Microsoft's "one-play-only" DVD to combat Piracy

[BrokenVisage]

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COMPUTER software giant Microsoft has developed a cheap, disposable pre-recorded DVD disc that consumers can play only once. The discs would give Hollywood increased control over the release of new films and allow consumers the chance to watch a film at the fraction of the price of an ordinary pre-recorded DVD. More important, the discs would prevent copying and digital piracy, which is costing the film and music industry billions in lost revenues.

The revolutionary product could be on the market as early as next year, with the new DVD players needed to view them. Microsoft hopes it will help the company dominate home entertainment as it dominates the desktop computer market.

The film industry has been growing increasingly alarmed at the prospect of film fans using the internet to download pirated films, just as music fans download copyrighted songs on their personal computers. Researchers at Microsoft believe they have a simple solution to the challenge of piracy. Hollywood?s movie moguls are said to be excited at the prospect of having a piracy-proof means of distribution.

Buying an ordinary DVD of a new film costs between £15 (E22, $26.40) and £20. Microsoft?s new disc will enable the studios to release a ?play-once, then throw away? copy for as little as £3, much the same as renting a video or DVD. But unlike a rented DVD, the new disc allows consumers to decide when they watch films and there is no need to return it.

The new generation of DVD disc will spearhead a fresh assault by Microsoft on the home-entertainment market. A big chunk of its $7bn research budget is spent on digital rights management (DRM). A senior source in the company says Microsoft is in talks with the main electronics manufacturers about developing DVD players to play the new discs. And when the movie industry does find the courage to move to a fully internet-based distribution model, Microsoft wants its DRM software to be the industry standard, giving it dominance of the server market, and the telecoms and cable companies that need to store and manage their video-on-demand services.

Chairman Bill Gates has been working on a solution to the film industry?s piracy problem since making a now legendary pitch to the industry in September 2002. Showing a video of himself dressed in a sailor suit pretending to audition for the blockbuster Titanic, Gates pitched Hollywood with the proposition that only Microsoft could solve its piracy problem by making its DRM software a standard across every home entertainment playback and recording device. By installing its DRM software in every device used to play or store movies, Microsoft plans to dominate the home entertainment industry in the same way it does the desktop computer software market.

This will mean convincing competitors such as Sony ? whose Playstation rivals Gates?s XBox ? that allowing Microsoft dominance of the home entertainment software market is a price worth paying to establish a single global DRM standard. But despite the telecoms and cable companies? plans to offer video-on-demand through the internet, the most popular internet-based movie service in the US is still a company called Netflix, which posts DVDs to users? homes. The customers only use the internet to make a selection from Netflix?s store of 42m DVD discs and place an order online.

Netflix has more than 4m subscribers, but its founder and head, Reed Hastings, last week told Newsweek it will have more than 20m subscribers by 2010 and that DVD discs will not be entirely replaced by newer digital technologies for at least another 20 years.

I gave this article 2 :roll::roll: up.

 

[Quasmo]

So I have to make sure my computer rips it the first time its played through?

 

[bamacre]

Great, hackers will give us a tool to rip $3 dvd's instead of $20 dvd's. Sounds like a deal, thanks Microsoft!

 

[PurdueRy]

Because I NEVER go back and watch a movie again...even when I rent it...

Please...make it stop

 

[conehead433]

Originally posted by: Quasmo
So I have to make sure my computer rips it the first time its played through?

LOL

This idea isn't new, but it will never happen.

 

[FFactory0x]

AWESOME!!! I also heard they will introduce this new dvd format as well called DIVX. I heard its suppose to be bangin and do extremely well on the market!!!

 

[Zeeky Boogy Doog]

Originally posted by: Quasmo
So I have to make sure my computer rips it the first time its played through?

yeah, to me it sounds like they're just making it cheaper to do it :laugh:

 

[FFactory0x]

Originally posted by: Zeeky Boogy Doog

Originally posted by: Quasmo
So I have to make sure my computer rips it the first time its played through?

yeah, to me it sounds like they're just making it cheaper to do it :laugh:

Yea i can buy the DVD for $3 now and rip it? Nice. Blockbuster is around $4 to rent. Thankyou Microsoft for saving me money

 

[MrChad]

This idea has failed time and time again.

