Re: [dvd-discuss] DVD Descrambling Code Not a Trade Secret

[Steve Bryan <steve_bryan(at)mac.com>]

On Jan 24, 2004, at 3:26 pm, John Schulien wrote:

> On 22 Jan 2004 at 14:14, James S. Tyre wrote:
>
> > ...I wonder what their next move is?
>
> Probably HDVD, or whatever they call high definition DVDs.  Besides 
> giving the MPAA
> the chance to reissue their entire catalog in the new format and suck 
> in money like a
> vacuum cleaner, it would also give them the opportunity to replace the 
> failed DRM system
> as part of the new format.
>

I don't know if this is the right forum to discuss this aspect of the 
issue but I wonder if they might face the same apparent fate as the 
audio world. Specifically there has been an underwhelming response to 
SACD and DVD-Audio so far. I think it would be hard to argue that an 
important part of this non-response is that most of the enthusiasm is 
about things like compressed audio and devices like iPod that allow 
your whole audio collection to fit in a small portable package and 
always be available.

SACD and DVD-Audio are actively hostile to being incorporated in this 
new regime so that rather than losing crumbs they aren't even invited 
to the table. I have HDTV and DVD and my own current preference is for 
any video that can be easily ripped to my media server and viewed from 
there on any networked device (TV, Mac or PC). If HD-DVD makes this 
process unavailable I'll probably end up ignoring it. The fact is that 
DVD's can be very good which could undermine efforts to close off 
higher resolution platforms if their restrictions are too tedious. In 
order to participate in the future world of home media servers and 
networks the content needs to fit in well which will expose it to 
infringement. The 'strength' and 'weakness' come from the same source: 
effortless networking. I don't think you can have one without the 
other.