Limited-Use DVD Technology 643
ps_inkling writes: "Two companies are creating different techniques to make DVD discs unusable after a set period of time. SpectraDisc has a patent on a limited-play DVD technology; FlexPlay is currently developing limited play DVD technology. The SpectraDisc technique is to coat the DVD with a film, then wrap the DVD in an anaerobic package.
The idea is to sell these 'play-once' DVD movies at a substantial discount to regular DVDs as a way to compete with pay-per-view or movie ticket outlets."
New DivX?? (Score:2, Interesting)
As much as I want it to flop (Score:2, Interesting)
In the every box of cheerios you get a copy of the Powerrangers movie that you can play 3 times before you have to buy another box.
This would enable cheap short life DvD's to be given away to people. Perhaps a movie mag could put on it all the new previews they had at such a small cost. As much as i dont like the idea there are many uses for this technology.
Also I could see some of those online places that will let you rent DvD's over the net use such a thing. They send it out and you get to watch it twice or three times and they save money buy not having to worry about postage. I kinda hope this works and kinda don't due to it could become the standard and evuantally you wont be able to buy movies anymore but be forced to rent them.
So the point of my comment is this. Any technology when used can be either good or bad. This has the future of both. I imagine both uses would get used out of it.
Re:The other shoe... (Score:2, Interesting)
In other words, it only takes once to rip the DVD image to your harddrive. The *actual* disk is useless after this point.
Did I mention that 120GB harddrives are very cheap right now??
I will purchase these read-once disks if:
(cost of read-once DVD) < (cost new DVD) - (Resale value of used DVD).
It's simple mathematics.
let the junk fest begin (Score:2, Interesting)
Wouldn't it be nice for a change if our culture moved away from selling to people as much junk as they can buy? Disposable diapers, disposable cameras, disposable cellphones, etc. I find that many people lead just as disposable lives, unfortunately -- with the quality of life getting emptier as people get richer.
Yes, yes, I know that all marketing is about making people want something they didn't know they needed before. Just because we're accustomed to it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. I look forward to the day when we can overcome our material desires, the need to one-up our neighbors, and express our achievement through spending money.
Maybe science, freedom of information, and education will get us there someday. I hope.
Inert-gas DVD drive systems violate DMCA? (Score:3, Interesting)
I suspect this is a non-starter of an idea. Polaroid developed a comparable technology for VHS caisettes in the 1980s, using a mechanical ratchet in the cartridge to limit the number of plays. That went nowhere.
Moderate paranoia (Score:2, Interesting)
Is anyone else worried that this film might "rub off" onto your DVD tray, and get onto one of your other discs afterward? I'd certainly be pissed to discover that the rental DVD I purchased destroyed the discs I already own... I don't think there's a conspiracy here, but I don't think this film is a good thing, either.
To be honest, if I want to rent a DVD, I go to blockbuster, or Hollywood Video if there's one near by. It's cheap, it's pretty painless, and there's no risk of the disc destroying my setup
One thing that is VERY nice about DVD rentals is that you can watch the movie one year or eight years after the video store acquired it, and -- provided the disc is readable -- you get the same experience
~Aaron.
Avoiding expiration (Score:2, Interesting)
Of course the other obvious way to get around this is to rip the contents and burn your own.
Re:New DivX?? (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:New DivX?? (Score:3, Interesting)
Also, imagine a day when you can walk into the Blockbuster and instead of seeing miles and miles of movies taking up valueable space, you can pick out the movie you want from a kiosk, with access to more movies than you could squeeze into acres of Blockbusters, and a DVD-R burns it for ya with the time limited coating... That makes sense to me.
DivX is not the best comparison... (Score:5, Interesting)
At Blockbuster, I walk in, give my $4, and walk home with any movie on DVD. I can watch this movie any number of times in a certain time period. With these discs, I walk into Blockbuster, put down my $4, and walk out with a movie on DVD that I can watch any number of times in a certain amount of time.
Why, then, would anyone get one of these?
Well, I suppose you do not have to return these new movies, but is that a big enough incentive?
If you charge $3.99 for one of these movies, I assume that Blockbuster is going to walk away with $2 per disk. That is a 100% return. On the other hand, if Blockbuster buys a new DVD for $20 and rents it 15 times at $4/rent, that is Blockbuster walking away with a 300% return on the investment.
On top of that, Blockbuster still has the movie! They can continue to rent it out, or sell it as a previewed move for $10, making even more.
No, this makes no sense for consumers or for the rental people.
Re:DivX (Score:2, Interesting)
Dude, netflix.com. If dropping a DVD in the mail whenever you're tired of watching it isn't convenient enough for you... you are too fscking lazy ; ]
Re:One time? Pfft...easy.. (Score:5, Interesting)
Another use... (Score:2, Interesting)
Is it just me or is this idea of woro (write once read once) abit Mission Impossibleish -- this DVD will self destruct in 1 day...
