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Warning: This DVD will self-destruct in 2 days
by Laughing Boy at 8:54 am EDT, May 19, 2003

] In August, Buena Vista Home Entertainment--Disney's home
] video unit--will begin a pilot program using technology
] that renders discs useless 48 hours after being removed
] from packaging and exposed to oxygen, Reuters reported.
]
] The DVDs will play perfectly during the two-day period,
] Flexplay Technologies, which developed the technology,
] told Reuters.
]
] The discs cannot be hacked after 48 hours because the
] technology is based on chemicals and not computers, it
] was reported. But the disc can be copied before it
] oxidizes.
]
] The move allows Buena Vista to expand its market by
] "renting" movies from almost anywhere without having to
] provide a return point for the discs, Reuters said.

This is moronic. My first thought is, "Oh great, disposable DVDs. Wonder how much waste that will cause?" Well, my question was answered later in the article:

"Self-destructing DVDs would create considerable waste. A study conducted for Flexplay by environmental policy expert Jonathan Koomey found that if disposable DVDs made up 10 percent of all U.S. video rentals, an additional 350 million DVDs would be discarded, creating 5,600 metric tons of solid waste annually."

I'm glad Disney is so concerned about our world.

Also in the article is this tidbit of market research:

"The technology can also work on music CDs and software CD-ROMs, according to SpectraDisc, but movies are the target, since people generally buy music and software to keep."

Who are they talking about? I buy movies to keep, and so does everyone else I know. This is going to get mauled by the "video on demand" development going on in the cable industry.

RE: Warning: This DVD will self-destruct in 2 days
by Darwin at 9:20 pm EDT, May 21, 2003

This used to be called "DIVX" and was a plan by circuit city. It bombed, completely, and was discontinued.

Insanely, then people used the word "DIVX" to refer to a hacked microsoft codec which eventually became DIVX/XVID/ETCETCETC.

=darwin

RE: Warning: This DVD will self-destruct in 2 days
by Laughing Boy at 10:22 pm EDT, May 21, 2003

Darwin wrote:
] This used to be called "DIVX" and was a plan by circuit city.
] It bombed, completely, and was discontinued.
]
] Insanely, then people used the word "DIVX" to refer to a
] hacked microsoft codec which eventually became
] DIVX/XVID/ETCETCETC.
]
] =darwin

Your preaching to the choir on this one! :)

The CC DivX IMO was 100 times more sane then this, because the disc was never rendered useless. You could buy extra viewings of the disc, or pay a one time flat fee and unlock it forever. At least the old DivX encouraged people to keep the discs.

Laughing Boy

P.S.
And the "DivX codec" you speak of was called such in a deliberate attempt to confuse consumers "Oh, its a DivX... its not illeagal - they sell 'em at Circuit City". It was meant to be the ultimate slap in the face to Hollywood; mocking them for the horrid failure that Circuit Citys brand of Divx was.

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