Disney Goes Microsoft (for digitally protected movies)

MacBytes · Feb 9, 2004, 02:36 AM

Category: Microsoft
Link: Disney Goes Microsoft (for digitally protected movies)

Posted on MacBytes.com

Approved by arn

irmongoose · 02:50 AM

If their movies continue to have such low quality stories as they have now, it won't matter what format they choose for anything. Disney is going down the dumps.

However, how it affects other companies in their choice on what format to choose will be interesting.

irmongoose

Bunny · Feb 9, 2004, 03:21 AM

Yep, I knew it.
Billy is always jumping into the grave.
Wow, digital movies. What a breakthrough! Pffff.
Disney has nothing to watch, especially now they are straying from Pixar.
It will not work.

Darwin · Feb 9, 2004, 03:28 AM

Im not really bothered, i agree that their films have certainly gone down hill, the only good films that seemed to come out were the ones from the partnership with Pixar IMO and now that it has ended Disney might have some trouble coming up with something new.

If they want to go with Windows Media then they can, quaility of the codec matches that of their films anyways.

alset · Feb 9, 2004, 03:32 AM

True that the movies are on a serious decline, but it's more power behind WM format. Frightening.

Dan

KC9AIC · Feb 9, 2004, 03:46 AM

Makes you wonder how Disney plans to distribute digital video online. Will it be 300 kb/s Windoze Media Player video? I can't imagine paying for such junk. Not only does Disney have some lousy movies, but even the good ones would look lousy, as quality would be almost nil. Who would pay for that?

stoid · Feb 9, 2004, 03:46 AM

Well, I guess we'll see if MS can revolutionize a distribution method as Apple did with the iTMS.

Mav451 · Feb 9, 2004, 03:47 AM

uggh...WMV format being standardized. Scary.

tychay · Feb 9, 2004, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by alset
True that the movies are on a serious decline, but it's more power behind WM format. Frightening.

Really? Isn't Disney the same company that adopted then dropped those limited play disposable DVDs?

I'm pretty certain we know which way this "technology" is going.

Take care,

inkswamp · Feb 9, 2004, 04:02 AM

How many more examples do corporate "content creators" need before they understand that people don't want to rent movies and music? There may be a minority out there who prefers that but most of us want to own the copy of the stuff we pay for. I don't want to pay each time I watch nor do I want my watching habits tucked away in some marketing database. The lesson behind the stellar performance of iTunes Music Store versus Music Store X would seem to have been lost on companies like Disney.

So, given that the only compelling stuff coming from Disney lately is either from Pixar or Miyazaki, I would say that the adoption of Windows media is another nail in their coffin. Pathetic! Disney's animation was always top-notch and it's sad to watch a bunch of greedy drones run such a legacy into the ground.

Sabenth · 04:50 AM

do we all now own supper dupper download limit cable conections.... ???

wmv bah !!!

nope not buying this one yet

Diseny who??

Pixar hell yeaaaa and no not because of steve jobs. there movies do genraly make me laugh

took a few watches of nemo to really like it but deep down a good movie..

lduncan · Feb 9, 2004, 05:07 AM

So this is why Steve ditched Disney.

irmongoose · 05:28 AM

No, more like this is because Steve dumped Disney.

Remember though, Disney, albeit the fact that these days it's reputation is pretty bad, has a strong presence in the entertainment world. This decision could have some serious consequences. Fortunately, the chances of that happening is pretty low.

irmongoose

Sol · 05:35 AM

This seems like retaliation on Disney's part for Pixar's abrupt decision to end their colaboration. It is like Michael Eisner is saying to Steve Jobs: "Is that how it is going to be? Stick your QuickTime where the sun don't shine; from now on Disney is supporting Windows Media." It is not hard to imagine that one day the first seven Pixar films will be sold in the WMV format since Disney own those properties.

Having said that, downloadable movies are not going to out-sell DVD sales or rentals any time soon. Simply using the online music model for video is a sure way to a disaster. Movie file sizes are bigger than an album of AACs or WMAs and thus they need faster internet connections (with no monthly download limits like those I suffer in Australia).