Re:Inert-gas DVD drive systems violate DMCA? (Score:2, Interesting)
I can't believe how stupid this idea is.
Re:One time? Pfft...easy.. (Score:3, Interesting)
There is another point about this, by having to return stuff to the shop I'll bet they get a reasonable number of additional rentals from impulse decisions while returning itemsf.. At least for those who do it during opening hours.
On the other hand, if returns stop they can reduce staff counts, this may seve them more money than they loose..
But they still have ways to get additional revenue streams to partially replace these. How about an environmental charge, similar to a deposit on glass bottles (common here in Europe). You pay extra 'up front' for the disk, but if you bring it back this gets refunded (CD's etc have a very small recyclable content/value, but since when have people in the entertainment biz. let the facts get in the way of profit?). This way they get extra money from the lazy and drag you back into the shop too..
Meybe I ought to patent this as a business model?
Filling room with inert-gas (Score:1, Interesting)
Would a room filled with helium improve the efficiency of my speakers? The lesser mass per volume would allow the speakers to push the air easier and quicker. I suppose this would lead to my sub being able to produce higher frequencies.
Only down-sides to this would be that helium doesn't conduct sound as well as the higher density air does, and the frequencies that my speakers can produce would change which would throw off the balance between them.
Sealed unit DVD player anyone. (Score:2, Interesting)
Better use? (Score:2, Interesting)
At least it's slightly better than DivX in that with DivX, you needed to purchase a special multihundred dollar player. DVD players are of course readily becoming a dime a dozen now.
Re:I thought this had been done with DivX... (Score:2, Interesting)
Look, you DVD lovers have wholesale swallowed region encoding and built-in Macrovision, DON'T start complaining NOW about how this infringes upon your rights.
DVD technology is consumer hostile BY DESIGN.
Honestly... (Score:3, Interesting)
First of all, didn't Divx require you to buy a special Divx player? That's a big difference, investing in a new technology that *only* supports limited use.
Second, regarding the waste factor: have you ever been to McDonald's? Or any fast food place? The amount of trash one gets is huge as compared to a single disc. (And the disc seems to start biodegrading anyway, the minute you open it
I'm not saying more waste is good, just that in perspective, this isn't a huge factor.
This needs to be compared to rentals, not purchase. I've spent more money on Blockbuster's annoying but smart (for them) return policy; midnight the next day. It lulls you into a sense that if you don't get around to it tonight, you can watch it tomorrow, and return it before midnight; tomorrow night comes, you watch the movie, and are too tired to return it (I always
The rental places could also have a better rate at movie availability. I would guess that they could predict the total number of rentals more easily than the daily rates. So they stock up, and you can be assurred the movie will be in. In fact, the day the movie is released, you stand a *greater* chance of being able to get it. That's when people most want it, too. That kind of works out well.
The main disadvantages I see are 1) storage space required in the store will be greater; 2) there will be less older run movies available, since they don't stick around. If this takes off, six months after release, it may be very hard to get a copy of a movie. And, as mentioned, there will be some waste, although that can be played off a bit against gas, pollution, and labour in handling returns.
I wonder if they could make them taste like chocoloate or nachos? $2 or $4 for a rental, that would be a nice tasty snack afterwards would be very cool, and avoid the waste problem, too (well, at least modify the waste problem to an organic one
-dale
A replacement for Product Activation? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:DivX (Score:2, Interesting)
Sadly, I think people will buy into it. Its main attraction is convinience, and we're so used to every convienince imaginable as consumers today. I think its a sad state of affairs if it does take off cos it proves we'd rather throw away brand new DVDs and add further to the huge amounts of waste that such conviences cause.
Not exactly environmentally friendly is it.
Re:waste (Score:1, Interesting)
OK, let's correct this statement: You don't know what you're talking about.
The Kyoto Treaty was a really BAD treaty.
If it's so great, why don't you name all the OTHER countries that have put it into force? Go ahead, I'll wait.
'Fraid not... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:DivX (Score:2, Interesting)
What about the environment? (Score:2, Interesting)
This is the immediate thought... (Score:3, Interesting)
I guess they have to have that object less in, "greed destroys all..."
Re:DivX (Score:2, Interesting)
Personally, the first thing I thought of when I read the summary was buying some of them for cheaper than "standard" dvd's, then ripping them.
It'd be even more amusing if someone figured out the chemical composition of them, then figured out what to do to make them not fade away.
I can't comment on Flexplay's technology, since they don't even have a webpage up yet.
Worse than Divx (Score:3, Interesting)
With the advent of Ebay I can't fathom why any of these companies are even bothering. I can go to Amazon and order a brand new DVD, or perhaps even pick up an early used edition at Ebay. If I don't like it, then I just put it out on ebay and offload it to somebody else.