Jump to content

Occ News: Studios Sign Off On Movie Downloads


sdy284

Recommended Posts

CNN Article

OCC News Post

 

Hollywood studios have approved a new technology and licensing arrangement that should remove a major obstacle consumers now face with burning movies they buy digitally over the Internet onto a DVD that will play everywhere.

 

Sonic Solutions Inc. is introducing on Thursday the Qflix system for adding a standard digital lock to DVDs burned in a computer or a retail kiosk.

 

The lock, known as "content scrambling system," or CSS, is backed by the studios, TV networks and other content creators and comes standard on prerecorded DVDs today. All DVD players come equipped with a key that fits the lock and allows for playback.

 

But movie download services such as Movielink, CinemaNow and Amazon.com's Unbox haven't been able to use CSS because studios fear widespread DVD burning could lead to piracy.

 

Studios have experimented with an alternative to CSS used by movie downloading service CinemaNow, but only a small number of titles are available for such burning and some users have complained of problems with playback.

 

With Qflix -- and its studio-backed copy-protection system -- consumers should have more options. But they'll need new blank DVDs and compatible DVD burners to use it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm not sure I'm understanding this. Will you be downloading an .iso (or most likely a similar proprietory format) that includes all the features of a DVD compressed to 4.7GB? Or will you basically be buying a DiVX movie?

 

Also, will QFlix be a retailer, or renter?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't really follow it either. Admittedly, I have a lot in my brain queue at the moment and I just kinda skimmed it, but I can't tell if they're announcing a new CSS protection or a new service for movie downloads. The new CSS stuff is just rediculous to me though. Every time the make a new content scrambler, it's cracked and packaged into a point and click app like RipIt4Me within a few weeks. So why exactly should we switch writable media formats and buy new players just to embrace this new scrambling that won't make any difference anyways?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

isn't this why they want to push HD-DVD and blue ray movies?

HD-DVD copy encryption was cracked already....

 

And Sdy, I still don't get it. You download it, burn it, then can play it on any DVD player (that's not a computer)? The encryption is just CSS? It's not making any sense to me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...