
CD/DVD Manufacturers To Support Windows Media 297
Anonymous Coward writes "Seattle P-I story on MS's latest move towards having their finger in every slice of the content pie. Oh, goody. 'Microsoft Corp. plans to announce today that four DVD makers will incorporate its Windows Media Audio technology into their players, enabling consumers to play CDs and DVDs they compiled using that technology. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, DVD makers Toshiba, Panasonic, Apex Digital Inc. and Shinco, a Chinese manufacturer, will announce plans to support Windows Media Format in some or all of their models this year, said Michael Aldridge, lead product manager for Microsoft's Windows digital media division.'" We've mentioned this before, but there are a few more details now.
So what's the big deal? (Score:2, Redundant)
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft is either strong-arming or 'making-an-offer-they-can't-refuse' to the other device makers to include their formats because of Windows XP's ability to import and edit video...but only export into Windows Media format. Unless you can show me where the device makers *went to Microsoft* and said 'we want to include your tech in our machines!' then don't tell me this isn't how it is.
If this doesn't qualify as using monopoly powers to extend said monopoly into separate markets then I don't know what does.
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:3, Informative)
The problem with Windows XP's integrated audio/video encoding is the fact that most users don't quite have the knowlege to make choices about the formats that they wish to use. What do we have here? Microsoft pushes AVI and WMA down the throats of unsuspecting customers. A large user base of portable music player and DVD player users begin to use their formats. Potentially, we have the whole MP3 thing all over again. Give the users some easy and convenient sets of tools and they are basically opening the door to allowing Microsoft to controlthat market. It's the perfect Microsoft model.
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:4, Insightful)
But this doesn't mean that we should let Microsoft set all the standards.
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2)
How do I play
AFAIK, the only Windows Media program that's not on Windows is the Windows Media Player for Mac - and that's only a player.
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2)
The story that started this whole thread is precisely about WM going into set-top boxen.
Re:proprietary formats hurt consumers (Score:3, Informative)
Re:proprietary formats hurt consumers (Score:2)
This is not entirely a bad thing. My DVD player supports DVDs as well as VCDs, Music CDs, and MP3s. This is just one more format to include on a DVD. It's providing users with another format to listen to media with.
I'm not all for Microsoft either and hate their business practices and motivation to squash open source as much as the next guy, but too /.'ers are too close-minded toward Microsoft because they are Microsoft.
It's not like Microsoft will strengthen their stranglehold on companies by including another format. It's still up to the content providers what format they use. And with cross-platform players and compilers out there for getting Windows codecs to work on linux, it's not anyone can complain that they can't play WMA files.
Re:proprietary formats hurt consumers (Score:3, Interesting)
I'll bet the licensing is a sweet deal too: right now the fee's are either $0 or nominal, which MS can view as a loss leader. Thenn SSSCA passes and whammo - licensing fees skyrocket, and the manufacturer's just start charging $10 more per unit.
Here's the real beauty of the scheme: Let's say some smart guy figures "Hey, I just won't upgrade Media Player to the latest copy-protection-mandatory version. Fine for a while, and then Mr. Smartguy clicks on Windows Update and sees CRITAL UPDATE - SECURITY RELATED!!! and he scrambles to download it. And hidden beside the fix to the security hole of the week is a Media player update. MS previewed this tactic with the IE5.5 "security" update that wiped out plug-ins as well.
Re:proprietary formats hurt consumers (Score:3, Informative)
You make a valid point, but I have one correction:
The elimination of Netscape-style plug-ins was a security concern. Netscape-style plug-ins are simply DLLs loaded with LoadLibrary(...) that execute code with no protection in mind, such as SSL Object Signing (Microsoft's branded Authenticode). By getting rid of that layer, they closed another hole for crackers to insert potentially harmful code. With ActiveX, users (at least, those that understand signed controls or at least read the dialog that pops up) have the security of signed code, such as the ActiveX wrapper for QuickTime. This way, at least users are "warned" that the control is safe to download. You don't get this option with DLLs with a model like Netscape-style plug-ins.
Just FYI. I do get your point about the other, though. I pray that the SSSCA does not pass. Too few people have too much money already!
