Studios Drop Controversial DVD Demands in Negotiations

[Damion Chaplin]

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6342707.html?nid=2840

"Efforts to implement a download-and-burn model for standard-definition DVDs got a major boost late last month when the studios dropped demands for the most controversial elements they were seeking in inter-industry negotiations with hardware makers and technology companies. With concessions by the studios, sources involved in the discussions say a comprehensive agreement on download-and-burn could now be reached by the fall. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the studios are no longer demanding that conventional set-top DVD players and DVD-ROM drives be retrofitted to incorporate watermark detection technology. Instead, they’re asking only that new devices that include enhanced features, such as the ability to burn downloaded movies or implement managed copy, incorporate the additional security measures. The issue had been a major sticking point in the long-running negotiations among the three industries over so-called managed burning."

Can I tell you how glad I am to see this finally moving forward? I mean really, with broadband access and a PC connected to my TV, why do I need to rent or buy DVDs (or CDs) at all? Why can't Netflix just stream them to me? Well, 'cause the MPAA & Friends have had their knickers in a knot thinking that a movie version of iTunes would promote piracy. Please. :roll: As the music industry can tell you, CD sales continue to drop but the online business has more than made up for it. Anyway, rant aside, it's a very good article outlining the stumbling blocks the Industry (capital I) and CSS have to hurdle just to get us consumers what we really want. Check it out!

[Damion Chaplin]

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6342707.html?nid=2840

"Efforts to implement a download-and-burn model for standard-definition DVDs got a major boost late last month when the studios dropped demands for the most controversial elements they were seeking in inter-industry negotiations with hardware makers and technology companies. With concessions by the studios, sources involved in the discussions say a comprehensive agreement on download-and-burn could now be reached by the fall. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the studios are no longer demanding that conventional set-top DVD players and DVD-ROM drives be retrofitted to incorporate watermark detection technology. Instead, they’re asking only that new devices that include enhanced features, such as the ability to burn downloaded movies or implement managed copy, incorporate the additional security measures. The issue had been a major sticking point in the long-running negotiations among the three industries over so-called managed burning."

Can I tell you how glad I am to see this finally moving forward? I mean really, with broadband access and a PC connected to my TV, why do I need to rent or buy DVDs (or CDs) at all? Why can't Netflix just stream them to me? Well, 'cause the MPAA & Friends have had their knickers in a knot thinking that a movie version of iTunes would promote piracy. Please. :roll: As the music industry can tell you, CD sales continue to drop but the online business has more than made up for it. Anyway, rant aside, it's a very good article outlining the stumbling blocks the Industry (capital I) and CSS have to hurdle just to get us consumers what we really want. Check it out!

[Chris Gohlke]

While I think this would be great, I can almost guarantee you that they will want to sell this for close to the same price as purchasing a DVD. I'd be curious what the actual studio profits are on selling physical DVD's on a per copy basis. Between manufacturing, shipping, retail markup, etc, I would not be surprised if it was pretty low. Assuming they could cut out all those costs, and even if they wanted to pad profits a bit, they should still be able to bring this in at less than half of what a store bought DVD costs.

Problem is, they will probably require you to use their proprietary burning software rather than just letting you download an ISO and I am not sure I want to trust any software they put on my machine.

[Felix Torres]

I think the primary target of this tech is set-top boxes (like the burner-equipped Scientific Atlanta model) rather than PCs.
Standalone DVD burners from the big CE companies would also be likely targets for this, as would TiVO and the connected gaming consoles (XBOX360, PS3, maybe even the Wii).
That's the reason for the compromise allowing only new hardware to add the watermarking, I think.
I don't think the studios game up all that much.