What portable video devices would I use with these Disney files? Portable video devices are not very practical, or affordable yet (at least not to say).

Steve Jobs has allready pointed out the major difference between music and movies: we watch films once or maybe a couple of times (if we really like one) but we listen to the same album time and time again. I think he was hinting that a per-view model would work better with films. I would say that subscription is best suited to television feeds and Real propably dominate that now.

QuickTime seems to be dominating in film trailers now but that is no guarantee that it will be supported by the studios in the future. In the end, the format that is best for the films should win. There is no doubt in my mind that the film-makers will support the best format for their work and how they choose to screen it.

The biggest loss about the Disney and Pixar break up would be that Pixar will not get to remake any Disney films, something they could have done after Toy Story 2. They seem to be stuck in a formula but the Dali project sounded like a step in the right direction. It will propably come out in Windows Media format but one thing is for sure: it would look better on a tablet PC than a PDA device.

I hope Apple supports the tablet PCs and the PDAs soon. A version of QuickTime for the Palm OS is long over-due and Sony could diliver something special with MP4s on the PSP.

ralphh · Feb 9, 2004, 05:58 AM

The cellphone industry has been struggling to keep MS out because they know MS's penchant for putting partners in a hammerlock. Of course, Dizzy's deal to use WMV is probably not exclusive so in theory they could still distribute in QT format, but it would be expensive to use both or even just switch. This doesn't seem like a sound call.

bennetsaysargh · Feb 9, 2004, 06:14 AM

well, it was bound to happen. steve left disney, and bill is trying to salvage it. i've always loved disney movies until pixar, then the disney movie got worse, and pixar got better. don't know why, i guess after the success of toy story, they let pixar do the heavy lifting.

Photorun · Feb 9, 2004, 06:48 AM

Disney needs to fire that Eisner creep and maybe part of the board. As a company they're heading into the toilet.

ionas · Feb 9, 2004, 06:54 AM

and if ms wasnt that evul
and if the ms video codecs would not be that bad

it would have been a bad descission for pixar (by steve, loving apple more than pixar, if all stated above would have been the case)

but this time - it combines interests

MrMacMan · Feb 9, 2004, 07:06 AM

Urg, Those video files suck...

Why not a good DivX or something, gah, XviD...

Horrible choice and horrible DRM...

Gah, I bet once the service dies you can't open your videos.

SiliconAddict · Feb 9, 2004, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by irmongoose
If their movies continue to have such low quality stories as they have now, it won't matter what format they choose for anything. Disney is going down the dumps.

However, how it affects other companies in their choice on what format to choose will be interesting.

irmongoose

Keep in mind that Miracle is #2 at the boxoffice

Bitch all you want about Disney. Their live action movies are fantastic and large money makers.

mactarkus · Feb 9, 2004, 07:20 AM

This news is a little scary. While we all agree that file sizes and portable video player prices make digital movie distribution over the internet prohibitive these days, the day will come when the internet is sped up way beyond what we have today. When that comes, I'd much rather punch a button on my tv's remote control and transfer a movie to my tv's 300GB hard drive in a minute than drive to Blockbuster or open a filthy DVD from a NetFlix envelope. I can then watch it on any tv or computer in the house as many times as I want until it expires. The only question is if this strategic move for Disney will matter if Disney doesn't make it that far. They will, they're an American institution.

irmongoose · Feb 9, 2004, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SiliconAddict
Bitch all you want about Disney. Their live action movies are fantastic and large money makers.

True. I had forgotten about their live action movies... the first thing you think about when you hear Disney is animation, and their current animations are so poor that you forget they have anything good going on. Hmm... so I guess these movies to be distributed includes these movies? This is more interesting than I thought...

irmongoose

Wonder Boy · Feb 9, 2004, 07:42 AM

i don't like this. sure disney pictures have stunk recently, but the spread of wmp cant be good.

badika · Feb 9, 2004, 07:55 AM

You said it. Can you imagine what Job's reaction will be when Disney announces that their Movie Store's opening day splash will be made with Finding Nemo available for download only in WMV format. I'd hate to be in the same room during that ego implosion.