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2, Troll)
Well, for the simple reason that Windows Media will continue to remain a properitary format, and we poor people who cant afford MS Windows XX, or who prefer to use alternate Operating Systems will be left in the dumps. Atleast Real comes with a Real audio player for linux. Apple is as bad as MS, btw. Properitary and closed!
Lies, Sex and Quicktime (Score:3, Informative)
1. Is not owned by Apple.
2. Doesn't have to be used. Blame the content-providers for not using an alternative (or the open-source community for not providing a free codec that is a good alternative).
No way you can blame Apple that the content-providers are using a proprietary, closed codec when Quicktime is an open architecture that can easily accomodate new codecs. Why don't you provide and ask content-provider to use a good cross-platform alternative (perhaps Divx 4). This will solve the entire problem.
Re:Lies, Sex and Quicktime (Score:4, Informative)
So, if you contact Apple, they will say "Don't talk to us, we don't own it, talk to Sorenson."
And if you talk to Sorenson, they will say "We'd LOVE to license it to you, really we would, but we cannot without Apple's approval, go talk to them".
Nice game of "Go ask your mother" there...
Why not use three-way calling? (Score:3, Interesting)
So, if you contact Apple, they will say "Don't talk to us, we don't own it, talk to Sorenson."
And if you talk to Sorenson, they will say "We'd LOVE to license it to you, really we would, but we cannot without Apple's approval, go talk to them".
So why not arrange a three-way conference call among the three legal departments? On most telephone exchanges, it's as easy as click, dial, click, discuss terms.
That is, unless Sorenson is right, and (as rumored) Microsoft is StrongARMing Apple with terms such as "if you release QuickTime for Linux, we discontinue Office for Mac."
Re:Why not use three-way calling? (Score:2)
Apple uses the Sorenson codec as a USP (unique selling point) of their Quicktime players. Were some other program to become able to play Sorenson files, then Quicktime would lose market share. This will not do. So Apple won't let it happen.
So, by playing the "Go ask you mother" game, neither Apple nor Sorenson incur the wroth of the FS/OSS movement, yet they accomplish their goal.
It is APPLE that is doing the strong-arming, not MS - if MS told Apple "no Sorenson for Linux", Apple would probably do it just out of spite.
At least, that is my hypothesis on the subject. I have no hard evidence, but if you go to the Xanim web page, and read what he has to say....
Re:Lies, Sex and Quicktime (Score:3, Informative)
Apple does indeed "own it".
No number of Apple cheerleaders will alter this.
Re:Lies, Sex and Quicktime (Score:3)
Source? Well, there's that whole "Darwin" thing.
(Which, BTW, is BSD-derived, so they didn't have to open it if they didn't want to.)
As for linux versions, of Apple software why would they do such a thing?
Apple's new core OS is BSD, and their display layer is vastly different from (and far, far, far better than) X11.
C-X C-S
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2)
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2)
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:1)
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't care in the least that it's Microsoft and not Apple or Real who succeeded in getting their proprietary format accepted by the electronics manufacturers; the real problem is properietary media formats, period.
The bigger problem is that none of the people in charge (the media industry) has any interest in formats with open specifications, because that would defeat the scheme to move everything to pay-per-view that is taking place:
* closed media formats + anti-reverse engineering laws give control over which players you can use, and
* closed players + anti-circumvention laws give control over how many times you can enjoy the content before having to pay again.
It's just that simple.
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2)
IMHO, DVDs work just fine as they are, and there is no obvious reason why this new "feature" should be added. I suspect because m$ has promised to support strong digital rights management in their format...
I can only wonder how long it will be before DVD players have BSODs.
Maybe that's why MS is so successful.
Probably. I am sure that the fact they operate like a predatory monopoly has nothing to do with it!
Because they have good business people that can think up of new ways to grow the business.
It seems to me that whenever m$ tries to "grow the business" it brings to mind images of Pinky and the Brain:
Balmer: Gee Bill, what are we going to do tonight?
Gates: Same thing we do every night Steve: Try to take over the world!
Balmer: Developers! Developers! Developers! Zort! Narf!
The whole monopoly seems to be based on the business model of The Borg: co-opt every piece of technology around, add it's distinctiveness to their own - and charge a license to the developers and end users...
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2, Insightful)
Here we have the majority of service coming from cable, satellite providers. If you watch TV at all, you will notice that they are in quite the battle for market share.
