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Since the Sony rootkit scandal in 2005, people have become increasingly
aware that studios do not respect consumers' privacy rights.
One current example of this lack of regard is a much ballyhooed feature
now being offered on certain discs called BD-Live, a feature that to a
certain extent had been established already in the now defunct high
definition format, HD-DVD. The apparent intent of BD-Live is to download
several megabytes of additional content other than the main movie, such
as "extras" or "audio comments", over an online connection. However,
these extras are features that consumers should have expected to find on
their costly Blu-ray discs in the first place. After all, 50GB allows
for a lot of space on this medium for special features.
Adding to consumers' confusion is the fact that
a significant number of Blu-ray players do not provide the option to
disable BD-Live at the user's request: the supposedly extra Blu-ray
content fires off and automatically downloads without asking the user's
permission. And so, many film fans are left to sit--shocked, puzzled,
and bewildered in front of their television sets--oblivious to the
reason why it is taking so bloody long for the film to finally begin
playing.
The upset consumer is left to rightly ponder why her expensive equipment
is taking a foolishly long time to "do Blu."
One can only presume that the primary motivation behind this farce is
"getting closer" to the customer, or, in other words, the studios would
like to know exactly how often and when their disc buyers are looking at
which film.
When we took a closer look at the first of these disk types we were absolutely
dumbfounded. Sometimes the films actually contacted the manufacturer and did
so with the user not knowing about it or even being in a position to recognize that
a download connection was taking place. I assume that a significant percentage of
these film buyers don't know what to make of the little BD-Live logo on the package
or even recognize what that logo implies.
In other words, hardly anyone expects that a Blu-ray disc makes a
`telephone call home' while it’s being played. The circumstances and
manner whereby unwitting consumers are maliciously and insidiously
eavesdropped upon might get the attention of data, security and/or
personal privacy experts in some countries eventually.
aware that studios do not respect consumers' privacy rights.
One current example of this lack of regard is a much ballyhooed feature
now being offered on certain discs called BD-Live, a feature that to a
certain extent had been established already in the now defunct high
definition format, HD-DVD. The apparent intent of BD-Live is to download
several megabytes of additional content other than the main movie, such
as "extras" or "audio comments", over an online connection. However,
these extras are features that consumers should have expected to find on
their costly Blu-ray discs in the first place. After all, 50GB allows
for a lot of space on this medium for special features.
Adding to consumers' confusion is the fact that
a significant number of Blu-ray players do not provide the option to
disable BD-Live at the user's request: the supposedly extra Blu-ray
content fires off and automatically downloads without asking the user's
permission. And so, many film fans are left to sit--shocked, puzzled,
and bewildered in front of their television sets--oblivious to the
reason why it is taking so bloody long for the film to finally begin
playing.
The upset consumer is left to rightly ponder why her expensive equipment
is taking a foolishly long time to "do Blu."
One can only presume that the primary motivation behind this farce is
"getting closer" to the customer, or, in other words, the studios would
like to know exactly how often and when their disc buyers are looking at
which film.
When we took a closer look at the first of these disk types we were absolutely
dumbfounded. Sometimes the films actually contacted the manufacturer and did
so with the user not knowing about it or even being in a position to recognize that
a download connection was taking place. I assume that a significant percentage of
these film buyers don't know what to make of the little BD-Live logo on the package
or even recognize what that logo implies.
In other words, hardly anyone expects that a Blu-ray disc makes a
`telephone call home' while it’s being played. The circumstances and
manner whereby unwitting consumers are maliciously and insidiously
eavesdropped upon might get the attention of data, security and/or
personal privacy experts in some countries eventually.
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