CinemaNow Versus PiracyThe DVD burn tech that works some of the time... ( old news - 11:11AM Tuesday Sep 26 2006) tags: Video · competition · Fileswapping · business · contentCinemaNow has announced that it will sell a downloadable DVD version of "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" for $9.99, the same day the DVD hits retail stores. According to the company, the complete film can be downloaded and burned to DVD for "playback in virtually any DVD player." A burnable DVD on the same day it hits stores? It sounds like progress. However the press release doesn't tell you that the company's DVD burning process has been chastised high and low as one of the most dysfunctional systems ever constructed. Dubbed "irresponsibly defective" by an engineer last month, the system has a bad habit of churning out defective, error ridden disks. "I'm against people being fleeced by this kind of crap," the engineer complained to on-line 'zine Boing Boing. "How can you sell someone content on media that is so heavily compromised, especially on a format that so heavily relies upon its error correction system to maintain playability?"CinemaNow meanwhile lauds itself as the only major label service legally offering a burn-to-DVD option. After the report, they went into damage control mode. A company spokesman insisted that internal tests showed the DVDs worked on "94 percent of DVD players," and that CinemaNow had not received complaints from customers or movie studios since launching the service. "We cannot address vague assertions of flaws in the system except to say that if there are individuals for whom the solution is not working effectively, we encourage them to contact our customer support team so that we may help them resolve the issue," said the company. Except in the time it took customers to resolve the errors, they could have downloaded a pirated copy of the film via Bit Torrent. Dig through the trough of media and analyst coverage of CinemaNow (or any other legit content service), and you'll find that the vast majority of them ignore the pink elephant in the room: the fact you can go to a site like Torrentspy or Pirate Bay, and download films for free. The tech media likes to focus on whether Cinemanow can compete with services from major operators like Apple and Amazon - or whether users will flock to on-line downloads. The real question the industry should be asking is: can these services compete with piracy?
Related:- 16 Million Americans Pirated A Film Last Month
- AT&T Piracy Filters Tread Dangerous Ground
- TorrentSpy Calls It Quits
- U2 Manager: Crazy ISP Hippies Should Pay Us
- Rhapsody Ditches the DRM
- Joost Moves From Software to Web
- AT&T Launches Video Search Website
- Blockbuster Offers $99 Broadband Movie Set Top
|
 barn25
join:2005-11-17
Springfield, IL | it really doesnt work... i've tried it and i can tell you that the chances of it working was like playing craps at a casino often you were the one who lost.. | |
|  | AJICQ499087
join:2001-12-01
Louisville, KY
| Re: it really doesnt work... I wonder why CinemaNow failed to do a good beta test of the download method, before releasing a flop of a system?
If this is the best CinemaNow can do, then Netflix has nothing to worry about from CinemaNow.
--
low cost and fast speed is what customers want in broadband | |
| | 
MemphisPCGuy
Senior Systems Engineer
Premium
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN
 ·Comcast
| Has it been ascertained that the problem is the software and not simply an issue of DVD+R vs DVD-R disks not being compatible with every player... which takes trial and error to discover and is not something a software program and detect, determine or correct?
--
»www.specmiata.com
»www.roofseek.com | |
| | | 
Gelroos
Mad Mage
Premium
join:2003-05-23
Wilmington, DE | Re: it really doesnt work... It is a issue with the way they burn the movie... See here LINK | |
| | | 
guitarzan
Premium
join:2004-05-04
Skytop, PA
 ·epix
| I have this CD/DVD burner and it will burn any brand CD/DVD blank disc i feed it.»www.tigerdirect.com/applications···=1829797
It has to date not burned any "coasters", what are they using to shrink the DVD's? IMO the software cinema is using is suspect.
--
Bass....the glue of rhythm and harmony...the heartbeat of the band.! Shaking the earth with deep,sonorous vibrations.The dark ominous thunder of an approching storm. | |
| | | | 
Voyager2K2
join:2001-10-04
Wayne, PA | Re: it really doesnt work... It's not a matter of burning.
From my read it's a problem with the ISO image with embedded DRM they supply.
Anyway I'd bet the farm any of those Wo-Phat $29.99 DVD players wouldn't have any problems playing those disks. | |
| 
Midak
Doctors suck
Premium
join:2002-02-26
Yonkers, NY
·Optimum Online
 ·Verizon FIOS
edit:
September 26th, @10:57AM
| Great idea.... If it works. I doubt it will put any real dent in piracy but still, it is progress toward what is undeniably the media distribution of the future.