This is essentially the same situation as the one going on with all these media formats. They all have their own characteristics, features, pros, and cons. Like cable and sattelite TV providers, owners of their respective media formats are also vying for supremacy.
However I never see anyone here berating Comcast or Dish Network for their competetive strategies. Why is Microsoft the only company out there that shouldn't be allowed to promote its own proprietary standard?
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:4, Insightful)
Huh?!?
Face it, folks, there is nothing wrong with DVD players supporting Microsoft media formats. This does not take away from your ability to view DVDs; if anything, it opens up the device to play more diverse formats which as we all know is a GOOD thing.
But hey, if you don't want to be touched by MS in any way, stop playing WAV files, don't touch XML or SOAP, don't incorporate any standards into the whiz-bang window manager you're writing, don't code any more web content using any modern HTML standards, blah blah blah.
Sorry, but some of you REALLY need to learn how to pick your battles (like I do, I guess, considering that this message will probably be modded down as well and in the end won't make anyone see any more light than they're already seeing).
E. (A non-Windows user...)
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2)
If you look at the proposals for each, though, you'll see that Microsoft is a primary contributor and has been from the very beginning. One could say the specs for XML and SOAP started at Microsoft.
(I'll confess to getting the WAV thing wrong. I'm *not* wrong about this, though. Check xml.org.)
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2)
Also, unless I'm mistaken, the inclusion of the MS video format was in ADDITION to the support for DVDs. Like my DVD player at home which plays audio CDs, DVDs, and VCDs. The presence of one does not affect the other.
Re:So what's the big deal? (Score:2)
STOP IT!!! (Score:2, Offtopic)
Re:STOP IT!!! (Score:2, Insightful)
err....divx then? (Score:1)
Re:err....divx then? (Score:2, Funny)
Hmmm... let's look at the stats... (Score:4, Insightful)
The only ones who use WMV are corporate entities who don't have anything good to encode anyway...
*sigh*
Re:Hmmm... let's look at the stats... (Score:5, Informative)
There are gigs and gigs of both pirate and legitimate divx3 and 4 videos out there to be had on IRC, Usenet, FT, and Gnutella.
The only ones who use WMV are corporate entities who don't have anything good to encode anyway...
I'm quite sure you're absolutely right there. Problem is, MS still isn't over the DivX ;-) guy's
ripping of their codec, and go on ranting about
that "pirated and poorly hacked" codec. Just check
out their newsgroups. They go on saying how DivX is
only used for DVD rips and pr0n, and "real" content
providers wouldn't ever use anything but their own
(better, supported) technology (their terms, not
mine). Problem is, the corporate drones actually
believe this. And as compared to Real Media, WM
actually is very cheap.
Unfortunately, I have to work with WM right now. And I hate it, on technical grounds. Try to do anything beyond the most simple A/V streaming stuff, and you have to wade through monstrous inconsistencies and bugs, and no help whatsoever to expect from their newsgroups - I won't have to mention insufficient and hard to find documentation from MSDN. Only good thing: end of february, I'm outta here. And good riddance.
This isn't about video... (Score:5, Insightful)
So, like some DVD players can play MP3 CD's, some will be able to play WMA CD's. Not be able to show CD's and DVD's with WMV's on them. Big deal.
billg lacks imagination again. (Score:2)
So M$ has convinced hardware makers to spend extra money supporting an inferior media format for auidio. The inferior media format has provisions for inferior video too, hmmm. Do you think it will take that long for M$ to push that too if they have not already?
Gee Bill, that's almost as bad as that book you wrote about the road ahead.
Screw the stats... (Score:2)
It doesn't matter. $$ wins. TKO. Go to jail. Fatality.
"Open standards" mean nothing to businesses.
--Geek walks into Sony's board room.
CEO: "What should we support with our CD player?"
Geek: "MP3."
CEO: "Why?"
Geek: "Because everyone uses it."
CEO: "So it's not ours to control?"
Geek: --Laughs and snorts
CEO: "Leave and never come back."
--Bill Gates walks into Sony's board room.
CEO: "What should we support with our CD player?"
Bill: "WMA."
CEO: "Why?"
Bill: "It's hard to pirate. You save $$."
