Hollywood and its new tech. stops pirates and YOU!

[OneManArmy]

http://gear.ign.com/articles/691/691408p1.html

Next-Gen DVD Copy-Protection Debacle
Hollywood screws 3 million HDTV owners, sucks in general.
by Gerry Block

February 24, 2006 - In perhaps the greatest disservice to the general consumer market yet perpetrated by players in the electronic entertainment industry, it has been revealed that next-generation DVD technologies (HD-DVD and Blu-ray) will only function with monitors and HDTVs with HDMI or DVI connections.

What does that mean to you? If you purchased an HDTV more than a couple of years ago, chances are you are using Component Video (the red, green, and blue plugs) to connect HD sources to your TV. Component Video is an analog transmission, which means that it can't work with the absurdly stringent AACS copy-protection Hollywood has insisted be integrated into the new formats. Thus, no HDMI input on your TV, no hi-def DVD for you. If you don't have a compatible TV, you'll either receive a massively downgraded sub-720p resolution version of the content, or what the studios are suggesting, a warning screen followed by nothing.

[Hamma]

I don't get it - when will they learn no matter what they do to "Protect" their assets someone is going to hack it. Either way I am set - have HDMI Of course I dont have the $800 to buy one of the new players yet.

[Lartnev]

Originally Posted by Hamma

I don't get it - when will they learn no matter what they do to "Protect" their assets someone is going to hack it.

The more difficult it is to hack, the less people will be able to access illegal copies and thus more people are forced to pay for the media (regardless of whether it's worth buying, it's obviously worth watching ).

[Hamma]

Yea but by going on some of the stuff out there now it would only be a matter of time before someone programmed a nice app to gank the data anyway.

[AztecWarrior]

"Oh NOES! I'm only grossing 132.3 million dollars annually! CALL THE FBI!"

[Red October]

Its a losing battle, new tech...make it harder, price of tech drops, everyone has it, then new tech...make it harder, price....and endless circle.

They may as well do the economically feasable thing. New movie comes out, you have two choices.

1. Go out to dinner then hit the theater if you want a night out.

or if you've had a really crappy week at work and want to stay home.

2. Order delivery, and download the movie straight to you DVR. Just charge a little more than what you would to the chain theatre's. Then Hollywood will see thier sales soar again. Right now, the cost of gas, food, etc. to go out can be a bit of pain. It used to be going to the movies was a cheap date....not so anymore.

Just about every pirated copy I own, I almost always end up buying the full retail version, if its a really good movie, I want to see the delted scenes, extras, etc. If it sucks...I may have a copy..but hardly, if ever, watch it.

[Ivan]

Me, I pay in a way for my pirated copies. I rent then copy the rental.

[Rbstr]

I don't buy anythign that's made from an active RIAA/MPAA member anymore(anything with built in DRM too), I have a right to make personal use copies, and make MP3's to play them on my computer with.

Fuck you if you want to restrict my fair use rights.

When the technology is there we'll be paying each time we listen to a song, if we let them win.

I buy indie/non-drm stuff, I'm thinking about doing Emusic, they acctualy -get this- let you download plain old MP3's, and do whatever you want with them.

[Hamma]

Doing that kind of sucks though you pretty much cant watch/listen to anything