Digital Media Pet Peeve: Content Locked into Custom Players

[Jason Dunn]

I watched Hidalgo last night, and enjoyed it quite a bit, but I saw something I've never seen a movie studio do before: they had a full featurette that was only playable on a computer with a DVD drive. I've seen scripts, photos, and other lesser content offered for computer playback, but never video content. But here's what makes it worse: the content is only available if I install the Interactual Player. I don't need extra software clogging up my system - why should I have to install it to access video content that I paid for when I rented the DVD? :evil:

[Mike Temporale]

here's what makes it worse: the content is only available if I install the Interactual Player.

They just lost me. I will not install their player just so I can view a couple bonus features. Hell, I won't install it to view the whole movie. What are they thinking. :evil:

[ctmagnus]

Similar thing as many copy-protected CDs. They will play in PCs, but only if you install their program first. :evil:

[Jason Dunn]

Similar thing as many copy-protected CDs. They will play in PCs, but only if you install their program first. :evil:

I've been lucky in that I've never bought one of those yet, but if I did, I'd take it back to the store and demand a refund. And, well, hopefully they'd give me one. :oops:

[Richard OKane]

I dunno...get used to it...seems that everyone uses that player.
You might be missing out on a lot :)

[klinux]

I know this is not a solution and no one should have to do this on something they rented but you can use a media player (media player classic, PowerDVD, etc) to explore the DVD and file the VOB file and play it directly. Sucks I know but I too never installs Interactual.

[Jason Dunn]

...but you can use a media player (media player classic, PowerDVD, etc) to explore the DVD and file the VOB file and play it directly. Sucks I know but I too never installs Interactual.

Yeah, I tried that but didn't have a VOB player installed on my big laptop, nor did I want to try to find which VOB file was the right one from among the 10 or so that were there. ;-)

[flooder]

I believe one of the Star Wars Movies had this. EP II I think.

The reason is that is the prefered way to lock access to the web pages. They lock the access to the web pages so that they can only gain access via Interactual that is 'unlocked' by the DVD in the drive. If they had password access it would be out on the interent in 20 secs.

[the_rapture]

That's funny that it just happened to you too. I had sometime and finally was able to rent it as well and I was mad that I had to miss out on the feature as well, but I wasn't going to install that program just because. I hate companies that do things like that.

Off this specific topic, but I don't use iTunes on a regular basis but have you noticed all the services that stay running even if you don't have it running, like the iPOD one?

[Jason Dunn]

Off this specific topic, but I don't use iTunes on a regular basis but have you noticed all the services that stay running even if you don't have it running, like the iPOD one?

Assuming you're running Windows XP, go START > RUN then type MSCONFIG. Switch to the startup tab, and un-check the box for things you don't need, which includes the "helper" program that iTunes uses. This is the #1 way to optimize system performance on Windows computers - so many programs load crap at startup that you don't need...

[the_rapture]

Thanks for the info, but I just hate how we have to bow to their way. They are taking the choice out of our hands and forcing us to do it their way or find a work around. I know most have a valid point so that the content isn't pirated.

This goes into (and I'm sure I've missed a thread on this) how the new portable media players are going to suffer. My kids are wanting portable DVD players for their rooms/on the go. I would like to buy something a little more useful for them like the portable media players but it's a pain to have to rip DVDs which could change any day to where you can't or have to pay an outrageous subscription price for movies you already own. And some of us are still living out of the reach of decent broadband (I refuse to pay Directway "One Way broadband").

OK I better get back to testing out Firefox.....