Hmm, I wonder where Disney got the idea for a download movie store from... Anyway, Steve dropped the ball with Quick Time and internet movie files a long time ago. (the gov't dropped the MSFT anti-trust ball about the same time) His last hope is with the cell phone industry, and even that's hanging on to open standards by a thread.

[quote]Originally posted by Sol
[b]This seems like retaliation on Disney's part for Pixar's abrupt decision to end their colaboration. It is like Michael Eisner is saying to Steve Jobs: "Is that how it is going to be? Stick your QuickTime where the sun don't shine; from now on Disney is supporting Windows Media." It is not hard to imagine that one day the first seven Pixar films will be sold in the WMV format since Disney own those properties.

fixyourthinking · Feb 9, 2004, 08:28 AM

The board of directors and Roy Disney have publicly stated that Eisner is on his way out - I think Roy even went as far as saying he'd love for Steve Jobs to be CEO.

Eisner most likely came up with this plan as revenge - something that he is notorious for.

He approves movie projects on television networks that are unauthorized biographies, he greenlights a lot of recording contracts that "get back at press releases about his stars".

Feb 9, 2004, 02:36 AM	#1
MacBytes macrumors bot Join Date: Jul 2003	Disney Goes Microsoft (for digitally protected movies) Category: Microsoft Link: Disney Goes Microsoft (for digitally protected movies) Posted on MacBytes.com Approved by arn

Feb 9, 2004, 02:47 AM	#2
irmongoose macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Sometimes Tokyo, sometimes California	If their movies continue to have such low quality stories as they have now, it won't matter what format they choose for anything. Disney is going down the dumps. However, how it affects other companies in their choice on what format to choose will be interesting. irmongoose __________________ A Film and Artwork Portfolio Last edited by irmongoose : Feb 9, 2004 at 02:50 AM.

Feb 9, 2004, 03:21 AM	#3
Bunny macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2004	hahahahaha Yep, I knew it. Billy is always jumping into the grave. Wow, digital movies. What a breakthrough! Pffff. Disney has nothing to watch, especially now they are straying from Pixar. It will not work. __________________ I can't believe how tough people are!

Feb 9, 2004, 03:32 AM	#5
alset macrumors 65816 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: East Bay, CA	True that the movies are on a serious decline, but it's more power behind WM format. Frightening. Dan __________________ alsetmusic.com standing on the shoulders of giants....

Feb 9, 2004, 03:46 AM	#7
stoid macrumors 68040 Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: So long, and thanks for all the fish!	Well, I guess we'll see if MS can revolutionize a distribution method as Apple did with the iTMS. __________________ Get Salted!

Feb 9, 2004, 03:28 AM	#4
Darwin macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: round the corner	Im not really bothered, i agree that their films have certainly gone down hill, the only good films that seemed to come out were the ones from the partnership with Pixar IMO and now that it has ended Disney might have some trouble coming up with something new. If they want to go with Windows Media then they can, quaility of the codec matches that of their films anyways.

Feb 9, 2004, 03:46 AM	#6
KC9AIC macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Tokyo, Japan or Longview, Texas	Makes you wonder how Disney plans to distribute digital video online. Will it be 300 kb/s Windoze Media Player video? I can't imagine paying for such junk. Not only does Disney have some lousy movies, but even the good ones would look lousy, as quality would be almost nil. Who would pay for that?

