The One-Use, Self-Destructing DVD Returns

BonrHanzon writes "Looks like DivX (the stupid one, not the codec) has been resurrected in the form of Flexplay. Staples will be selling these movie disks for 5 bucks a pop at the checkout counter. The disks can be played in any DVD player, but a special adhesive will render the disk unplayable 48 hours after the package has been opened. As if our landfills weren't already overflowing with enough crap." The blog post notes that Flexplay has actually been around for 5 years; the Staples distribution deal is what's new.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[Digestromath]

1. Buy cheaper disposable movie

2. Discover a cheap 'hack' work around (boil in water, spray with hairspray etc)

3. Keep the disposable movie

4. ????????

5. Profit?

Nonsense

[tinkerton]

The dvd's will come standard as part of a kit: the degrading dvd will be bundled with a writable dvd.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[archeopterix]

If you are going to pirate a movie, don't tip-toe around it. Just download the thing from the Internet.

And miss the joy of sticking it to the man?

And the joy of making him 5$ richer? Umm, wait. Gotta think about it a bit more. Brb, torrenting.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[theheadlessrabbit]

so, now can I make the claim that I can not on good conscience rent or purchase a movie due to pollution?

My deep rooted concerns for our environment, the glaciers, the ozone layer, my grandchildren, his grandchildren, and even your grandchildren prevent me from paying for movies, since it will add more worthless junk to our overflowing landfills.

Downloading movies produces significantly less waste; therefor, pirating all my media is the only way any responsible, eco-friendly person can be entertained, and still be able to sleep at night.

does that sound good to everyone else?

Seriously...

[ringo74]

... are the movie and music industries ran by a bunch of monkeys suffering from Alzheimer's disease? A three years old would immediately see all these new attempted business models of theirs as unbelievably idiotic ideas. How on Earth is it possible that somebody actually believes such crap could possibly work? This is beyond me. Please, if you are a CEO of a "content" production company, could you enlighten me, pretty please?

Re:This is going to work...

[EyelessFade]

I would if it exploded. Now that would be cool....uhm wait a minute it has a countdown right?

Re:Advantages over rental

[Gerzel]

Thank you employee of Flexdisk or what ever company you are speaking for.

There might be a use....

[Anonymous Coward]

Given the quality of films today can they make them so they self destruct with bad movies "before" they are played? Could save a lot of pain and suffering especially with Uwe Boll movies.

Re:How's that different from...

[jamesh]

Is the disc single layer or even less due to the disposable nature of the disc?

A zero layer disk. I'd like to see that :)

Re:They Are Recyclable

[0xygen]

It also wastes the oil to transport anything else you need recycling which you care to enclose in the packaging!

Tyres... house bricks... siblings...

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course, we must increase the number of pirates if we want to stop Global Warming!
Torrents of the world, unite!

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[Opportunist]

And most of all, no profit. So I guess it has to be illegal in some way. If not, it'll soon be made illegal. It's so un-american to charge nothing for nothing.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[Anonymous Coward]

so, now can I make the claim that I can not on good conscience rent or purchase a movie due to pollution?

My deep rooted concerns for our environment, the glaciers, the ozone layer, my grandchildren, his grandchildren, and even your grandchildren prevent me from paying for movies, since it will add more worthless junk to our overflowing landfills.

Downloading movies produces significantly less waste; therefor, pirating all my media is the only way any responsible, eco-friendly person can be entertained, and still be able to sleep at night.

does that sound good to everyone else?

Yep.

One more thing... pirating movies is good for the environment in another way.

It takes money out of the pockets of directors, producers, and actors. You know. Those guys who live in mansions, fly private jets, and own dozens of sport cars while getting up on their high horses about the environment and how we all have to "pitch in" and "do our part."

Pirate enough movies and they won't be able to afford those mansions, private jets, and sports cars. Their energy consumption will go down, their carbon footprint will be reduced and they'll be spewing far less hot air, all of which will help to reduce global warming.

Re:How's that different from...

[evilviper]

A zero layer disk. I'd like to see that :)

Old news... They put TWO in every spindle of CD-R/DVD-Rs... One on the top, one on the bottom.

Windows uses same model

[GottliebPins]

Microsoft also uses a similar model. Their popular Windows product starts to deteriorate immediately after installation with all of the bloatware and is unusable within 48 hours.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[molarmass192]

I agree completely, most of my friends' parents at Yale have similar setups. I asked my sister who goes to Harvard (ugh) and all of her friends have the same at their parents' homes. In my mind it has gone beyond just that, it's not just in homes anymore. We have a movie room on our yacht and my dad is seriously thinking of adding one to the company jet. Heck, I remember having a theater room at our chalet in Vail FOREVER. I'd even bet that our Mexican grounds crew have one in their shanty, but I don't really talk to the hired help, I'm just assuming there.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[indifferent children]

Just how many coasters do you need?

Back in the day, no one asked this question. It was pretty well accepted that AOL would decide how many coasters you needed.

It's a calculated plot.....

[Stanislav_J]

Obviously, they must be running out of people to sue for downloading movies. This new technology is clearly designed to frustrate even more consumers, and drive them to download so they can keep their profit margin high with lawsuits.

Fortunately (for me), there hasn't been a movie coming out of Hollywood in 20 years that I have the slightest interest in either wasting money on, or risking an infringement lawsuit for downloading.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[pLnCrZy]

You seriously ask 5-10 people to /chip in/ for a $3.50 DVD rental? How much do you charge per kernel of popcorn?

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[Minwee]

I mean they have a place in the house with rows of couches and chairs, excellent lighting and sound, a huge TV -- either plasma, LCD or a projector, and even a little popcorn machine and lighting strips lining the hallway to the room.

But do they have two robots who sit next to them and talk back to the movie? That's what really matters.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[j_166]

We solved that problem by getting a colorful live-in hobo, Pantload Tim. We usually lock him in the basement on the other nights, but on movie night we let him camp out on the floor and thrill us with his insane ramblings.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[kat_skan]

I think you have overlooked the fatal flaw in your plan: that it hinges on students paying attention in English class.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[Mister Whirly]

That's why I covered the bottom of my plasma-mounted-over-the-fireplace with tinfoil. Tinfoil stops EVERY bad element from getting in anything.

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[dogdick]

You insensitive clod, some of us enjoy spending 12 bucks to see a movie while listening to babies cry, having the back of your seat kicked for a few hours, and be cramped in with a bunch of assholes.

Anyone ever notice how a movie going experience is a lot like a plane ride?

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[FredFredrickson]

I dunno, call me crazy, but life is meant to be lived, not watched on TV. Just my 2cents. :)

NO NO NO NO!! This is all wrong! Nothing is right at all! *I'm NOT LISTENING* blah blah blah

Re:Heh, pirates ahoy!

[TheGratefulNet]

It's so un-american to charge nothing for nothing.

not if you do it repeatedly.