DVD group approves restrictive download-to-burn scheme

At first glance, one may assume that being able to legally burn a DVD of a recent film download would be excellent progress in enabling consumers to better manage their media, but it comes as no surprise that the DVD Copy Control Association has laced the process in stipulations. Reportedly, the DVD CCA "hammered out an agreement with movie studios, electronics makers and computer makers and announced that it will license software to allow content to be burned onto one disc but not copied to others." Furthermore, the discs that you burn to will be "special" versions that have "preprinted codes in order to prevent copying." As if that wasn't enough, these unique DVDs will absolutely cost more due to royalties, users won't "be able to watch the downloaded version on a computer or portable video player," and many older DVD burners would have to be upgraded in order to use the process. Um, thanks?

[Thanks, Matt G.]

[Rahul @ Sep 21st 2007 4:07PM]

I remember a day when everything was much more simple.
There was one type of DVD available.
Not 2 separate formats... HD vs Bluray

All this crazy downloading of crap... now DRM is laced in everything and hardware is much more complicated...

I am too confused....

Someone hand me an iPod before I break down crying...

[dan @ Sep 21st 2007 4:15PM]

Yes it's comforting to know that there is no DRM on the ipod.

[insertAlias @ Sep 21st 2007 4:27PM]

Considering that this is about a new burnable dvd...
There were multiple burnable dvd formats. DVD-RAM anyone? There's also dvd-r(w) and dvd+r(w).

[ttringle @ Sep 21st 2007 5:40PM]

While there may be DRM on an Ipod it's a testament to Apple realizing that the kind of DRM that Microsoft and other people have been attempting to use over the past decade have NEVER worked.

Just ask anybody who purchased the legal Terminator 2 with the HD version for Windows media on it. That wouldn't work for the people who legally purchased and only tried to use it on one computer. In fact the only people who pretty much got it to work were people who cracked it.

The people who come up with these DRM schemes are total idiots.

TimT

[Brad @ Sep 21st 2007 6:44PM]

Or better yet, just ask anyone who's ever had their computer lose iTunes files that aren't on their iPod, even if they paid for them!

Yeah, what an amazing feature. And I personally feel very taken care of by a company that locks out your ability to use non-iTunes software to load stuff onto your iPod, and repeatedly blocks the ability to reverse-sync your iPod and put YOUR music, DRM'd or otherwise, back on YOUR computer.

Yes, but this is all about Microsoft, right, TTriangle?

[Andrew Jones @ Sep 21st 2007 4:11PM]

New Bulletin - CSS has been cracked for YEARS! What is their target audience here? Geeks will buy a normal DVD, then burn a copy. Regular customers will buy the normal DVD for the lower cost/higher convenience. Dumb-as-rocks customers won't be able to figure out how to download & burn these without their geek relatives' help, who will recommend that they buy the movies in-store or rent them.

The only thing I can think of is that they'll keep the program around for a few months, then use some FUD tactics to demonstrate that illegal downloads are preventing legal direct-burn solutions from reaching market viability. I'll bet nobody sees THAT one coming. *rolls eyes*

[Jon @ Sep 21st 2007 4:43PM]

Do they think we never ever heard of Netflix/Blockbuster online ... DVDFab Platinum and WHOA you get free copies

Dont even have to leave the house

[Eric @ Sep 21st 2007 4:16PM]

TGFT

Thank God For Torrents

[ethana2 @ Sep 21st 2007 7:11PM]

And 200 GB SATA hard drives and bubble wrap. We're devils in my town. Can't stop it.

[Joe @ Sep 21st 2007 4:19PM]

Next, camera manufacturers are going to limit how we distribute our photos. Then we can safely own nothing of our own and have no say in what we do with items we only imaged were ours. Let's give them a hand for attempting to make more money off consumers who have to have everything, even if it means supporting organizations with flawed greedy ethics.

[Eric @ Sep 21st 2007 4:21PM]

What needs to happen is each studio allow movies to be downloaded from their sites. Like what NBC is doing with their TV shows. This DRM crap has gotta go. If I pay good money for stuff that I download I should be able to do whatever the hell I want with it. This move alone will push more and more people to discover torrents.

[Jon @ Sep 21st 2007 4:25PM]

Does this apply to movies downloaded via bittorrent? lol
Heres a big old F U to the man!!

[ethana2 @ Sep 21st 2007 7:13PM]

I second that motion.

Three more people and we'll have enough fingers to make a fist :)

[wtfdop0987 @ Nov 12th 2007 7:55PM]

third that F U!!!