CEO: "Also?"
Bill: "New technology. People have it, you play it. You get $$."
CEO: "And?"
Bill: --Dumps shitload of money on boardroom table.
CEO: "Okay then."
Corporations won't be able to control DiVX. Corporations won't be able to control MP3. But they can control WMA, since WMA is owned by one of their fellow corporations. It doesn't matter how widely it's used. What matters is how much $$ is to be made.
More choice is good... (Score:5, Insightful)
I think that having more formats is a good thing.
Not that I'm an MS fan. "Let the markets decide."
Re:More choice is good... (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, lets. For the markets to decide, however, Microsoft would have to quit paying content providers and boxmakers huge sums to include their formats. The "market" isn't deciding here, unless you count having your options reduced and choosing between the lesser options. If they succeed here, it won't be long before you'll only be able to find WMF-only audio players. If it gets popular, Microsoft will use their toehold to start excluding competing formats, like MP3. Forget about ever seeing Ogg on a device that supports WMF...
Microsoft is busily using it's huge cash reserves to buy into markets it wants into -- regardless of whether consumers want them there or not. Witness the recent takeover of Qwest's DSL and dial-up customers. Two corporate giants make a deal, Microsoft throws a butt-load of money at the "problem" and *poof* thousands of formerly-happy Qwest DSL customers are now forced to use MSN. (Hilariously, MSN doesn't even support all of Microsoft's OSes, much less Linux or other OSes... NT isn't supported at all, and XP has "issues" according to Qwest/Microsoft's transition page...)
Until Microsoft can get Windows right, they shouldn't be allowed to branch out any further.
Frankly, I'm just sick of seeing Microsoft around every corner. They're worse than Wal-Mart and McDonalds combined...
Re:More choice is good... (Score:2)
Not that I'm an MS fan. "Let the markets decide."
Isn't that the standard disclaimer all MS atroturfers use?
Re:More choice is good... (Score:2)
D.
The sad thing is... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:The sad thing is... (Score:3, Informative)
Of course, it STILL wouldn't let me goto the starwars.com link and get the web content 'exclusively for DVD owners.' So I had to get the trailer through Morpheus, go figure.
I'm sick of the failed promise of DVD, special 2-disc versions that cost more and could easily fit one one side, one disc, crappy discs without 5.1, and and all this exclusive web content that doesn't work.
Theory (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft/media companies get hardware manufacturers to implement wma into most/all dvd/cd player hardware.
Wma is plainly readable on cdrom drives.
Combine this with encrypted redbook tracks and wma media players, and viola...
A set of audio/data cd's that can be played on portable machines, played on dvd/cd players, played on your computer, but can't be ripped into an "open" format..
And yeah i know the encryption would be broken.. But all in all it sounds like a straightforward controlling strategy.. The media corps get the control they want, and microsoft gets a bigger share of a new market..
Re:Theory (Score:3, Funny)
BTW, it's voila, not viola. Viola in french means "has raped". But then again, it's still relevant... customers are getting raped by the Micro$oft monopoly left and right, PCs, gaming consoles, now CD/DVDs...
Re:Theory (Score:2)
I, for one, will buy one of those CDs when you put a fucking gun to my head. The danger is if they manage to create CDs that behave this way in suitable players, but work normally in current CD players. That would mean CDs that look like Redbook CDs, but have hidden data that plays under the other schema - or evne just fakes it. I hope that's not possible.
Well, This is excellent news... (Score:2, Insightful)
Once the DRM stuff is cracked (Microsoft encryption -- how hard can it be), we can play the DVD anywhere.
Re:Well, This is excellent news... (Score:1)
Already started (Score:5, Informative)
Audio ONLY! (Score:2)
How long until Windows Media Video? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:How long until Windows Media Video? (Score:2)
But again, as pointed out by others today, this is only for WMA, not WMV. From my occasional experience with WMV, I don't think it can live up to what we've come to expect for MPEG-2 DVD encoding, but I'm sure that if prompted, MS could certainly beef up the code to make it better.