*edit* Would be nice to see the video game makers get this going full force. Most gamers have broadband at one level or another and would definitely help increase sales. I know it is already offered at some levels like what File Planet offers when you sign up for membership.
Back to the movies, I know this would be great for obtaining movies like The Wind That Shakes The Barley, which has been released in Europe and MIGHT be released here in the U.S. but only in select theatres. | |
| | 
Combat Chuck
Too Many Cannibals
Premium
join:2001-11-29
Erie, PA
| Re: Great idea.... said by Midak  :Would be nice to see the video game makers get this going full force. »www.steampowered.com
--
Early to rise, early to bed;
Makes a man healthy but socially dead. | |
| | |
Midak
Doctors suck
Premium
join:2002-02-26
Yonkers, NY | Re: Great idea.... I am familiar with steam but would be nice to see more titles from other vendors or even a independent distributor. I have not looked at steam in a while but does it allow for creation of DVD's? | |
| | | | 
elios
join:2005-11-15
Springfield, MO
·Mediacom
edit:
September 26th, @02:15PM
| Re: Great idea.... yes you can back up your steam folder and then burn that file to any meda you wish iirc it even lets you set the max file size if you dont have DVD burner
the thing is with Steam once you own some thing you can down load it as much as you want on as many PCs as you want you just can only be loged in at any one place
theres a TON of new stuff on steam that isnt made by Valve and alot of it is what you might call "indy" games
heres the full list of every thing you can get on Steam
»www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=all& | |
| | | | |
Midak
Doctors suck
Premium
join:2002-02-26
Yonkers, NY
·Optimum Online
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Great idea.... How do the prices compare the retail copies? To be honest, the first thing I think to do when looking for a movie is to go to my favorite p2p and take it for free. When it comes to games, I prefer to buy them out of respect for their work and for the additional content such as manuals. I recently bought GTA San Andreas and it came with a hard cover book and the much needed map folded within it's cover. I could not see myself paying the same for a download-able version as I would pay for the DVD version in stores. | |
| | | | | |
elios
join:2005-11-15
Springfield, MO
·Mediacom
| Re: Great idea.... ether the same or cheaper
that like to do alot of Pre-order and get 10% off kinda stuff
so if theres some thing you like coming out soon you know you'll want then it works out well
theres also alot of stuff on there you cant get in a store like the indy games
nother neat thing thay do some times is FULL demo week/weekends thay just had one a bit ago for Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 were the you could play the full game for 4 days this is some thing you cant do with a CD in a box
theres also some games on there ill get now becouse there on steam and not a CD X3 is one the CD ver uses Starforce Stame does not
and like i said in my other post you dont need to realy back up other then if you dont want to download it again theres no limit to how many times or places just you can only be logged in once | |
| nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
·Comcast
| the answer is "NO" the only way the film industry is going to compete with piracy is to stop using DRM. As is continually pointed out, pretty much everything is available on P2P and without the restrictions the "legal" content is burdened with.
Plus, I'm not sure the industry really wants to compete with piracy - it's too good of a bogeyman that can be used to convince legislators that draconian laws are needed to "protect" content and preserve their outdated business model. | |
| | | stonecolddsl
join:2004-01-07
Sarasota, FL
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Rapid Systems, Inc.
| Re: Piracy should be stamped out; not competed with I tried to buy 5 different movies from them. Each time I had to call for a full refund.
As the movies would not work right at all.
I tried
Different media ( though I dont buy cheap no name media)
Different burners
Different DVD players.
Out of 10 nieghbors only 1 had a dvd player that could play the movies and it was some 19 dollar thing he got last christmas at walmart. What is surprising though is that my nice not great but nice panasonic one could not do it nore could my cheapie dvd players work either. Though it did work in the dvd player of my aunt's mini van.
Hey I love the idea of cinema now but all they proven to me is that I should stick with netflix. | |
| | | 
TK Junk Mail
Go ahead, make my day
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Margate City, NJ
clubs:
·Comcast
| Re: Piracy should be stamped out; not competed with said by stonecolddsl :I tried to buy 5 different movies from them. Each time I had to call for a full refund. As the movies would not work right at all. Hey I love the idea of cinema now but all they proven to me is that I should stick with netflix. They have a good idea, but if they can't deliver a product reliably then they will deservedly go out of business.
