Disney Licenses MS Windows Media DRM 385
securitas writes "CNet/ZDNet reports that Walt Disney has licensed Microsoft's Windows Media DRM technology for use in online movie distribution via the Internet. Reuters reports that Disney plans to sell movies online in late 2004 or early 2005, while AP reports that the multi-year license for Microsoft's digital rights/restrictions management and copy-protection software will let Disney distribute content on mobile phones, PDAs and portable media players (mirror). The companies are expected to officially announce the deal later today (Monday)." Conspiracy theorists, start your engines; kidding aside, this is something to watch, as these are two titans of industry.
Formats and compatibility (Score:4, Interesting)
Wait.. do I REALLY need Mickey Mouse (C) on my cell phone?
::runs for the hills::
Is this why Pixar bolted? (Score:5, Interesting)
What good is Disney without Pixar? (Score:5, Interesting)
For this deal with MS to be a success, they must have content people are willing to watch. And that is something they're not putting out anymore with Pixar off their team.
They can still be considered a titan, but for how long?
DRM will be cracked (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:and this will help disney? (Score:5, Interesting)
-lw
2 titans... (Score:5, Interesting)
i would rather bet my $$ on the Apple/pixar tandem : 2 stars on the rise
PDA's and other devices (Score:4, Interesting)
Also dont forget homebuilt 'tivo' like devices. Most of them wont be compatible either.
Or laptops running something other then the latest ( not even old will work i bet ) versions of windows.
I dont belive that 'pda content' is the end all goal.. not for a moment.
Not feature films (Score:5, Interesting)
Does anyone around here have an interest in watching a movie on a 1.5" (4 cm) lcd?
I don't see Eisner pushing full-length feature films in this medium as much as 11-minute-or-shorter episodes of "Recess", "Pepper Ann", "House of Mouse" or any of the other ABC crap that Disney has tried to push on K-12 kids.
Opensource needs to embrace DRM (Score:5, Interesting)
Content providers want DRM, MS probably doesn't care a bit about DRM but they realized that providers want it before they'll release their product. So they fill the niche because opensource has only been against it instead of offering their alternative. If opensource, etc doesn't want to be completely squeezed out of this market they need to offer an alternative. An alternative that can be used on any platform without cost. Content providers don't want to pay a M$ license, they just want a warm fuzzy. If we can give them a warm fuzzy without cost; it'll still be DRM but it'll be *our* DRM that won't prevent *my* OS from being able to view their content. We need to get an acceptable alternative out there before we non-M$ users completely lose any use (even a crippled DRM use) because we let M$ control the market completely.
To be honest, you don't matter (Score:5, Interesting)
To be quite honest, you don't matter to Disney (unless you are a parent). They market their tripe to the mass-market of parents. Good, wholesome family values. They get parents to buy every friggin thing they put out with this method. Who wants to hear a kid screaming over and over that they want to watch The Lion King 1 1/2? Just buy the DVD so the kid will shut up for a couple of hours. Go into a mall, and look at who is actually buying things in the Disney store. Go to that train-wreck Disney themed indoor amusement thingy. Go to Disney World. Ugh. They aren't concerned with quality, they are concerned with $$$$$. Microsoft is the way to go for them...
Expiring DVDs (Score:3, Interesting)
And who will really want to stream a movie? Pay, say $5 for something that looks like crap; or maybe they'll let you download DVD quality...who couldn't download 3 - 4 gigs of video, right? Disney really has had some strange ideas lately.
In any event, buying the DVD will probably only be $10 more than paying to download it, so why bother at all?
Re:Turn on PBS instead of the Eisner Channel (Score:5, Interesting)
the irony here is that it's debatable whether winnie the pooh is really disney's to use and distribute.
some guy called slesinger bought, lock stock and honey pot, all the rights to pooh from a.a. milne back in something like 1930. he licensed those rights to walt disney (the guy, not the company) sometime later for a royalty payment.
now disney co. is apparently being remiss in their royalty payments and has been manufacturing poohware outside of the scope of the licensing agreement for twenty-something years. so slesinger's widow is suing.
and now disney wants to put drm on pooh content to stop people from "stealing their property."
sweet irony.
Re:Not Important (Score:5, Interesting)
The magic is *gone*.
"Industry"? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Expiring DVDs (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:So, this is the other show dropping..... (Score:4, Interesting)
No free lunch at Disney... (Score:2, Interesting)
The Disney approach is typical accounting mentality towards creativity. Because profits are down, we need to tighten the screws. Meanwhile the talent is spending 20 minutes deciding where to go for lunch, 20 minutes to get there, and if they're networking with anyone, it's to look for a new job.
During their introduction, a sketch of Mickey was slowly drawn on the screen with the explanation that some of the greatest ideas start with a sketch. It was all I could do not to yell out, "Yeah, a sketch of Steam Boat Willy!".
I refrained and was allowed to listen to these two blather on about how outdated Disney's creative process is. These were supposed to people be people who actually designed physical attractions, but there was no mention of 3D visualization, rapid prototyping, or virtual walk throughs.
As a Comcast customer... (Score:3, Interesting)