Re:How long until Windows Media Video? (Score:2)
Think for a minute (Score:2)
The entertainment industry is NOT going to give control of media formats to Microsoft. The entertainment industry rightfully fears Microsoft and is very careful to control MS influence. Remember, MS is fighting SSSCA and similar proposals. Besides, the entertainment industry already has a monopoly on DVD software (the format). IF the industry wanted this, why would MS go to the hardware manufacturers?
"This would have the fun bonus of giving Microsoft a monopoly on DVD software, and making DVD playing on Linux (excluding the current illegal hacks, which aren't a nice way to experiance the media you payed for; no menus to access lots of the content) even more of a pipe dream."
Please. All this does is add WMV and WMA support to DVD players. It is actually a brilliant move on MS' part because it allows consumers to create "DVD quality" audio and video on CD. Rather than require consumers to buy expensive DVD burners, MS allows normal CD burners to create this content. This makes MS look good in the eyes of the consumers by decreasing their costs, while hiding the fact that pro level gear software for A/V creation is absent from MS software.
If such a system is picked up by consumers, MS may be able to bargain for other industries to adopt WMA/WMV, but the entertainment industry is not going to change DVD formats. They've wasted a lot of time already and DVDs are finally starting to take off. No, it'll likely be streaming media, corporate promos and the like that will be switching to MS formats.
Ironically, given the consumer focus, most content will likely be warez and porn.
Re:How long until Windows Media Video? (Score:2)
1. The US is not the world. It is a small annoying country between Canada and Mexico. In the US libdvdCSS they might be illegal hacks, in France and New Zealand the CSS itself is illegal, and in the rest of the world they're both quite fine.
2. Ogle's had menus for agres now, and they work fine. Xine has had them too and I hear also works well.
Hmmm.... (Score:2, Informative)
I have no need to replace my DVD player with a new one.
DVD standard is MPEG2. Period. The standard is MPEG 2, and it is set in stone.
The problem that I may have is that all of the "extra" features may be in the windoes format. Argh.
I refuse to buy anything with this crap in it. Damnit, why can't people understand that I don't want Microsoft pervasive into my entire life. They want to be a part of everything... i.e. a little kid with their hands in everything, and they don't like anyone else to play. Well, fine, I won;t buy it. And furthurmore, CmrTaco, you should realize that you put money in those 40 billion dollar coffers when you bought that xbox.
Shame on you.
Re:Hmmm.... (Score:2, Insightful)
Max
Is this necessarily a problem? (Score:5, Insightful)
As long as MS hasn't forced these companies into exclusionary contracts (Which would be a bad choice to make given their current anti-trust case), I can't see anything wrong with this initially. Unfortunately, this also ties in well with RIAAs plans to copy protect every CD. Since many DVD players appear to have problems with these, the new CDs can't play on them. However, I remember reading that MS was talking with the labels into licensing WMP such that every copy protected CD would include a second CD with the album as WMP files.
No problem here. (Score:2, Insightful)
Likewise, I expect that there will be very few WMA or WMF DVDs. And if there are, we'll just refuse to buy them... or buy them and return them to demonstrate our dissatisfaction more clearly. Much like the copy-protected CDs.
Really, there's a large installed base of standard DVD players, and very little incentive to get a WM* compatible one. I expect there will be very few such disks.
Judebert
We're out of dynamite. What we need is a plan!
Corporate vs Orgs (Score:4, Insightful)
asf *and* ogg (I know the latter is audio-specific... are there Free video formats ?), for example.
This way it will still be possible to give the public to choose between Free Art [gnuart.org] or blockbusters [imdb.com].
Until then then we could call this a kind of monopoly as we are only given the choice to upgrade hardware that'll at the end not belong to us anymore (this is IMHO the final consequence of such digital dictatorship as this is the only way to forbid hackers to even look at these devices' internals).
Ogg Vorbis wins on merit, doesn't need charity! (Score:3, Informative)
Yes folks, RC3 is vastly improved over RC2. Give it a try!!
And each one with a mini-HDD... (Score:2, Funny)
[Shop] : "Yes sir, how can I help you?"
[cust] : "I can't play Terminator IV on my DVD Player!"
[Shop] : "Ah, do you have MSDRM v3.22 installed?"
[cust] : "Erm, in ENGLISH?!?!"
[Shop] : "If you go home, bring in your DVD player, and then leave it here for a week, we'll load the update that you need to play the DVD..."