--
--
Join Red Room Forum
BLOG tkjunkmail.blogspot.com
My Web Page | |
| |
guitarzan
Premium
join:2004-05-04
Skytop, PA
·epix
| said by TK Junk Mail :The tech media likes to focus on whether Cinemanow can compete with services from major operators like Apple and Amazon - or whether users will flock to on-line downloads. The real question the industry should be asking is: can these services compete with piracy? . And why should the industry have to tolerate competing with piracy. Piracy should be stamped out like any other criminal enterprise. Just because it is hard to stamp out doesn't mean that it shouldn't be. I see what you're getting at TK. The question, that needs to be addressed and should be asked by costumers : Why is this industry insistent on treating all purchasers as pirates? As is presently being done.
In this case why should one buy a DVD crippled by DRM or limited by region.? Why can't I take my legally purchased DVD's with me on vacation to Germany or where ever or purchase a DVD overseas and not have the ability to play it at home, here in the U.S.?
A DVD is a DVD is a DVD, is it not? WTF is the difference where that DVD is purchased.
Piracy will always be around in one form or another. However that being said. The MPAA/RIAA, bah the entire industry is responsible for the explosion of P2P, IMO. How long did they believe the action of biting the hand that feeds them would last, until that very same hand, becomes the hand that slaps them.?
This service is doomed for failure right from the get go. Why? Well having an announced 6% failure rate right from the launch is terrible. That negative 6 % is going to snowball quickly, both by word of mouth and internet forums such as BBR.
One only gets one chance to make a good impression, and they just F'ed it up royally, and no amount of spin will correct this IMO.
quote:
CinemaNow meanwhile lauds itself as the only major label service legally offering a burn-to-DVD option, and after the report, went into damage control mode. A company spokesman insisted that internal tests showed the DVDs worked on "94 percent of DVD players," and that CinemaNow had not received complaints from customers or movie studios since launching the service
Note bold-ed text.Why would the movie studios complain, as long as they get their cut. In all likely hood the studios don't give a rats azz. IMO the customer service response to those affect 6% will be , tough luck, go purchase an approved DVD burner and re-purchase the movie 
People ARE fighting back the DRM restrictions, by using the only and most successful option available to them - P2P
--
Bass....the glue of rhythm and harmony...the heartbeat of the band.! Shaking the earth with deep,sonorous vibrations.The dark ominous thunder of an approching storm. | |
| | 
Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
Albany, NY
| The reason they have to compete with piracy is because piracy is seen by many as a legitimate option. But competing doesn't mean that they have to offer their product for free. People are willing to pay for better quality and service. Currently, anyone wanting to get a song/movie from one of the various pirate channels has to weed through low quality files, avoid virus/trojan infected files, steer clear of misnamed files, and then wait while they and a hundred other people download the one good file in the bunch. Once they are done with the download, though, they can do pretty much anything with the downloaded file. In contrast, the for pay services (ideally) give the user a quick, clear (and legal) path to the file they are looking for in exchange for a small fee. Unfortunately, the other trade off is that you don't tend to get a DRMed file (and thus have restrictions on your Fair Use rights).
Piracy will always exist. Controlling it doesn't always take place in the courts. If you have a legal option as good as the illegal one, people will tend to go the legal route and the number of pirates will shrink.
(My personal favorite method for getting music is buying used CDs and ripping them. My personal favorite method for getting video is buying/renting/borrowing DVDs.) | |
| | |
guitarzan
Premium
join:2004-05-04
Skytop, PA
·epix
| Re: Piracy should be stamped out; not competed with said by Jason Levine :But competing doesn't mean that they have to offer their product for free. People are willing to pay for better quality and service. Jason, you, I, and many others understand this. The market demand is there its proving itself. Simply meet the demand of what people want, talk about an goldmine just begging to be mined 
Under the current situation, it would be a huge waste of time, $$$ and effort by investing capitol, into a system that will only offers more of the same, of whats already out there, which customers are rejecting.
How is this so hard to understand or grasp? I'm not saying it will stop piracy dead in its tracks over night. P2P piracy didn't pop up over night to the point we see today.