DIVX
Disney disposable DVDs

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: Quasmo
So I have to make sure my computer rips it the first time its played through?

 

[geno]

Gates pitched Hollywood with the proposition that only Microsoft could solve its piracy problem by making its DRM software a standard across every home entertainment playback and recording device

What's next, "Only MS can win the war on drugs!", whoever buys into this is an idiot, there's no silver bullet in this scenario, sorry!

 

[purbeast0]

wow did microsoft not see what happened to circuit citys whold DIVX thing?!? how long did it take that to get off the market ... a week?

 

[DeadByDawn]

Actually I think something like this could catch on. Would eliminate the need for rental stores and would save netflix a ton of money. But you have to convince the consumer to buy a new dvd player first.

 

[rh71]

so how much is this "new" dvd player going to cost itself ?

Yeah right.

 

[marvdmartian]

This might be good for the awards shows judges, who need to see the movies before they can vote on who's going to win an award, but I doubt it will ever take off in the "real world".
Why should a consumer go out and buy a new dvd player (required for these disks), only to get one viewing from a dvd? I'll keep my cheap dvd player, and my multiple play dvd's, thank you! I just cannot see this taking off in the public sector at all.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: DeadByDawn
Actually I think something like this could catch on. Would eliminate the need for rental stores and would save netflix a ton of money. But you have to convince the consumer to buy a new dvd player first.

Just not on this planet. What consumer would voluntarily give up their ability to play and enjoy a DVD as many times as they want and pony up the cash for new hardware to do it as well?

 

[eakers]

:thumbsdown:
like there isn't enough pollution in the world.

 

[DeadByDawn]

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: DeadByDawn
Actually I think something like this could catch on. Would eliminate the need for rental stores and would save netflix a ton of money. But you have to convince the consumer to buy a new dvd player first.

Just not on this planet. What consumer would voluntarily give up their ability to play and enjoy a DVD as many times as they want and pony up the cash for new hardware to do it as well?

If the player was as cheap as the $30 apex at wal-mart, and you didn't ever have to return a movie... I might. Consumers are pretty lazy. I know people that pay more in late fees per year than a new dvd player costs.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

Hollywood?s movie moguls are said to be excited at the prospect of having a piracy-proof means of distribution.

Good luck with that. More like rip once, watch forever, throw away disc.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: FFactory0x
AWESOME!!! I also heard they will introduce this new dvd format as well called DIVX. I heard its suppose to be bangin and do extremely well on the market!!!

teehee.

exactly what I though of.

 

[shimsham]

Chairman Bill Gates has been working on a solution to the film industry?s piracy problem since making a now legendary pitch to the industry in September 2002. Showing a video of himself dressed in a sailor suit pretending to audition for the blockbuster Titanic, Gates pitched Hollywood with the proposition that only Microsoft could solve its piracy problem by making its DRM software a standard across every home entertainment playback and recording device

hell, im sold.

 

[TStep]

God forbid I have to take a bathroom break, or get interupted and watch the movie another day. Crap like this would drive some to piracy rather than curtail it. If this were the case I'd have to rip every movie we buy due to our busy lifestyle, rather than just buy the legit copies we buy now. Fantastic idea.

 

[loic2003]

As long as it can be played on a computer/DVD drive, it can be ripped. As long as it can be ripped, it can be shared.

 

[sswingle]

Its like in the spy movies where the tape goes up in smoke as soon as its done playing.

 

[Kelemvor]

Yeah, is this really new? Couple years ago someoen came up with Discs you would only play once. Weren't they going to rust away when exposed to air or something? How is this any different?

People will still find a way. And whne you look at Blockbuster or something, now they have to continuously replenish their movies and can't rent the same one over and over. so their costs will go up in the long run...