Flexplay - DIVX returns!!

[SKD_Tech]

Maybe some type of new encryption will be about us soon?

[admin]

I personally think Flexplay DVDs will not be sold/rented in rental stores, and will be distributed like normal DVDs through retail outlets as an alternative to DVD rental (at lower prices, no doubt). This gives the studios so many alternative distribution channels, allowing them to bypass the rental outlets, and hence, increase profits. They will be delaying the release of sell-through DVDs at the same time, and so denying rental outlets from renting the same title, forcing them to use Flexplay. Of course, if every retail store in the country (and 7-11s, grocery stores, gas stations ...) can stock Flexplay DVDs, the rental outlets will no longer be so necessary anymore ...

I would not be surprised if rental stores start some sort of legal action (loss of business, market monoply, etc...), just like they did here in Australia about WB's color coded DVDs. Can't see Blockbuster Video just sitting on their hands and letting this happen, honestly.

I also don't think a new encryption system will be implemented, since standalone DVD players will not be able cope with a new encryption standard. However, the chance that these discs will have trouble working on computers cannot be ruled out, despite what their press release says.

It may only be Disney that is doing this at the moment, but if they are even a little bit successful, don't bet against the other studios from doing the same. The biggest issues for me are the delay in sell-through release date, and the environmental impact.

[ddlooping]

I would tend to agree with you.
This business of over-stocking might be barely conceivable for big rental outlets like Blockbuster, but smaller ones will never go for it.

[Sithlord48]

New Encription

if they are going for backwords compabilty then it is not possible to have new encrption because it would not play on older standalones ... however people like me who watch dvd;s on computer would just have to download a new player ..... but extraction data would get harder Untill some one finds that 12 lines of peril crack the encription(where as now it takes only 7 lines of peril to crack it)

[andrewpk200]

think about the net

I think you are all forgeting about this loverly thing we call the internet, and online rentals.
you surf the site, pick the film you want, and order. A couple of days later the new self distructing disk turns up, you watch it and then bin it,
that i feel is the most likley use of these new disks,
online rental companies don't have to worry about how many they have in stock as they can distrubute straight from the warehouse, the dont have to worry about how to get the customer to return the disk, as the disk will just burn out in 2 days,
all they have to do is send out the disk,

[SKD_Tech]

Just rip and burn it then you have it forever

[admin]

I think you are all forgeting about this loverly thing we call the internet, and online rentals.

But online rental stores will make less per rental, because right now, they can buy a DVD from Amazon for $20, and rent it out hundreds of times (perhaps more, if they use some kind of disc polishing machine - that's like $3 per rental * 100 = $280 profit from a $20 outlay), whereas with each Flexplay sold, 80% of the profit goes to the studio ($3 per Flexplay disc, $1 profit for rental store -> $180 less profit per 100 rentals!!).

Basically, it makes rental stores pay everytime they rent out a DVD.

And again, if Flexplays are available in everyshop you regularly visit, would you still go through the trouble ( and perhaps the added cost) of getting them elsewhere, like from rental stores, online or not?

[Batman]

I believe on-line/off-line rental stores must pay a different rate (greater than the retail purchase price of $20-$35) to the media/distribution companies for the dvd's they rent-out.

[admin]

I believe on-line/off-line rental stores must pay a different rate (greater than the retail purchase price of $20-$35) to the media/distribution companies for the dvd's they rent-out.

I think that's a point of contention. Here in Australia, it does not appear to be the case, since all the rental DVDs are sell-through versions, except for those that are rental-only versions (no extra features). Different pricing structures for effectively the same content, apparently, are not liked by the courts here for anti-competitive reasons.

VHS rental tapes did have this pricing structure, or more accurately, had first release sell-through VHS versions at horrible prices ($80-$100 per title!!) for the first 3 to 6 month (rental period), and then reduced the price to a consumers friendly level (eg. $20). DVD was always a consumer driven sell-through format, and studios never meant for it to be rented, and hence, no "first release sell-through price" was planned. They may do this in the future though (first release the DVD at $90 a pop to rental stores, and then release the same DVD at $20 for consumers a few months later).

More info :

http://www.dvdfile.com/news/special_report/features/retail/pricing_primer.htm

This is what DVDFile said in their news item about Flexplay (November 14th, 2002) :

But industry sources say the upstart's (Flexplay's) real goal is to entice the major Hollywood studios to use the technology to create "single-view titles," providing a workable way to take back rental revenues currently lost to VHS erosion. Potentially even more attractive to studio interests is the elimination of the video store altogether, as these single-view discs would severly reduce the need for return trips at all.

[Batman]

Thanks for the information.

Considering the fact that the same dvd will be rented out many times I thought that the pricing structure may be different. I think I also read something about this some time ago

[xviddivxoggmp3]

more details

After this viewing window the disc will no longer be readable by the DVD player and can then be recycled. A Flexplay enabled DVD works in all players, DVD drives and gaming systems designed to accept a standard DVD.

Does a Flexplay DVD have different copy protection than a conventional DVD? A Flexplay DVD has the same copy protection as a conventional DVD.

just a few more details in regards to this.

(1) recyclable
(2) works on DVD drives

we have little to worry about until it doesn't work on a DVD drive.

[admin]

One of the biggest polluters today is actually old computer hardware (graphics cards, motherboards, RAM ...), which are actually being dumped in third world countries due to lack of landfill space locally. This is despite the fact that they can be recycled, and in most cases, can still be re-assembled and used (especially by the third world countries!!). The problem is that people don't recycle when they are suppose to, and I suspect many would not recycle Flexplay discs.

The recycling issue was a major one during the debate about DIVX, and I suspect if Flexplay is to be widely circulated/used, it again will be a center of focus.

Now, if they made them to be biodegradable, that would be a good solution to the problem ... (again, cost could be an issue here, which is why plastic bags that are used today are rarely biodegradable, even though the technology exists). They couldn't make DIVX biodegradable because once discs past their viewing period, they could still be re-enabled for viewing in the future - Flexplay does not have this ability, so it makes sense to make it biodegradable.

[thelimey]

Flexplay EZ-Ds are now being test marketed in Austin TX, Charleston NC, Kansas City KS/MO and Peoria/Bloomington IL. I shall be in Charleston in a couple of weeks, and I will try to pick up a couple of the discs. After I have had some time to play with them I will let you know whether waxing them keeps them playing after 48 hours.

[admin]

I guess I was right about Flexplay discs and environmental concerns :

http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,62083,00.html

[MPS]

this is outrageous - what about dvd rentals for example? what are they suppose to do? subscribe to getting 15 copies of a movie each month, so that everyday the movies available?!

flexplay? FUXPLAY!