[cust] : "Erm, OK then. But why does it need an update?"
[Shop] : "Some stupid kids broke the code or something like that..."
[cust] : "Oh dear. Well, thanks. I'll bring in my player later..."
Much time passes...
[cust] : "Here you go, please do that update thingy..."
[Shop] : "Sure thing. That'll be £49.99 please..."
[cust] : (loud and repetitive expletives)
More choice isn't bad (Score:3, Insightful)
Royalties from Microsoft's DVD licensing deals are "pretty small" compared with the impact the arrangements could have on sales of Microsoft's Windows operating system, Aldridge said.
I doubt this will mean an increase in cost of DVD players. Even though media player format is lame as other's have noted in the past and present, I don't really care since I am not an audiophile. Most people don't have $2K headphones or $10K electrostatic speakers. The old argument about sound quality for average joe is useless. Heck none of my audio equipment costs more than 60 bucks tops.
If it means I can play DVD audio files on multiple devices, than it's all good to me.
Re:More choice isn't bad (Score:2)
no reason to get huffy. (Score:2)
And as long as vcd is still supported we should have no issues. mpeg-1 will still play, so whats the big deal? eventually wma will be cracked and there will be wma->mpeg and you can burn vcds (and eventually dvds) to your little hearts desire.
no movie producer in their right mind would release video on disk in this format, it isolates too much of the market. Anything i download can be converted.
yawn. this doesnt change anything for me. these arnt the droids your looking for, move along.
Re:Panasonic (Score:2)
DeCSS (Score:4, Interesting)
Extra hardware needed - Could be a good thing? (Score:3, Interesting)
So, assuming they put in some form of generic processor for decoding Windows Media formats, what's to stop them (or some other person) from putting in support for all sorts of media formats using that self same processor? Last time I checked my DVD player it didn't have any chips in there fast enough to decode DivX, maybe Microsoft is helping to change that for me.
Give me a break, guy (Score:2)
In any case, this doesn't change my assertion. An MPEG decoder chip that will play MP3's will NOT play WMA's. Therefore some other form of processor is needed to decode and play them.
I've got a feeling... (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm too disgusted to go on a rant.... sigh.
Re:I've got a feeling... (Score:2)
You have this year to do as you like.
Not next August.
That is still to soon.
But the year after that,
Or the year after that,
They
(With thanks to C.M. Kornbluth [I think])
.
Monopolies and Content (Score:4, Insightful)
So what are we to do, as a community, about the Powers That Be blocking us from content using technological measures? Will someone reverse-engineer the Sorensen codec or write a WMF player for linux? M$ and Apple will rabidly oppose this, and its author would likely be the next Dimitry Skylarov. DVD was just the tip of the iceberg. Heck, it's even taken 2-3 years to get a reasonable HTML viewer, while M$ and Netscrape embraced and extended the standard over and over.
But from the OSS side of the fence, we don't have the muscle, and aren't organized enough to push our codecs into the forefront. Who, exactly, will negotiate the exclusive contract getting movie trailers in DivX? Or books on tape in Ogg Vorbis?
It seems the solution isn't creating standards and codified specifications either. We can beat our drum over and over about "standards", but often, standards don't negotiate contracts for themselves. Standards don't magically get chosen by media execs just because they're better. Formats get chosen because there's a nosy M$ sales guy with a bad tie in the dumb exec's office every day for a month. Which OSS philanthropist wants that job?
Are we doomed forever to have all the power, but none of the content?
--Bob
What are we crying about? (Score:5, Insightful)
Sometimes I have to stop myself. While the fact that M$ has managed to twist the arms of hardware manufactures to spend money on inferior "standards" that won't work tomorow, and the implications of this are ominous, the reality today is not so bad. Do I really need the kinds of canned crap the RIAA puts out? I have not bought a non local CD in years. Do I really need a computer to look at crappy movies? On the rare occasion a movie is worth seeing, I go watch it in a theater.
The implications are the things to worry about, not the content. Worry about your ability to publish in a format that you can share with others. Isn't it more important to share pictures of your wedding with your friends and family than it is to show "Shreck"? How about your ability to publish ordinary papers? Worry about your ability to share published works in a public library. Do we really want to hoard information that way, so that it's pay per play or nothing? Isn't it more important that children and adults can research questions they have at a public library than it is for you to be able to read the latest pulp fiction? It is important to realize that the "content" control we see being born here is comming from the bassest of publishers, and stop the practice before it becomes universal practice. We must also work to make sure we can continue to publish on the internet.