Feb 9, 2004, 03:47 AM	#8
Mav451 macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Maryland	uggh...WMV format being standardized. Scary. __________________ e8400 @ 4.00 Ghz \| DFI LanParty LT P35-T2R \| 4GB RAM \| 8800GT \| 500, 750 WD \| 620HX iBook 800 G3

Feb 9, 2004, 04:02 AM	#10
inkswamp macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jan 2003	Silly How many more examples do corporate "content creators" need before they understand that people don't want to rent movies and music? There may be a minority out there who prefers that but most of us want to own the copy of the stuff we pay for. I don't want to pay each time I watch nor do I want my watching habits tucked away in some marketing database. The lesson behind the stellar performance of iTunes Music Store versus Music Store X would seem to have been lost on companies like Disney. So, given that the only compelling stuff coming from Disney lately is either from Pixar or Miyazaki, I would say that the adoption of Windows media is another nail in their coffin. Pathetic! Disney's animation was always top-notch and it's sad to watch a bunch of greedy drones run such a legacy into the ground.

Feb 9, 2004, 04:32 AM	#11
Sabenth macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: UK	do we all now own supper dupper download limit cable conections.... ??? wmv bah !!! nope not buying this one yet Diseny who?? Pixar hell yeaaaa and no not because of steve jobs. there movies do genraly make me laugh took a few watches of nemo to really like it but deep down a good movie.. __________________ http://www.icompositions.com/artists/Lapskin/ Yep i am lapskin Last edited by Sabenth : Feb 9, 2004 at 04:50 AM.

Feb 9, 2004, 05:07 AM	#12
lduncan macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: ChCh New Zealand	So this is why Steve ditched Disney.

Feb 9, 2004, 05:26 AM	#13
irmongoose macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Sometimes Tokyo, sometimes California	No, more like this is because Steve dumped Disney. Remember though, Disney, albeit the fact that these days it's reputation is pretty bad, has a strong presence in the entertainment world. This decision could have some serious consequences. Fortunately, the chances of that happening is pretty low. irmongoose __________________ A Film and Artwork Portfolio Last edited by irmongoose : Feb 9, 2004 at 05:28 AM.

Feb 9, 2004, 05:29 AM	#14
Sol macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Australia	QuickTime should be one every OS This seems like retaliation on Disney's part for Pixar's abrupt decision to end their colaboration. It is like Michael Eisner is saying to Steve Jobs: "Is that how it is going to be? Stick your QuickTime where the sun don't shine; from now on Disney is supporting Windows Media." It is not hard to imagine that one day the first seven Pixar films will be sold in the WMV format since Disney own those properties. Having said that, downloadable movies are not going to out-sell DVD sales or rentals any time soon. Simply using the online music model for video is a sure way to a disaster. Movie file sizes are bigger than an album of AACs or WMAs and thus they need faster internet connections (with no monthly download limits like those I suffer in Australia). What portable video devices would I use with these Disney files? Portable video devices are not very practical, or affordable yet (at least not to say). Steve Jobs has allready pointed out the major difference between music and movies: we watch films once or maybe a couple of times (if we really like one) but we listen to the same album time and time again. I think he was hinting that a per-view model would work better with films. I would say that subscription is best suited to television feeds and Real propably dominate that now. QuickTime seems to be dominating in film trailers now but that is no guarantee that it will be supported by the studios in the future. In the end, the format that is best for the films should win. There is no doubt in my mind that the film-makers will support the best format for their work and how they choose to screen it. The biggest loss about the Disney and Pixar break up would be that Pixar will not get to remake any Disney films, something they could have done after Toy Story 2. They seem to be stuck in a formula but the Dali project sounded like a step in the right direction. It will propably come out in Windows Media format but one thing is for sure: it would look better on a tablet PC than a PDA device. I hope Apple supports the tablet PCs and the PDAs soon. A version of QuickTime for the Palm OS is long over-due and Sony could diliver something special with MP4s on the PSP. __________________ DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER Last edited by Sol : Feb 9, 2004 at 05:35 AM.

