Apple Refused to Build Copyright Filters for iPod

[redkamel]

I can imagine the meeting...
dooloo doooloo doolooo (wavy lines)

NBC: we would like you to filter non-DRMd videos from the ipod. Then we will let you put our shows in itunes.

Apple: hmm, so we lessen the amount of media people can put on their ipod, and in exchange people can buy NBC programs?

NBC: You got it.

Apple: hmm access to NBCs current shows, or all the non DRM content our users already have, illegally or legally...

NBC: yes sir, our shows are much better than anything people already have.

Apple: so on their ipod, people cant put any ripped DVDs, any bittorrented movies etc etc, which by the way, is YOUR problem, but is our customers reason to buy video devices.

NBC: Yes.. YES! EXACTLY!

Apple: hmm.. now that everyone has an ipod, this WOULD be the best time to restrict it, and ruin everyones video content. All so we can watch NBC shows, which probably account for 2% of all itunes sales...meanwhile, people can just buy the box set, rip it, and have high quality DVDs and DRM free files for a comparable price...

NBC: yes, but thats illegal, to watch media you bought on more than one device type.

[Steve buzzes on speaker]:hello, NBC?

NBC: yes!?

Steve: Get. Out.

 

[johnsy]

Yah, I can see how this will affect zune's sales. I think Western Digital tried to sell drm protected hard drives and that was not very successful.

 

[johnsy]

All these implementations will fail. I see ABC as a leader to something what will be success- they put almost every show they have on tv- you can watch LOST all seasons and so on. You want to watch, then you will see a few commercials (way less than usual "no we will interrupt our commercials to show you a movie" stance on TV). You want to have stuff longer- you buy for itunes or DVD and everybody is cool.

ABC is the best!!!

 

[johnsy]

will buy zunes for brick price. Need to expand my house!

 

[Analog Kid]

No real news here... NBC is letting greed get in the way of business. Apple has retained some concern for user experience. MS has whored themselves out to content providers hoping they can force customers to use their stuff rather than actually appeal to them.

The only news I see is that this probably means Hulu was a bust.

well, sounds like this is for video, but yeah, the issue of false positives is going to be a big one. Including personally ripped video.

arn

False positives are the point, methinks. There's no way a player can tell the difference between a ripped file you've kept local and a ripped file that has been transported over a network.

What I smell is watermarking in the worst sense-- every broadcast contains a hidden signal that is resilient to transcoding. If the player finds that signal without an associated key embedded by the download service, it refuses to play.

But I'm more sad that MS took the deal....MS is a huge company. They could stand for something, but they folded.

Microsoft does stand for something and it always has: the power of big business. This is a typical strong arm tactic. If they rope in the content providers, consumers will eventually follow. It's much easier to play nice with other big companies and use your weight against the consumer than the other way around. Pleasing people is messy and a sign of weakness.

 

[ariongon]

Never goes against the market!

Well, money will go to those can appreciate market not goes against it.

iPod and iTunes store appreciate it and got rewarded. NBC or MS goes against it. It will paid for it.

 

[hbunting]

NBC Universal's president of digital distribution J. B. Perrette provided some clarification about what these "steps" were and how Microsoft has agreed to add software to their Zune to prevent playback of pirated materials:The software would attempt to block playback of content downloaded illegally through filesharing networks, and remains in development at this time. Perrette acknowledged that the steps would meet resistance but insists it is necessary to sustain their business over the long term.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but, if I purchase say a movie on the itunes music store and I decide to share it with friends, that they won't be able to watch it unless they get my itunes music store username and password?

Also, I'm curious on how the player is supposed to know what is and what isn't pirated video. I imagine, if I wanted to go to extremes, play a video to my vcr, then hook the vcr up into say imovie and make that a whole movie appearing to be made from my own hd camera, without all the fun of editing.

 

[MacFly123]

I will personally destroy NBC if they don't stop this crap. Maybe if they actually focused on producing things people want and weren't the lowest rated network for like 5 years going they would actually be making money and not have to worry about loosing a few cents to downloaders. Maybe if they would pull their heads out of their a&#*@ they could figure out what consumers want.

