BD Plus Copy Protection Ready for Primetime (1 Viewer)

Blu-ray News

The next question would be when will Fox and MGM release more films?

That's the one question I am asking myself to when I read this news about BD+.

I think we are in for a wait though :frowning:

If they don't start back up in full force to make up for this first part of the year I'm going to be seriously peeved.

Paidgeek (Sony) hinted that Sony is about to release the first BD using BD+ and that if all goes well, MGM and Fox will follow soon after...

fingers crossed...

Any clues as to which title/release?

And DRM will strike again....

If this is the future for movie buffs, I'm weeping already.

I am not. I want to see films. Get them released. Not copy them illegally. Legal means of a security copy will be available in time. That should do for anyone that does not want to pirate stuff.

The foul part of BD+ is the functionality to run a script from the individual disc. That's like if your PC's CD- or DVD-drive has to read an exe-file from each CD - but this time without your being able to install new anti-virus programs.

In principle it also fully opens the possible functionality for DivX-like schemes.

Copy protection is fine, but on the average consumer's equipment only to a degree.


Cees

and if it gets hacked 6 months out?

Is this what superior studio support looks like?

I just ordered the Sony player last week, but the more I let it sink in, the more I feel like a fool for buying into Blu-ray now.
This thing is defintely going back now, and I'm putting Bd on probation until they prove to me that their exclusive studio support = consistently worthwhile content that is actually released, and not just press release puffery they don't have to be held accountable for.

I know how you feel. After finding out just how weak Universals Q4 lineup is going to be, I'm feeling a little foolish recently buying an HD-DVD player. But I digress.

Yeah I agree so far this year the Blu studio support advantage has been a joke Unless it translates to more titles it's all just hot air.

Anyhow, if BD+ is the only way we'll see HD versions of Fox and MGM titles then fine bring it on. I have no fears of copy protection because:
A: I don't pirate movies
B: I'm not one of the 5 people on the planet that feels the need to "back up" their copies.

While the concept of BD+ turns me off, if it gets the studios to start releasing titles, I guess I can live with that. That all changes if any of the studios start using BD+ for anything other than copy protection.

But I still think it will be broken in a few months.

If BD+ gets hacked (which it will eventually of course), Fox and MGM will probably just do a "what the heck" at that point and keep releasing... like they did with DVD. I think they just want to give it their best shot. And it's their perogative.

As long as it is transparent and doesn't hinder my ability to watch the film, they can do as much DRM as they want.

that's just it David, that assumption is a 'best of all worlds' scenario.
The precedent for this studio (the studio that for over a years worth of releases forced everyone who bought or rented any of their movies to sit thru an obnoxious "downloading is a crime" PSA )- their precedent has been to throw a hissy fit at the first sign of trouble and take all their marbles and go home.
If you are looking back to DVD for a more positive example to pin your hopes on- then you have to realize that they only got into DVD after all hope for DIVX was completely exhausted- 2 years after the format first hit the shelves.

If I'm going to have to wait 2 years to start getting decent Fox (and MGM!) titles on a consistent basis, I don't need to be dropping $500 on a Bd player now.
Q4 will definitely be telling, as we are not going to see a better time to release the Die Hard or Alien franchises. If Q4 comes and goes without either of those- and I still have a player- I'm going to be very, very pissed off.
And things like Spider-man 3 and Pirates 3 and Fantastic Four 2 are not going to placate me either.

Fox just announced 22 titles for September in France. I would expect these same titles will be coming to the U.S. as well:

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=274

I only counted 13 titles (Including the 3 French language films) don't know where they get the 22 unless I'm missing something.

Anyhow, if they come to the states I'll pick up Robocop, Predator, Platoon for sure. Maybe Commando and ID4.

I was trying to figure out the math on that as well, but just figured they didn't give us the names of all the titles.

I can't say this is anything terribly exciting. Sure ID4 was a huge hit and you can't help but love Commando, Robocop, and Predator, but these are hardly A-list titles. Where are big guns like Die Hard, the Aliens quadrilogy, the Simpsons?

Right now I'm an HD-DVD owner and I can't find enough BD titles to make it worth the added expense just yet. But you throw in Die hard, Aliens, seasons of 24, Family Guy, Simpsons, then I have something to think about.

Cheers,

Jason

Yep, the titles are a little on the weak side. This seems to be an issue with all of the studios right now.

Eh?
Robocop, Predator, Platoon and ID4 aren't A-list catalog titles? When did this happen?

I guess we have different definitions as to what an A-list title is.

There are A-list titles that don't really float my boat like Back to the Future, Top Gun, etc but I don't dismiss them as weak or not A-list.

I suspect that you will start seeing BD+ hacks for the players themselves rather than for the software. Enabling the player to simply ignore the BD+ protection.

Doug