Managed Copies Coming To Blu-ray Sometime Eventually

[Hooch Tan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6664863.html' target='_blank'>http://www.videobusiness.com/articl.../CA6664863.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Beginning next year, studios and other content holders will be required to give consumers the ability to make one copy of any Blu-ray Disc they buy. Dubbed &ldquo;managed copy,&rdquo; the requirement has long been planned for the Blu-ray format, but has only just been finalized by the Advanced Access Content System License Administrator, a consortium of studios, hardware manufacturers and technology companies that licenses the AACS copy protection used on Blu-ray Discs."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1245784025.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>Good news everybody!&nbsp; The specification that will allow you to make one copy of your Blu-ray Disc has been finalized!&nbsp; That is the sound of progress marching that you hear in the background.&nbsp; The one thing left standing in your way is for studios, manufacturers and licensers to approve of the new specification.&nbsp; Actually, the two things left standing in your way is approval and new hardware.&nbsp; Okay, the three things left are approval by a those related to Blu-ray, new hardware and the licensing server to go online.&nbsp; Oh, and you might have to pay the sudio a fee for making that copy.&nbsp; But that is it!&nbsp; Really!&nbsp; Technology really had made our lives easier, has it not?</p>

[Joel Crane]

I never want to own a Blu-ray player.

[Rob Alexander]

Wow, for a spec that's hurtin' for customers, they just can't wait to make it even more of a pain to use. I think I'll stick with DVDs for now; I can't be bothered with this nonsense. In fact, I may never go there. With HD downloadable content becoming available, I'm not sure there's any reason to own a BD player or disc.

[Islanti]

With HD downloadable content becoming available, I'm not sure there's any reason to own a BD player or disc.Don't think that downloaded HD is the same as Blu-ray. 720p is not the same as 1080p. Blu-ray discs have dramatically higher bitrates (10x in some cases) for smoother motion and better detail video. 7.1 channel and lossless audio as well for much better sounds. Downloads (especially streaming) can't come close.

[Hooch Tan]

Don't think that downloaded HD is the same as Blu-ray. 720p is not the same as 1080p.

I agree with you that streaming doesn't quite match the same experience as Blu-ray, but that is probably only a matter of time before streaming can match an experience similar to Blu-ray. Right now, online streaming is very fragmented, and stunted by slow internet connections. Those will eventually catch up but seeing how things are going, it will probably be years and years, so Blu-ray does have some leeway to ironing out any wrinkles. Blu-ray is a great spec, but I think it was rushed, and may end up being the last wide-spread physical video distribution method we see. I hope not though, since I still think there's value in physical media, and while we will eventually see Internet access everywhere, I'm certain some places won't.