Seriously can we get some new young blood into corporate america to embrace the future and technology in a way that is synergistic, fun, and win win instead of just being a bunch of retarded nazis?????

 

[Wolfpup]

Once consumers get wind of this "secret DRM scheme", the same thing that has happened to every other DRM scheme will happen, NBC U's content will go unnoticed and the Zune will just sink like an even bigger rock in the marketplace.


Will the stupid suits EVER LEARN what consumers want??


Apparently not.

Problem is it is being accepted in games-for these stupid download services (ie Steam, the Virtual Console, X-Box Live Arcade, etc.). Or at least enough people are accepting it (or don't know any better) that the companies declare it a success...never mind that there are probably millions of people not buying the stuff (myself included of course) because of the "activation" DRM, and it hasn't stopped any copy write infringement

And as others have mentioned, this NBC thing is triply stupid considering they BEAM THESE SAME SHOWS to us for free. I from time to time stick shows on my iPod, and I don't rent (ie "buy") them, nor to do I steal them. Apparently NBC forgot they're already sending these things to every person in the U.S...

 

[Wolfpup]

I will personally destroy NBC if they don't stop this crap. Maybe if they actually focused on producing things people want and weren't the lowest rated network for like 5 years going they would actually be making money and not have to worry about loosing a few cents to downloaders. Maybe if they would pull their heads out of their a&#*@ they could figure out what consumers want.

Regardless of ratings, I think NBC probably has the most shows I want to watch of any single network. CBS has gone entire years without a single show I care about, despite having high ratings (right now they have one show that I watch-Moonlight). NBC has Heroes, Law & Order, SNL, 30 Rock, Monk (sort of, first run is on their cable network), Chuck, and they had Journeyman, though that was probably canceled

 

[winterspan]

NBC seems to be acting rather anal about this to me. Kinda sounds to me like Microsoft and NBC deserve each other.

MS + NBC = MSNBC? lol

 

[Omni Geno]

And as others have mentioned, this NBC thing is triply stupid considering they BEAM THESE SAME SHOWS to us for free. I from time to time stick shows on my iPod, and I don't rent (ie "buy") them, nor to do I steal them. Apparently NBC forgot they're already sending these things to every person in the U.S...

Exactly. That's my main problem with their, err.. methods. I mean, I have nothing against someone trying to make money, but find other ways. I don't pay for watching it on TV but I have to pay to watch on my computer or when I'm on the move? Hey, when I'm not in front of the TV, I could be doing more productive things, NBC. Maybe I watch shows on my iPod during a bus/subway commute (we don't have subways in LA, but I'm just giving an example), which contributes to the betterment of society, instead of plopping myself in front of the tube. Sorry for the tangent, but yeah.

 

[winterspan]

Regardless of ratings, I think NBC probably has the most shows I want to watch of any single network. CBS has gone entire years without a single show I care about, despite having high ratings (right now they have one show that I watch-Moonlight). NBC has Heroes, Law & Order, SNL, 30 Rock, Monk (sort of, first run is on their cable network), Chuck, and they had Journeyman, though that was probably canceled

I REFUSE to watch ANYTHING on NBC EVERY AGAIN since those ******s canceled both "Studio 60" and "Journeyman". They were both excellent programs. Studio 60 was very clever and witty and an interesting take on life and production in Hollywood, and Journeyman was a great SciFi-esque mystery/drama. Unfortunately, I think Studio 60 was too clever/witty/niche for the "idiocracy" masses and although Journeyman in particular seemed "mainstream enough" to find a large audience, it was complicated and it's episodes ran in a rigidly sequential fashion like the show 'Heroes' which doesn't allow for casual "once-in-a-while" viewers. Anyhow, I know this is way off-topic, I'm just expressing the frustration of having the only "fiction" television I watch canceled. (that includes ABC's 'Traveler')

 

[0098386]

but of course...

