Digital TV report disappoints... 2 Reports (1 Viewer)

[Peter Hunt]

Here's some links to stories on cnn.com talking about one of our favorite topics for anyone who's interested. HiDef, Hollywood and the law.
"Digital TV report disappoints -
Lawmakers may step in to resolve issues"
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/industr...eut/index.html
"Digital TV deal comes into focus -
Substantial disagreements remain"
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/industr...eut/index.html
Peter

 

[Chris Stiefel]

Hey Peter,

You posted the same link 2x. I believe the first link is not the one you wanted there. Just FYI...

 

[Chris Stiefel]

Actually, it looks like the text is all that is wrong. But the links are there. But reversed it seems. hehe.

 

[Chris Stiefel]

Honestley though.... I don't really understand why they bother to try to protect all that stuff. It is going to get out anyhow... All they are doing is screwing the honest people and making them possibly buy new/more equipment. The hackerz WILL eventually get through any protection you come up with. (Heck, look at the black marker approach to the Sony music. How simple...)

I just wish they'd drop the crap. ESPICALLY for (basically) free broadcast information anyhow! I mean comeon. Protecting free software is like putting a piece of blank paper in a safe. What's the point?

Ohh well. Here we go again...

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Media firms have been hesitant to embrace free, over-the-air digital broadcasts, worrying that perfect digital copies of shows like "Law and Order" would be subjected to the Internet-based bootlegging that has plagued the music industry since file-sharing programs such as Napster first emerged three years ago.

What the idiots don't realize is that pirates don't give a crap about quality, and that a DivX NTSC rip is 'perfect quality' to them.

 

[Chris Stiefel]

Ohh God... You had to bring up DivX! Ugg.. I can't remember how many time I heard:

"I don't care what kind of hardware you have, you can not tell the difference between DivX & DVD!"

or all the people useing computers with DivX librarys on them. The supposed secure DVD format that people used to steal movies from BlockBuster. Sorry, but I find that subtly amusing.

The old DivX was horid, the newer DivX Codec has it's uses but still very limited (for quality that is, burning VHS or standard crappy broadcast was about all it was useful for).

But you point is 100% true. The Hackerz will sacrafice quality to get the free copy of what ever they want. Heck. I have a friend who goes to China on occasion and they had copies of DVDs that were actually made from a camcorder in the movie theater. Like Star Wars Eposide 2 (AotC) on DVD. He said people there buy those like hotcakes even though the movie is almost unwatchable due to shaking and popcorn noise, etc.

Some people just don't get it. But I still think that by trying to "protect" this new technology, you are really only hurting the honest people. Very few, if any, people who would abuse it will be stopped. They might be slowed down, but not stopped.

Ohh well, off my box for now.

 

[Chris Stiefel]

The main thing I guess I'll add also is the exact thought of this point made in both articles. It hit's the hardest I guess...

 

[Peter Hunt]

Christopher,
Oops yeah the headings I gave them are reversed. I guess I'llnever have what it takes to author web sites
Yeah these topics are poopy. I actually work in film/Tv and bootlegging pisses me off. I lecture people about pirating films, music, etc as it does take jobs away from people like me. When people say "oh the studios have so much money anyways" they don't think of the people beyond the studio heads. Projects that don't get green-lighted because home-video sales (what really determines most sequels or a director getting another shot) weren't high enough. Now not only are the movie people out of money/jobs, so are the hotels, local tourism, the rental companies, the catering trucks... Huge trickle down effect.
Bit of a rant... But in the end people just want to see the movie, regarless of quality. I can't even watch VHS forget about an .avi compressed to hell. People who bootleg will bootleg. And regardless of the protection they use it will be cracked, by passed etc. Just as many bootlegs come from post production and transer houses or theater screening tapes as from some guy with a camcorder in the 12th row.
I don't know what my point is except the last major broadcast change was to stero stereo when 21" TVs were the norm... Let's raise the broasdcast bar to catch up with the raised home viewing bar.
Peter

 

[Michael Lomker]

I disagree that all copy protection can be cracked. To my knowledge no one has been able to crack any of the digital cable boxes being used today. Secure encryption is definitely possible but most of their efforts have been a waste of time.

Of course I'm frustrated beyond belief that I can't buy a D-VHS vcr that has component inputs on it. It's ridiculous and I wish some inventive engineer (hacker) would create an add-on product that would do this.