Here We Go Again — Video Standards War 2010

Andy Updegrove writes "Think of the words 'standards war,' and if you're of a certain age you're likely to think of the battle between the Betamax and VHS video tape formats. Fast forward, and you'll recall we just finished another video standards war between most of the same companies, this time between HD DVD and Blu-ray. Well, here we go again, except this time its the movie studios that are duking it out, and DRM issues are a big part of it. On the one side are five of the six major studios, dozens of cable, hardware, software, distribution and device vendors, and on the other side there's just Disney — and maybe Apple as well, and that's enough to have the other side worried."

Comments

Thanks but no thanks.

[grub]

[T]his time its the movie studios that are duking it out, and DRM issues is a big part of it.

I tend to prefer those video standards which are inclusive and unencumbered such as xvid and x264. They've survived. Our library, some of which is many years old, still plays.

No central server to authorize and track our viewing habits. No chance of having my devices' keys revoked. No need to keep all our gear connected to the net.

.

Aliens vs. Predator...

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

"Whoever wins, we lose."

The TRUE standards war...

[jjoelc]

True standards will only be set by the end users. If nobody buys it, is it a standard?

If there are 1000 Xvid copies around for every BD copy sold... which one is the standard?

Wrong "two sides"

[QuietLagoon]

The two real sides in the battle at those who are in favor of DRM in any shape or form; and those consumers who want to own and control the content they purchase.

If you RTFA, the two "sides" in that article are really on the same side, that is, the side of removing the consumers' rights for the content the consumers purchase.

KeyChest isn't "DRM", at least on the file level

[MBCook]

KeyChest isn't really DRM, it's a central repository for purchase information of DRMed files.

The idea is that companies opt into it, and then every device knows what you own. So when you go download Finding Nemo off iTunes, you can suddenly watch it on your cable box from the cable company, because they are both members of KeyChest and both know that you have a license to that media.

Basically, it solves the "tied to one format" problem. Each file still needs a "real" DRM format, the KeyChest just serves as a central clearing house of what licenses you have.

This would fix one of the MAJOR problems with DRM. It's still DRM, but it would be better than what we have now.

There was a short article on this somewhere (Gizmodo, Engadget, Ars Technica, somewhere) last week. I can't find it right now.

Good on ya, Apple

[argent]

With the multiyear HD DVD Blu-ray battle still a recent memory, we have a new standards face off in video, just as we do in eBooks, and just as it looks like we may in on-line print, where a new consortium led by the News Corporation and others is launching a standards-based "digital newsstand." All of these devices, of course, are targeted at you and I, and each has the potential to not only extend the woes of the music/video/print vendors behind these standards battles, but to waste your money and mine as well.

Does that strike you as a shame?

Hell no. The last thing we need is easy to use, standardized DRM. Apple derailed Microsoft's attempt to make Plays for Sure the boot stamping in the face of the music lover, forever, by making sure NOBODY won the music DRM wars. It looks like they're up to their loveable tricks again, and I salute them for it. A fragmented, hard to use, unreliable DRM ecosystem is to the consumer's benefit in the long term.

Re:KeyChest isn't "DRM", at least on the file leve

[Anonymous Coward]

So you are saying it will play for sure.