SuperSite Blog

RealNetworks...hmmm...Real?

***scratching head***

Didn't they used to be some sort of digital media company?

It's so hard to remember the irrelevant ones.

This is BS I thought that they had finally given up with DRM for CD's and DVD's. We as customers don't like it I like to be able to do what ever I want with my purchased media (except giving it away).

I feel sorry for the idiot that are going to buy this just because they don't know about other software like slysoft. Why are we going backwards?

A couple of points:

* This is really a test of where the media companies stand on DRM.  RealNetworks is a much higher profile company than Slysoft.  Will the movie companies try to sue Real into the ground?  It would be pointless, but that doesn't mean they won't do it.

* The two Slysoft products are $70.  AnyDVD does more than the Real product will, but we're still talking about $30 for the Real product and $70 for the SlySoft stuff.

* Most DVD ripping software is still too confusing for the average consumer.  Things like the video and audio encoding type, anamorphic settings and detelecine filters don't need to be exposed to the end user by default.  My guess is that Real's software will be incredibly simple.  

* Real has a pretty poor reputation for writing software, so I question whether this is going to be any good - and not end up with antipiracy popup ads and whatnot.  

Darksages, there is a common misunderstanding about buying a DVD, that people believe they have bought "the film", and can therefore do anything with it.

In fact, what you have paid for, is the right to view the film, from that one purchased disk, unless otherwise stated. Viewing alone. you are not allowed to transfer it to any other medium, or lend it, or do anything to it, expcept watch it.

This was also true of VHS tapes that you paid money for - however, as there was no real copy protection on VHS, most people didn't realise this.

"they" certainly haven't given up on DRM for DVDs. True, the copy protection they use can be broken fairly easily, IF YOU KNOW HOW.

But, the reason it's worked as a deterrent, and the reason so few copies of DVDs float about (compared to, for example, CDs, or cassette tapes) is because they AVERAGE user doesn't know how to bypass this protection.

For example, my mother, or father, or grandmother, who are very tech-illiterate, know how to rip a CD to hard disk, and they also know how to make cds of that ripped music. So do schoolkids, and so, copies of music spread like wildfire.

DVDs on the other hand, baffle anybody with only a passing/casual interest in copying them.

They stick it in the drive, find they can't copy it, and go do something else instead.

This 'casual' piracy accounts for a much larger percentage of piracy than most people realise, and the DRM on DVDs has made it almost non-existent.

@gorath "In fact, what you have paid for, is the right to view the film, from that one purchased disk, unless otherwise stated. Viewing alone. you are not allowed to transfer it to any other medium, or lend it, or do anything to it, expcept watch it.

This was also true of VHS tapes that you paid money for - however, as there was no real copy protection on VHS, most people didn't realise this."

Not quite true. You have the right under US law to make a backup copy for archival purposes. This, of course, runs headlong into the  DMCA restrictions against bypassing a copy-protection scheme. In effect, you have a more recent law conflicting with case law and older law. No one has yet challenged that aspect of the DCMA, so (pardon the pun) the jury's still out.

Either way, it's not as straightforward as you suggest.

(BTW..."viewing alone"? WTF? Where did you get THAT idea?)

I meant, viewing alone, as in, "only viewing", not viewing in solitary confinement! oops! haha!

@gorath: Got it.

A cautionary tale of the rabid nature of the copyright police: Back in my college days, my dorm used to show a movie in the lobby from a rented VHS tape and sell popcorn to raise money for the dorm. I wrote a story about that for the college yearbook, and when I came back in the fall, a couple of the dorm RA's had their panties in a bunch because a lawyer had read the article and threatened to sue the college. The VHS tapes were "licensed for home viewing only" and could not be showed to the dorm students, particularly when we were charging 50 cents for a bag of popcorn.

Ridiculous.

@ lotsa, I've always found dorm rules to be strange.

We have a "TV licence" in the uk, which basically ays for the BBC, and paying it is compulsory for anyone who owns a TV set, or (technically) TV tuner for a pc etc. (a radio, however, requires no such licence?). However, if yo have several televisions in the same household, you only need the one TV licence.

If you're in a dorm, or 'diggs', or any form of rented accomodation howver, each room needs a seperate licence.

@gorath

I am not saying that it is legal i am saying that you should be able to. I am not saying give away or sell pirated movies I'm saying back up your dvds rip them to you media enter pc take them in your ipod or zune. I know that  it is not legal but who cares we must sand up to DRM now because if we don't in the future it is going to get worst. Next thing you know you will rent a movie and you will only be able to watch it 3 times and if you want to play it more than that you will have to pay again.

Once again I am not saying to give away or sell your copies just have them for you. I don't feel for the movie industry they are making plenty of money. Just before you start taking about jobs I have a brother that works making sets and a brother in law that works a camera man they both are doing great plenty of money.

"The VHS tapes were "licensed for home viewing only" and could not be showed to the dorm students, particularly when we were charging 50 cents for a bag of popcorn."

It doesn't matter if you charge for popcorn - the license is not for public exhibition.  That's why movie theatres pay thousands for their copies, and why movie rental stores pay hundreds for their 30 minute looping reels to play on TV's in the store.  Hell, the movie/TV industry even get mad if you have a house party to watch that big PPV event.

Agreed Wae, but what does this lawyer have to do with the MPAA. Why does he feel the need to pick on a bunch of kids. Lawyers are scum, period, end.

I think its time for informed users instead of settling for the way laws are written to challenge them. I get sick of government overreaching their authority into people's lives. Come on, college kids can't watch movie together in their dorms? Public exhibition? Definitely time for changing the laws. This kind of thing has been happening for years but we haven't actually seen the MPAA enforce this.

I am very much against the DCMA. I was very disappointed with President Clinton and the Dems for allowing this to pass. I just hope it gets truely challenged to be changed in the future.

To me, its corporate welfare. The type that I hate from both Democrats and Republicans.