IMO, the steps the industry takes today, relatively speaking of course, can reduce piracy to the point of where it would not make sense to waste time on it. Why not give it a try? Nothing has curbed it so far. If it does not work, what have they lost? IMO no more than they currently claim to lose 
--
Bass....the glue of rhythm and harmony...the heartbeat of the band.! Shaking the earth with deep,sonorous vibrations.The dark ominous thunder of an approching storm. | |
| | 
BillTager
join:2000-09-20
Charlotte, NC
edit:
September 26th, @02:02PM
| said by TK Junk Mail :The tech media likes to focus on whether Cinemanow can compete with services from major operators like Apple and Amazon - or whether users will flock to on-line downloads. The real question the industry should be asking is: can these services compete with piracy? . And why should the industry have to tolerate competing with piracy. Piracy should be stamped out like any other criminal enterprise. Just because it is hard to stamp out doesn't mean that it shouldn't be. Do they really have a choice? They'll never be able to stamp it out. At best they'll make it harder and harder to break. Problem is though, that it only takes one person to break it. Once the cats out....the mouse has to play.
--
Formerly DSLWho | |
| | Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ
| Region coding is a whole different animal and is another cause for piracy. imo DVDs should work in any market from any market, this way people could buy legal DVDs anywhere and not have to pirate them if their region doesnt have that one for sale.
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports | |
| 
inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK
·Cingular Wireless
| DVD players are so 1999. Why don't we forget about burning this to disc? In the not so distant future everything will be on a home media server. So why not just create a home media server now and download to that for playback?
--
"WHEN THE LAUGH TRACK STARTS THEN THE FUN STARTS!" | |
| | 
dadkins
Merry Whatever
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA | Re: DVD players are so 1999. I bought one! It's a laptop. It even does HD - and I can take it with me.
--
Think outside the Fox... Opera | |
| | KSC519
join:2002-03-14
Chicago, IL
 ·Vonage
| Sounds like a good reason to get that old xbox modded. Xbox media center anyone? Streaming audio and video from a PC or the net in damnn near any format you please sounds good to me. Once your kids move on to the 360 or PS3, its a really good use for an aging video game system. | |
| 
Youdonthaveaclue
@comcast.net
| A blessing in disguise... Re:
"However the press release doesn't tell you that the company's DVD burning process has been chastised high and low as one of the most dysfunctional systems ever constructed."
If you know anything about cars then you know that "The Clueless and Worthless", aka "The Fast & Furious" is a joke about braindead crackheads who couldn't buy a clue with their Mommies money. | |
| |
guitarzan
Premium
join:2004-05-04
Skytop, PA
·epix
| Re: A blessing in disguise... said by Youdonthaveaclue :
Re:
"The Clueless and Worthless", aka "The Fast & Furious" is a joke about braindead crackheads who couldn't buy a clue with their Mommies money.
It's the Taylor Troll !!
Thank you for sharing the wonderful self description of, how you live life in the Taylor Troll lane
--
Bass....the glue of rhythm and harmony...the heartbeat of the band.! Shaking the earth with deep,sonorous vibrations.The dark ominous thunder of an approching storm. | |
| | ffink20001
join:2002-12-18
Norwich, CT | Does Taylor ever say anything of use? Usually I just see him say something stupid and then he doesent reply to anyone.. | |
| | | 
Doctor Four
My other vehicle is a TARDIS
Premium
join:2000-09-05
Dallas, TX | Re: A blessing in disguise... Of course not. His rantings are always completely
devoid of intelligence. | |
| 
thender
Glamour Profession
Premium
join:2004-05-16
Staten Island, NY | What's so hard about this? Offer DVD9 and shrunk DVD5 .iso files, shrunk with CCE(professional grade MPEG2 encoder) and it should all be well.
Why do companies shoot themselves in the foot like this.  | |
| amungus
Premium
join:2004-11-26
America
clubs:
·Cox HSI
| emovies why not go the emusic route w/movies??? no drm, good quality, compatibility.
besides, who cares about another fast and foolish movie, esp. when it's 10 bucks that might not even work?
I say make movies online cheap, easy to do, and also offer a subscription (like rhapsody). if they did the best of both worlds, by selling the movie, OR renting through a subscription type service, people would probably go for it. I know I would. Imagine, unlimited rentals, at decent quality, cheap purchase options for dvd download/burn. | |
| | | |
|
|
Piracy should be stamped out; not competed with