Feb 9, 2004, 05:58 AM	#15
ralphh macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Lexington, KY	The cellphone industry knows better.... The cellphone industry has been struggling to keep MS out because they know MS's penchant for putting partners in a hammerlock. Of course, Dizzy's deal to use WMV is probably not exclusive so in theory they could still distribute in QT format, but it would be expensive to use both or even just switch. This doesn't seem like a sound call. __________________ "No just cause has ever been harmed by the truth" - Gandhi

Feb 9, 2004, 06:14 AM	#16
bennetsaysargh macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: New York	well, it was bound to happen. steve left disney, and bill is trying to salvage it. i've always loved disney movies until pixar, then the disney movie got worse, and pixar got better. don't know why, i guess after the success of toy story, they let pixar do the heavy lifting.

Feb 9, 2004, 06:48 AM	#17
Photorun Banned Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NYC	Disney needs to fire that Eisner creep and maybe part of the board. As a company they're heading into the toilet.

Feb 9, 2004, 06:54 AM	#18
ionas macrumors regular Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Old Europe	yeh - that was what disney and jobs talked about and if ms wasnt that evul and if the ms video codecs would not be that bad it would have been a bad descission for pixar (by steve, loving apple more than pixar, if all stated above would have been the case) but this time - it combines interests

Feb 9, 2004, 07:06 AM	#19
MrMacMan macrumors 601 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: 1 Block away from NYC.	Urg, Those video files suck... Why not a good DivX or something, gah, XviD... Horrible choice and horrible DRM... Gah, I bet once the service dies you can't open your videos. __________________ There is a little Steve in all of us! -->Folding is Fighting Against Disease and help MacRumors. Join Today!<-- Props to --> Shadowfax For Making My Avatar! IM Me On AIM Already!

Feb 9, 2004, 07:20 AM	#21
mactarkus macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Florida	The day will come. This news is a little scary. While we all agree that file sizes and portable video player prices make digital movie distribution over the internet prohibitive these days, the day will come when the internet is sped up way beyond what we have today. When that comes, I'd much rather punch a button on my tv's remote control and transfer a movie to my tv's 300GB hard drive in a minute than drive to Blockbuster or open a filthy DVD from a NetFlix envelope. I can then watch it on any tv or computer in the house as many times as I want until it expires. The only question is if this strategic move for Disney will matter if Disney doesn't make it that far. They will, they're an American institution. __________________ 3.06 GHz iMac w/ATI 4850, MBA, MBP, G5 PM and over 170 other Macs. Listen to my podcast about Apple and Macintosh history: RetroMacCast

Feb 9, 2004, 07:42 AM	#23
Wonder Boy macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Windsor, CT	i don't like this. sure disney pictures have stunk recently, but the spread of wmp cant be good. __________________ girls are pretty.

Feb 9, 2004, 07:55 AM	#24
badika macrumors newbie Join Date: Apr 2002	Re: QuickTime should be one every OS You said it. Can you imagine what Job's reaction will be when Disney announces that their Movie Store's opening day splash will be made with Finding Nemo available for download only in WMV format. I'd hate to be in the same room during that ego implosion. Hmm, I wonder where Disney got the idea for a download movie store from... Anyway, Steve dropped the ball with Quick Time and internet movie files a long time ago. (the gov't dropped the MSFT anti-trust ball about the same time) His last hope is with the cell phone industry, and even that's hanging on to open standards by a thread. [quote]Originally posted by Sol [b]This seems like retaliation on Disney's part for Pixar's abrupt decision to end their colaboration. It is like Michael Eisner is saying to Steve Jobs: "Is that how it is going to be? Stick your QuickTime where the sun don't shine; from now on Disney is supporting Windows Media." It is not hard to imagine that one day the first seven Pixar films will be sold in the WMV format since Disney own those properties.

Feb 9, 2004, 08:28 AM	#25
fixyourthinking macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Greenville SC	Board at Disney/Roy Disney The board of directors and Roy Disney have publicly stated that Eisner is on his way out - I think Roy even went as far as saying he'd love for Steve Jobs to be CEO. Eisner most likely came up with this plan as revenge - something that he is notorious for. He approves movie projects on television networks that are unauthorized biographies, he greenlights a lot of recording contracts that "get back at press releases about his stars". __________________ WWW.FIXYOURTHINKING.COM

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode