Sony Fixes Problems With New DVDs 210
An anonymous reader writes "Following up on reports that DVDs for some Sony titles were causing problems, Video Business is reporting that Sony has fixed the copy-protection problem on recent DVD releases, and will provide replacement discs to customers. The problem was with the ARccOS DRM system. The company issued the following statement: 'Recently, an update that was installed on approximately 20 titles was found to cause an incompatibility issue with a very small number of DVD players (Sony has received complaints on less than one thousandth of one percent of affected discs shipped)... Since then, the ARccOS system has once again been updated, and there are no longer any playability problems.' Customers can call 800-860-2878 to inquire about replacement discs."
So few complaints? (Score:5, Interesting)
*crosses fingers and hopes my maths is right*
Contradiction? (Score:2, Interesting)
So, the update consisted of removing the DRM? Not even Sony can deny that the soul point of DRM is to create playability problems...
Re:Contradiction? (Score:3, Interesting)
If the disc plays... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:If the disc plays... (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm not quite sure what the improved DRM does to protect them. Maybe it means that if someone does a bit-for-bit copy it isn't going to work or something but cracking these is so easy I'd be surprised if anyone does that. Most of the pirate DVDs I've seen are either cheap DVD-R copies, or are so well presented that the extra work of decrypting them would be trivial.
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Great attitude... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:So few complaints? (Score:3, Interesting)
I know that with CDs, crippled discs (with deliberate data errors to defeat computer copying) cannot carry the official CD digital audio logo.
Re:It must suck to be a DRM engineer (Score:3, Interesting)
Most DRM technology providers so far were clueless idiots capitalizing on the greed of the media companies.
Granted AACS is actually well designed (but due to implementation flaws and nature of DRM, not perfect), but everything else I've inspected is just hack upon hack creating the illusion of protection. No wonder it's failure prone.
Re:So few complaints? (Score:5, Interesting)
This will make them see light of day.
Re:So few complaints? (Score:3, Interesting)
There's another thing too. They seem to be talking about a large number of dvd's. Have they all actually been sold yet? I doubt it. I reckon there's some large scale behind the scenes recalls going on.
This is yet another PR blow for sony involving DRM, that makes how many? Well I don't know, if you include mp3 players its barking huge is it not.
So who was it who thought drm would be great? Seems to be costing sony rather a lot. Ant this isn't even with it being cracked, it's just with it being crap.
Re:Contradiction? (Score:2, Interesting)
I have the entire Farscape series on DVD.. and I love watching them. If they had that message I would be sickened before getting through series one. I have one (1) DVD that I know of that has this message. After seeing it on a disc I purchase I stopped buying DVDs.
As a footnote, after going to the movies 3 times and sitting through the useless mpaa ad about 'stealing is a crime' I don't go to the cinema any more. (yes, I know what stealing is, and what a crime is, and I know what mpaa do to people in the US through the courts). Besides not having my ears blasted, other people ruining the movie and a whole list of other reasons not to go.. I find myself with 1/2 hour of my life NOT spend watching ads and short versions of movies (which they pathetically call 'trailers'.