If you have an older TV or HDTV or monitor you are screwed!

[drothgery]

Looking at this from a completely different angle... just how bad is piracy? Are the manufacturers really hurting from piracy? Is it a significant financial loss?

and please, no "stick it to the big evil corporations" comments please...

While I'm sure the MPAA and RIAA overstate losses due to piracy, I'm equally sure that they're convinced that they're losing a lot of money because of it. They're putting a lot of money into developing copy protection schemes, into lobying manufacturers to support them, and into lobying goverments to put the force of the law behind copy protection. And they wouldn't do this if they believed that they would come out ahead by just letting piracy happen.

I would be a lot more willing to listen to their claims if the RIAA in particular hadn't made such a big deal about how "Downloading is Stealing From Artists" when it is well documented that only a handful of the biggest and best known acts actually make money. Or they didn't have such a well established reputation for screwing artists out of money they are owed.

Okay, so stealing is okay when you're stealing from big evil companies (which usually aren't that evil, or that big)? I must have missed that one in ethics class. It was probably the day after they taught that stealing from a store was okay if you bought stuff from them later.

My bad.

 

[Rackhir]

While I'm sure the MPAA and RIAA overstate losses due to piracy, I'm equally sure that they're convinced that they're losing a lot of money because of it. They're putting a lot of money into developing copy protection schemes, into lobying manufacturers to support them, and into lobying goverments to put the force of the law behind copy protection. And they wouldn't do this if they believed that they would come out ahead by just letting piracy happen.

It's not simply a question of stopping piracy. It's also a question of control. If they get their way, they will block any copying or usage where they don't get additional payments on top of what you already paid. In their perfect world, you get nothing for what you pay them and have no rights to use it save what they grant you in their infinite benevolence. I'm assuming that you are eager to pay them additional money to be able to play a song you bought the CD for on your computer and another payment to be able to listen to it in your car and again if you want to listen to it on a portable music device. They have consistently fought tooth and nail every last device that didn't leave them in control of what you could do with that music. Remember they tried to kill the Cassette Tape, VCR, CD-R, DVD-R and MP3 players.

Okay, so stealing is okay when you're stealing from big evil companies (which usually aren't that evil, or that big)? I must have missed that one in ethics class. It was probably the day after they taught that stealing from a store was okay if you bought stuff from them later.

My bad.

I didn't say I illegally downloaded stuff. I don't. Just that I didn't believe their claims of altruisim and how concerned they were about welfare of the artists. And I do not appreciate the dig at my honesty. I was expecting more polite behavior than that.

 

[Rackhir]

Okay, so stealing is okay when you're stealing from big evil companies (which usually aren't that evil, or that big)? I must have missed that one in ethics class. It was probably the day after they taught that stealing from a store was okay if you bought stuff from them later.

My bad.

These are also the boneheads who said that if you don't watch the comercials you are committing theft from the TV channels.

 

[mojo1701]

Okay, so stealing is okay when you're stealing from big evil companies (which usually aren't that evil, or that big)? I must have missed that one in ethics class. It was probably the day after they taught that stealing from a store was okay if you bought stuff from them later.

My bad.

I think his point wasn't that, but more on the idea that if they didn't complain so much, they'd have some more credibility to their arguments. If you had ONE witness in a crime (assuming you are prosecuting), who would you rather have it: the crazy man who doesn't say anthing incoherent, or someone with a good head on their shoulders and will tell you what happened?

 

[Psionicist]

While I'm sure the MPAA and RIAA overstate losses due to piracy, I'm equally sure that they're convinced that they're losing a lot of money because of it. They're putting a lot of money into developing copy protection schemes, into lobying manufacturers to support them, and into lobying goverments to put the force of the law behind copy protection. And they wouldn't do this if they believed that they would come out ahead by just letting piracy happen.

They are losing control, that's their problem, because their whole business model is based on control. There are a million studies about whether or not the industry is losing money, but money has _never_ been the problem, that's just a curtain to avoid the actual problem. Copy protection is about control, not money. 50 years ago, if you wanted to get noticed you needed a contract or a newspaper. You can publish on the Internet now, for free, thanks to BitTorrent and the likes. The industry used to have the only water-supply in town, but now it's raining, and if they don't do anything about it they will become obsolete exactly like every single other industry that placed itself between the talent and the money.

 

[Rackhir]

Today, mostly, yes. But the success of iTunes is no fluke, and they sold one million DRM songs in the first week of business, and is rapidly closing in on 400 million DRM song sales. That number doesn't include their many (albeit less successful) competitors

The DRM on iTunes songs doesn't prevent you from copying the file from one computer to another or using it on multiple devices that support. You still effectively "own" the file. Some of the newer services offer an unlimited amount of music, but the moment you terminate the subscription all of it disapears and you are left with nothing. Jury is still out on this, but I don't think the early returns are promising.

 

[Mallus]

Jury is still out on this, but I don't think the early returns are promising.

Isn't this the way the new Napster works? And didn't they just post smashing losses?

 

[Fast Learner]

The DRM on iTunes songs doesn't prevent you from copying the file from one computer to another or using it on multiple devices that support. You still effectively "own" the file.

Except that you can't give it to other people. And, of course, you don't actually own anything beyond rights to listen to it. Having a file or not has nothing to do with ownership.

Some of the newer services offer an unlimited amount of music, but the moment you terminate the subscription all of it disapears and you are left with nothing. Jury is still out on this, but I don't think the early returns are promising.

Steps, steps. The train's a-comin', it's just a matter of working out the details through trial and error. There will be flops, even spectacular ones. That doesn't mean there's a more logical or obvious eventual solution than "everything on demand."

And responding to a note above, sure, fiber to the home isn't terribly commonplace now because people don't want to pay for it. But the day a service becomes available where you can watch, say, any sci-fi or fantasy movie you'd like, right now, this minute, at an affordable and reasonable price, and be able to rewind, etc., if only you had a fat pipe, the "last mile" will be come very, very affordable, through sheer consumer demand.

 

[Soel]

Another thing to consider...There is a format war brewing between Blu Ray and HD DVD. Some studios have decided to go with one, and others with the other.

Some Blu Ray disc movies are set to be out this Xmas. Not sure of specific titles yet. (I work in a video store, btw.)

 

[Heretic Apostate]

Oh crud. I hope they release movies both in the new HD discs, and regular DVDs, at least until the format war is settled. I'd hate to have some favorite movies released in the losing format, and never being able to watch them.