to sell them yet more snake oil.

Never another download or unpaid viewing! Not ever! This time! For sure!

Buy Once, Play Anywhere = non DRM'd MP3!

[King_TJ]

All of this amounts to little more than big corporations attempting to unite, in order to better fight off the most dominant players in the marketplace (Apple's iTunes store, primarily).

They knew from day 1 that Apple wouldn't go for it, since they rather like their "ecosystem" being undisturbed.

In the big picture though, ditching the DRM is the real answer. We already have standard audio and video formats out there! They're proven to work effectively on all sorts of hardware.

The content sales people always talk about "format incompatibility" because it sounds better, but this is REALLY about unifying protection schemes bolted on TOP of the formats.

Dead in the water

[Have Blue]

Won't support the iPod. Won't go anywhere.

"Play Anywhere" ... just like "PlayForSure"?

[Edgewize]

I seem to recall another DRM solution with fairly broad manufacturer support, that promised to work "for sure".

How many times will the industry bring out new, better, "consumer-friendly" DRM? At what point do they realize that you can't dress up restrictions and pass them off as features?

People might not always be educated on topics like DRM or copyright but that doesn't mean that people are suckers. Attention music industry: don't piss on our heads and tell us it's raining.

The World Through Sony's Eyes

[Rie Beam]

Consumer: "I wish I could have a digital backup of my music..."
Sony: "We'll offer you streaming versions of your favorite songs! Buy it once, play it anywhere!"
Consumer: "Awesome! So how do I use this on my iPod?"
Sony: "...well, you can't."
Consumer: "But you just said..."
Sony: "Listen, kid. We have a streaming service that works through a couple of major retailers, and works with some very popular devices..."
Consumer: "But I want it to work on mine!"

*later*

Consumer: "Alright, I got one of these new-fangled...whatevers...that supports PlayAnywhere. Now what?"
Sony: "Go online and buy a CD...like that one you have right there..."
Consumer: "This CD? But I already have it..."
Sony: "What's your point?"
Consumer: "Fine..."

*later*

Consumer: "I lost my new-fangled whatevers! Quick, let me download a copy of my songs!"
Sony: "I'd love to, but that new device you just bought supports version 2.7.1 of PlayAnywhere. I'll need you to upgrade your songs or buy them outright -- either way, gimme your wallet."
Consumer: "..."

Re:The World Through Sony's Eyes

[RDW]

**even later**

Consumer: "Well, Sony weren't very helpful, but the great thing about PlayAnywhere is I'm not limited to a single supplier! Let's see who else supports these files...Great! Microsoft is a fully paid up member! Now, where's that new Zune I won in the McCain For America raffle..? OK, *Squirting files to device*...'Incompatible format!' WTF?"

Consumer: "Hey Microsoft! It says right here you fully support the PlayAnywhere Ecosystem! Why won't my files work?"

Microsoft: "Oh come on kid. Don't you get it?"

Comsumer: "?"

Microsoft: "Look, every couple of years they come out with one of these schemes, and we always sign up to it just to fuck with Apple. But we obviously wouldn't be caught dead using it ourselves! Tell you what, how about we give you a free upgrade from Vista to Mojave to thank you for your feedback?"

Re:Buy once! Play anywhere! ...

[HoppyChris]

Wow, when did Sony start selling Vaios with Linux on them? (PROTIP: it also won't work on the replacement firmware you made for your other Sony Devices)

I can already do this

[Brain Damaged Bogan]

just download the bittorent then re-encode it for whatever device you want to play it on. easy.

Sony and inventing new formats

[Chazman]

Let's take a quick walk back through the vault of previous Sony-invented media formats, shall we?

Betamax.
Mini-Disc.
Memory Stick.
ATRAX.

You'll pardon me if I ask why I should believe this will turn into anything other than another colossal flop.

Re:Sony and inventing new formats

[SenseiLeNoir]

[Sarcasm on]
And not to forget the "Colossal Flop" of the Sony invented 3.5inch Floppy disk!
[Sarcasm off]

Sony has invented some great stuff, as well as some duds. MiniDisc, and BetaMax were technically superior at the time, but the marketing lot screwed both.

MiniDisc was in fact a REALLY good idea at the time, a portable recordable medium that was at least durable, at a time when Solid State was not really there.