It's true! This isn't the place to fix the problem but my iMac clock keeps skipping all over the place. I set it to London-BST and it's an hour ahead, I set it manually and it reverts back to an hour ahead. And now I'm going to have to record last saturdays Doctor Who from BBC3 tomorrow so I'm going to get that crappy channel logo in the upper left corner

 

[aroundghost]

Zune is dying...and I'm glad to see that

 

[BongoBanger]

Am I missing something here or are people condemning MS for using DRM despite the fact that Apple have been doing it for years?

 

[DMann]

NBC is just playing more in the long line of "we can teach Steve Jobs he is not going to remake the entertainment media content industry". Just like the record labels. Just like the movie studios: No movies, TV only. Okay, catalog movies only. Okay, new movies, but not the good stuff, and no day-and-date w/ DVD new release movies. Okay, the good stuff. Okay, day-and-date new releases, but rentals only, maybe indefinitely. Okay, day-and-date new releases, rental or purchase, your choice. Way to show that idiot Steve Jobs, boys.

Let NBC have their try. They've always been recalcitrant, holding back ER from the iTunes Store when it was -- and may still be, which says something -- their signature property. But let them give it a go. Won't work. People like what Jobs and Apple are doing in entertainment media. It's fast, convenient, has infinite stock and a massive, diverse catalog, even including lots of "imports" -- digital download agreements for artists with no physical media distribution contracts in the States -- the return of the hallowed single, darling of my youth, at right about the freaking cost of the vinyl single when it vanished, the best price on albums 99+% of the time. And now video, day of release, rent or buy, at rental prices equal to the all but defunct traditional rental outlets -- hell, just about more DVDs are sold now than rented at a place to Blockbuster, the physical stores -- and purchase prices a dollar cheaper than the steepest release-week discounts.

Wow, we're getting reasonably slammed and nefariously gouged left and right at retail and in the hospitality industry based on "rising transportation and fuel costs", getting killed at the gas and diesel pump -- $40 to fill the tank of late-model Honda Civic coupé; that's even funny! -- we practically HAVE to stay home most of our off time and holidays, and here's this freak Jobs at Apple giving us something we can enjoy at a price we can afford. And NBC wonders why he has such power in the industry? And Jobs is making a killing, but he figured out the trick: You can get filthy rich making a good deal for your customers, no altruism required.

Bravo!

 

[BongoBanger]

Problem is it is being accepted in games-for these stupid download services (ie Steam, the Virtual Console, X-Box Live Arcade, etc.).

Steam is awesome. Clearly you don't know anything about what it does or what it's used for.

 

[jazzkids]

I HATE it when I buy something and can not actually use it within my legal rights. I've gone back to DVDs because iTunes movies are locked down so tight. I purchased the Office season 2 a while back on a different itunes account. I'll be damned if I can get it to play on my current account. Besides, you can never stop pirating because someone will always find a crack.

Why not take all of this time, effort and money (NBC and others) to bring high-quality content and educate your consumer about the benefits of not pirating?

 

[nick9191]

I can't wait! Hopefully every Zune user gets screwed over...

Yeah all 3 of them

 

[synth3tik]

NBC programs are garbage anyway. Who cares.

 

[BongoBanger]

NBC programs are garbage anyway. Who cares.

*facepalm*

 

[wh!plash]

What are the NBC execs thinking on this one?

iPod: 73% marketshare
Zune: 3% marketshare

Come on guys, almost 3 out of 4 media players in consumers hands are iPods. You're going to alienate all of them to target the 3% that own a Zune?

 

[milo]

Is it that apple refused...or that it's technologically impossible to do it reliably even if you wanted to?

I have yet to hear someone explain how such a system would actually work.

 

[Erwin-Br]

I don't believe MS will implement this so called filter. They're not THAT stupid. They know very well that they'll lose their already low market share. I mean, what will they get in return? NBC's recent crap? Perhaps when ALL the major studio's would join their store they'd consider it. But not for NBC alone. I don't believe that.

--Erwin