Comment Much of this arguing misses the point (Score 2, Insightful) 609
Some here have stated the media doesn't matter, it's the data, while others are firmly attached to physical media. Whichever is important to you, the real underlying issue is control of your data. You want to control what you see, the circumstances under which you see it, and when you see it. You also want to control the price.
What the big media companies, up to this point, have always controlled is the formats. It started with phonographs, along the way we had reel-to-reel, cassettes, 8-track, and finally CD. For video we had VHS, Beta, laser disc, video disc (remember those?) and now DVD.
What's changed is that the final (as of now) formats are all digital, and have converged with PCs so that now, finally, YOU have much more control of not only where & when, but also the format itself. A computer with the correct inputs/outputs give us control over the media - we could even stick digital video/audio back on VHS or cassette if we choose. The media companies fight that with the DMCA & the labels of piracy in an effort to retain that control. Why? Because every format change (in the past) allowed them to automatically generate new revenue not based on new products and content, but the re-selling of old. It's cheaper to recycle old ideas than to come up with new. Even better (for them), they soon will not only charge for a new format, but literally charge you every time you watch something. Despite being called dinosaurs, they see ahead and this is what they want.
And then you have guys like this Alcatel guy saying "No, DVDs aren't the new media, it's the internet!" This guy really isn't saying anything new because many of us are already familiar (thanks largely to Napster) with moving audio/video over the internet. Our computers are small internet hubs whereby music/video files are moved to other devices as it pleases us.
Really, the cat's out of the bag with digital content. The question is control: The media companies want you to have less so they can charge you more (on a per-view basis instead of a one-time charge), while people like us want more control because we have the capability for the first time to use it as we really want to.
All this Alcatel guy is doing is trying to insert himself into the food chain by getting a piece of the media conglomerate action.
What the big media companies, up to this point, have always controlled is the formats. It started with phonographs, along the way we had reel-to-reel, cassettes, 8-track, and finally CD. For video we had VHS, Beta, laser disc, video disc (remember those?) and now DVD.
What's changed is that the final (as of now) formats are all digital, and have converged with PCs so that now, finally, YOU have much more control of not only where & when, but also the format itself. A computer with the correct inputs/outputs give us control over the media - we could even stick digital video/audio back on VHS or cassette if we choose. The media companies fight that with the DMCA & the labels of piracy in an effort to retain that control. Why? Because every format change (in the past) allowed them to automatically generate new revenue not based on new products and content, but the re-selling of old. It's cheaper to recycle old ideas than to come up with new. Even better (for them), they soon will not only charge for a new format, but literally charge you every time you watch something. Despite being called dinosaurs, they see ahead and this is what they want.
And then you have guys like this Alcatel guy saying "No, DVDs aren't the new media, it's the internet!" This guy really isn't saying anything new because many of us are already familiar (thanks largely to Napster) with moving audio/video over the internet. Our computers are small internet hubs whereby music/video files are moved to other devices as it pleases us.
Really, the cat's out of the bag with digital content. The question is control: The media companies want you to have less so they can charge you more (on a per-view basis instead of a one-time charge), while people like us want more control because we have the capability for the first time to use it as we really want to.
All this Alcatel guy is doing is trying to insert himself into the food chain by getting a piece of the media conglomerate action.
