Look out Divx round two may be near! (1 Viewer)

Brian Olson · Apr 16, 2003

While walking through my local shopping mall this weekend I was approached by a gal doing marketing research (there is a marketing research business in the mall). She asked me my age and if I owned a DVD player. She then proceeded to lead me to their offices (in the mall) in order for me to view some materials.

What I was exposed to was some preliminary logos, names, and store mock-up photos of what can only be described as Divx 2.

They're calling it POPDVD (Purchase, Open, Play), LTD (Limited Time DVD), or Play2Day. They're basically DVD's with an "unlimited" 48 hour viewing. They had pictures of stands in grocery stores, gas stations, and video rental stores. The purchase price mentioned was $5.99.

I pretty much made my opinion clear that I thought it was a bad idea that has already failed miserably once (ala, Divx).

Anyone else heard of this potential menace to the DVD world?

Eric Peterson · Apr 16, 2003

They just never learn their lesson, do they? I hope they try it, and that it fails miserably again. Why is that they never stop me for these kind of surveys?

Steve Tannehill · Apr 16, 2003

I say bring it on!

When DIVX was introduced, DVD had only been available regionally for a few months, and nationally for a couple of weeks. DVD had hardly scratched the home video market.

Now, six years later, DVD is the dominant home video format. Alternate means of delivery will be insignificant, now that the studios understand the power and profitability of DVD.

- Steve

CharlesD · Apr 16, 2003

I hope they try this format and loose millions of dollars on it.

It's not a question of whether the studios "get it" or not, its a question of what their ultimate goal is (what the consumer wants is almost irrelevant) What they ideally want is a pay-per view only world where you pay them each and every time you watch "their" movie. They don't want people to "own" a copy of a movie because they only get to sell it to you once (or maybe 2 or 3 times).

Don't be fooled into thinking that the market place is customer-driven, there are only a handful of multi-national corporations involved here, and they believe that they can direct the market by limiting choices and through marketing.

Jeff Kleist · Apr 16, 2003

Yeah, they've been trying to do it for awhile. There's a chemical that upon expoure to air slowly becomes opaque on the disc

Basically this will lead to ultra-cheap DVD as soon as someone figures out a solution that neutralizes the process

David Lambert · Apr 16, 2003

I forget where I read it - someplace like CNN.com I'm sure - but I heard that several states including Calf. were discussing bills to ban these things. The idea being that they would just lead to landfill waste, etc. since they "are not reusable".

Now, if you got a quarter every time you turned one in for recycling, that would be neat...

But I would have no intention of buying them. It defeats the purpose of building a library of movies that you can watch anytime you feel like it. If I wanted a "throwaway, watch-it-one-time" movie service, I'd look into VOD, right?

Inspector Hammer! · Apr 16, 2003

As Steve stated so eliquently, bring it on! And we'll crush it into it's grave just as we did that first unholy abomination!

I did a dance of joy when the first one went down like the Hindenberg, and I WILL dance again.

ChrisMatson · Apr 16, 2003

As David says, Video on Demand technology will fill this niche. Even a basic rental (5 days at many places now) would be cheaper than this $5.99 48-hour scheme. The environmental landfill problem is a real one. These shiny petroleum-based discs will last forever. I don't think this business model has any legs.

Jeff_HR · Apr 16, 2003

It's not a question of whether the studios "get it" or not, its a question of what their ultimate goal is (what the consumer wants is almost irrelevant) What they ideally want is a pay-per view only world where you pay them each and every time you watch "their" movie. They don't want people to "own" a copy of a movie because they only get to sell it to you once (or maybe 2 or 3 times).

Don't be fooled into thinking that the market place is customer-driven, there are only a handful of multi-national corporations involved here, and they believe that they can direct the market by limiting choices and through marketing

Right on!

Click to expand...

Malcolm R · Apr 16, 2003

Don't be fooled into thinking that the market place is customer-driven, there are only a handful of multi-national corporations involved here, and they believe that they can direct the market by limiting choices and through marketing

If that were the truth, they'd have forced widescreen on the masses and we wouldn't have the dual AR mess we have now.

Click to expand...

Peter Kline · Apr 16, 2003

This has been in the works for two years or so. Originally was going to be used for promotional DVDs which would self-destruct shortly after opening as said above. Mr. Phelps will deny any knowledge of the user.

Eugene Esterly · Apr 16, 2003

Bring it on & we'll stomp this format into the ground. Can't these marketing people get it into their head that DIVX failed & DIVX2 will fail also.

Dan Rudolph · Apr 16, 2003

This isn't really the same thing as DiVX as it doesn't have a renewal sysstem. It's meant more as a replacemnt for rentals, I'd think.

Malcolm R · Apr 16, 2003

It's meant more as a replacemnt for rentals, I'd think.

Seems doomed for failure. When I can get a 5-day rental for $1.99, what would ever get me to purchase a 2-day disposable disc for $5.99?

Click to expand...

Dan Rudolph · Apr 16, 2003

You don't have to return it, mainly.

Ed St. Clair · Apr 16, 2003

First round knockout!
DVD over POPDVD.
Play2Day, GONE tomorrow!

DeanWalsh · Apr 16, 2003

I actually see it as an alternative to dual aspect ratios on dvd. Divx2 if priced right could potentially take over the J6P market, and if it's like the original Divx that means MAR presentations across the board. If it turns out this way I say it's a good thing. The collectors will go for the widescreen dvds while everyone else can watch the Pan & Scammed rentals, leaving dvd to concentrate disc real estate on the widescreen version.

Daniel Lee · Apr 16, 2003

I've heard of this too. From what I can tell it is not like DivX. These discs are supposed to be standard DVD’s and can operate in any DVD player, whereby DIVX required special players. I think it’ll be fine, for those that want to buy, they just won’t use this. VOD will eventually settle all this anyway. Also, I’m pretty sure discs are plastic and if the silver media inside is removed the plastic is recyclable.

Dan

Brian Olson · Apr 16, 2003

I've heard of this too. From what I can tell it is not like DivX. These discs are supposed to be standard DVD’s and can operate in any DVD player, whereby DivX required special players.

While the technology may be different, the concept is the same as DIVX. I guess what I'm most concerned about is the potential loss of high quality, feature packed releases from our favorite studios if something like this were to catch on in the mass market. I truly hope that would never happen.

Click to expand...

Dan Rudolph · Apr 16, 2003

The concept isn't the same as DiVX. With DiVX, the idea was to sell something to someone once and have them keep paying for it. This is a rental you don't have to return.

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Look out Divx round two may be near! (1 Viewer)

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