Exercise your own power and refuse to publish in inferior, non free formats. Creating the financial incentive for hardware makers to respect your interests is just as easy as that. People who buy these new players are going to get burnt when WMA changes two years from now. The makers of those devices are going to get a big black eye from it. Don't you think that part of the tech slowdown comes from user uncertianty created by nothing M$ working right? It hurts to screw up. Meanwhile, my png, ogg mpegs and what not will work the same.
Re:What are we crying about? (Score:2)
I rarely buy things for myself, but when I do I'm pretty selective and tend to try hard to select products that I agree with. But what am I to do? Stop liking my favorite band? Stop liking Star Wars? Tell my family after they buy me that Farscape DVD that I don't want it because the MPAA is a cartel? Tell my friends that I don't want to see that movie with them because the MPAA is a cartel? At least half the "stuff" I own is not purchased directly by me, but given as gifts, one way or another.
How do you tell when you go into the music/movie store which DVD's are encrypted? Can you tell which CD's are produced by companies not under the RIAA umbrella? Face it, the segment of the market that tries to make these choices, are the "fanatic fringe" and and we account for <1% of the purchasing power in any market. Why should any company pay attention to us?
So I try to make careful choices, but 9 times out of 10 I get fucked anyway (the latest was a Logitech Webcam with a 50% "rebate" -- 5 day window to purchase 12/15-12/20 and the rebate has to be postmarked by 1/3/2002 -- now that's a scam, they tricked me into paying twice what the webcam is worth. I won't buy logitech any more). It's an incredible amount of work to keep track of all this shit. And as time goes on the list of companies I won't do business with grows so large that I simply can't purchase certain goods (try buying a soundcard for linux excluding Creative Labs). All of them are out to fuck you. It's just the luck of the draw finding a good one.
*sigh*
What I think needs to happen is we should create a Consumer Technology Board. These people should represent open source wherever possible, but more importantly they should be at the bargaining table when companies are trying to choose between mp3 and ogg for distributing their content. They should represent open standards, unpatented and non-corporate work, and consumer rights like time-shifting, archival, and library access. They should show up at relevant trials ans work with the EFF and ACLU. They should put out press releases and make a lot of noise when industry cartels try to lock-out or lock-in competitors, and reduce consumer choice. Make exclusive contracts a PR nightmare for those involved. Maybe something like this exists already...if it does they need a kick in the pants.
--Bob
Re:Monopolies and Content (Score:2)
More important, how can you sell the OSS format to the media company when they require something with content protection?
Re:Monopolies and Content (Score:2)
Re:Monopolies and Content (Score:2)
Need to smash software patents when they are used to leverage monopolies.
If can't do that, then let's get a interoperability exemption in patent law. Even DMCA has one (though apparently judges like Kaplan chose to ignore it).
Patents were intended to protect implementations, but they're being abused to cover whole interfaces. If we can't stop the abuse, then we should do next best thing and make it impotent.
Ok, mod me down, but I kinda LIKE this (Score:5, Interesting)
Global result: for the price of a windows license and some gigs of disk the users get unlimited access to (pirated) content. Users are happy. Microsoft is happy. RIAA/MPAA are screwed.
It'll be fun to watch.....
Re:Ok, mod me down, but I kinda LIKE this (Score:2)
Memo to Apex Re: WMA product support (Score:2)
~Philly
Actually... (Score:2)
I never heard about the IE4 beta thing, but that's amusing as well.
~Philly
Too late? (Score:2)
That being said, give it 10 years. Microsoft might be able to 0wn it, but considering that it's Apex that's looking into it, I think it's more of a "geek enabler" thing than anything else.
Who cares? (Score:3)
This is nothing. What is much bigger is next year when M$ comes out with their supercalifragilistic-Xbox-alidocious homestation. At that point, I figure I need two components. One receiver. One UltimateTV/DirecTV/DVD/Xbox/CD-player/PC.
Oh, yeah and my Playstation 2 for Grand Theft Auto III.