[David S. @ Sep 21st 2007 4:29PM]

Wow! Thanks for coming up with something I'll never use! You guys are swell!

Brought to you by the same good folks that brought us DIVX DVD at CircuitCity. ;)

[Jack @ Sep 21st 2007 4:43PM]

I worked at Divx, back-in-the-day, and the CCA people have nothing to do with the Divx scheme. Divx was actually much more user friendly than what they've come up with here.

The studios need to realize that they just need to produce a good product at a fair price and an easy way to view it, and people will pay them rather than going through the hassle of working around it.

[David S. @ Sep 21st 2007 4:56PM]

I was just making a joke. I know the CCA people have nothing to do with it. It's a similar mindset.

[Brice @ Sep 21st 2007 4:36PM]

By the way, who needs a DVD when you can plug a memory stick/card directly on your TV/computer.

I guess these guys just want to reduce the sales of their own products even more.

Wise!

[Jon @ Sep 21st 2007 4:30PM]

This is a stupid question that does not apply to only this post, but to all DRM issues....
Where the hell is our government? Like I said stupid question, I know they are only looking to line their own pockets...but I thought the governments sole purpose was to look out for us!!
I say stop blaming the big corps, they are only milking us dry since the government allows it.
I think ALL politicians should be fired and lets just start over!!!

[Brad @ Sep 21st 2007 6:46PM]

That's a common misconception. The government's job is actually NOT to look out for you. If you go back and read your constitution (I mean really read it) you'll see that it's their job to protect you from invading armies, and other than that stay the hell out of your life.

If you don't like the way a company treats you (with DRM and such) don't buy their products. Vote with your dollar, this is (presumably) the United States of America. It's the only vote you have that really counts.

[Mr. B @ Sep 21st 2007 4:33PM]

Hopefully the public will vote properly with their dollars and this won't be an issue.

[Ian H. @ Sep 21st 2007 4:35PM]

So... what can you do with these?

[Mark @ Sep 21st 2007 4:37PM]

Nothing that you would want to.

[still @ Sep 21st 2007 4:45PM]

wow, they've found a way to merge DVD and online video delivery system that combines the worst aspects of both and usefulness of neither.

way to go! This is a new kind of innovation, instead of coming up with good ideas, they come up with not just useless or bad ideas, but malicious ideas.

[chrish @ Sep 21st 2007 4:45PM]

They may as well be trying to sell fart flavored yogurt.

The facts: Blueray lost, OJ is stupid and the CCA is a bunch of Ftards.

[enseigner @ Sep 21st 2007 4:48PM]

politics here by friends. add so many stipulations and convolutions that no one will be interested. politics... and money.

[C.R. Ball @ Sep 21st 2007 5:09PM]

Well this is back to the "punish and abuse the people who buy our stuff" model. So tell me, why am I buying the stuff again? If you try and do things legally you are abused and punished and if you don't you don't President Bush gives you free health care. Oh wait, same problem, different issue. In this case if you do things illegally you save money, punishment and abuse in exchange for an annoyance factor.

[thdblake @ Sep 21st 2007 6:25PM]

They're too late. I'm already using a "download-to-burn scheme".

[ethana2 @ Sep 21st 2007 7:18PM]

I'm using a download-to-do-whatever-the-heck-I-want-scheme, but they're probably pretty similar.

[Typhoid Mary @ Sep 22nd 2007 12:41AM]

I don't have any figures but it sounds to me that if you went through the process of downloading a movie and wanted to burn it on a DVD the "legit" way it may end up costing you the same or even more then just going into a store and buying the DVD in the first place.

I'm with thdblake. I already have a download-to-burn scheme myself. Also my rent-to-burn scheme works well too.
Netflix - Rent. Burn. Return.

[Garst @ Sep 22nd 2007 1:40AM]

I'm feeling the urge to bring back reel-to-reel film. Really just to see what kind of crap the MPAA will try to put on that. HD disks you get a coded key; DVDs just have some code; video casettes have little tabs. What can they do to ree-to-reel to keep people from copying that?

[JeffDM @ Sep 22nd 2007 7:02PM]

"What can they do to ree-to-reel to keep people from copying that?"

Do you mean film? They don't need to, given that it's analog and copying reel-to-reel gets you a worse copy rather than an equal copy like you would with digital copying.

[JeffDM @ Sep 22nd 2007 7:07PM]

If they are trying to obsolete existing equipment, good luck with pushing that. I'm not sure if the source article is correct though. It seems like the DVD CCA is trying too hard to keep their format alive, but if you're going to download it, why involve an optical disc in the mix?