VCR?!?! (Score:2)
Some of my friends are still shocked to find that I don't own a VCR.
"Hey, I'll bring over that movie and...damnit! You don't have a VCR! What's your problem?!?"
Thankfully, I didn't buy any movies until I got a DVD player, and Tivo/UltimateTV has really eliminated the need for any VCR as far as I'm concerned.
MS and Slashdot... (Score:2)
The way the slashdot community fights with Microsoft is funny, and has quite a pattern. D'o whatever it takes' is generally the big picture. It isn't about crappy software lately, because the government saw some monopoly qualities, that's what slashdot looks into heavily. The truth is, most people that use linux exclusively hasn't even tried Win2K, which has yet to crash or bluescreen on me. Netscape on linux, and mozilla on linux crashes more than anything on win2k for me. But I'm talking to closed minds here.
Its going to be funny when the monopoly talks die down and people start attacking MS's quality to find its stronger than the last time they used it, so their arguements are moot. Sure, XP has bugs (all new OS's do. Try and tell me that Linux 1.0 didn't crash or have bugs.), and X-Box has its share, but it is the first console released under MS's name. But by the time the monopoly craze goes away, I think you'll be surprised at where MS will be.
In other news (Score:5, Funny)
various formats supported (Score:4, Insightful)
Why not have players that support many different formats. How about a convercence box that will play divx, dvd, mp3, quicktime, ogg, and wmf.
Re:various formats supported (Score:2)
Now, since I agree that there are people who may want the support, it would be good if this support was optional; a plug-in could be bought. Same could be done for other formats too; if I had to pay for ogg-support, I would (as long as it's reasonable)
Maybe it'll improve MP3 support as wel (Score:3, Interesting)
Calm down, microsoft is just playing catch up (Score:2, Insightful)
Microsoft is still trying to compete with mp3. mp3 is ubiquitous, from freely available rippers to file sharing networks to portable players to home audio equipment to car stereos, you can now obtain, burn and listen to mp3s anywhere. Why should Joe Schmoe use WMA instead of mp3 when WMA is not supported on the home/car/portable players?
Availability is the biggest immediate hurdle WMA faces if Microsoft is to get the labels on board to use their format. Then we can see if the masses take to jumping through expected DRM hoops.
Need more moderator points (Score:2)
1. To all the people who are complaining that WMA is a proprietary format: So is DVD.
2. To the people who say no consumer would want this: go to a store and look at how many portable devices there are now that play MP3 and/or WMA files. As a consumer, I'd be quite pleased if the CDs I burn for my RioVolt would play in my home CD or DVD player. WMA is a better format than MP3, in both quality and space taken. Of course consumers will want it.
3. To the people pointing out that WMA supports rights management: duh!
Well, the list of manufacturers is missing a few.. (Score:2)
Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood. These are the crem de la crem of Home Audio gear (well, the stuff that doesn't require a 5 digit loan before the decimal) and their names weren't listed.
Just the lower end stuff was. Apex, Panasonic, Toshiba.
I can't imagine the MPAA and RIAA wanting Microsoft to get into their camp. Unless they're thinking they'll help secure up so people can copy it.
They must not have looked at the Windows XP copy protection scheme.
Re:WE WANT DiVX SUPPORT!! (Score:1)
Re:As long as they also support DivX;) (Score:2)
However, I doubt this ever becomes a mainstream way to roll out upgrades. Burning a CD and flashing a new ROM is simply beyond most users.
Re:MS vs. Real vs. Apple in the battle of DVD (Score:2, Funny)
I can just see my player running on REAL. It'd play have them movie and then terminate, only to make me power off and on my player before REAL will open again to play the rest of the movie!!!
Sorry, I think MS wins on this one.
Re:Monopoly? MSopoly? DVDopoly? Patentopoly? (Score:2)
Go into a national retailer and buy a computer with Linux on it (from the shop) and I might see your point.
TWW
Re:Monopoly? MSopoly? DVDopoly? Patentopoly? (Score:2, Insightful)
Without paying the MS tax? (Score:2)
Doesnt matter where you buy your hardware, you can put whatever software you want on it. Its up to you.
OK, so tell me which national computer store chain I can walk into and buy a computer without paying Microsoft for software that I will never use.