MPAA to start watermarking all videos/having all DVD Purchasers IDed

reply to post by Mercenary2007


Have you ever downloaded a movie that was pre-dvd release? more often than not, it's an extremely poor cam version. I disagree with tactics like requiring buyers of dvd's to provide a photo ID, but we do live in a commercialist country where companies are allowed to set their own prices for their products.

[edit on 27-4-2009 by LiquidLight]

It's true that the 'price' is one factor which is 'better'. But as far as I can tell there's nothing the movie companies can give that isn't downloadable from 'pirates'.
Just to point out few: The format is much better, being able to watch from your own computer and copy to your other devices / computers is better. The quality is the same (unless you go for shaky cam videos). The ability watch when you want with pauses and even longer brakes is a good choice to have. Not having to go out to any specific location is also good for some people, I for instance live in a very isolated area and don't have access to rental dvd's or a movie theatre. No commercials to endure trought.
This is just from the top of my head what makes 'pirate' products better.

[edit on 27/4/2009 by PsykoOps]

It wont work and wont be carried out, no small shop owners, and shop managers would be willing to do all this extra work. the whole idea is rediculous

Pus the cost to do this and run it. is probably comparable to what is lost to DVD piracy anyway.

[edit on 27-4-2009 by MR BOB]

Originally posted by LiquidLight

Originally posted by xxpigxx
Too take my wife to the movies will cost me $100.00, at least. Then they proceed with 30 minutes of commercials before the movie . . .

Damn, dude, how much popcorn do you eat? let's see... these are just guesstimates:

$8x2 for the movie tickets
$5x2 for the drinks
$6 for the popcorn
and lets say $3x2 for candy.

That's less than forty.

For some reason, it did not type my whole sentence, and I did not notice it. My wife and four kids going to the movies.

Tickets: $8x6=$48
Drinks: $5x6=$30
Popcorn/Assorted Snacks: $4.00x6=$24
Total: $102

I think they will be able to put this into practice.

It already happens in the UK for Televisions (that info is then forwarded to the TV Licensing people).

I believe it either happens already for pay as you go cellphones, or is planned to be (terrorists and drug dealers used to love those untraceable phones)

With more and more people buying everything on their debit/credit card, it won't be very hard to do technically.

It won't stop the pirates though, they can always find a way around it. I think the way they will stop the pirates, is by changing the internet into a cable television style system, where you can only visit sites that you have subscribed for.

reply to post by xxpigxx


jeez, go to a shop and buy the drinks, and popcorn. and bring them in yourself in a plastic bag, it's what i always do.

Originally posted by LiquidLight

Oh, yeah, forget about the fact that they can get a fifteen dollar product, or even a product that hasn't been released yet to the public, for free...

The truth is, most pirated movies are of extremely poor quality. The only reason people download them is because they can't/won't go out and buy them.

Sorry bro' you may be correct as a generalisation, but hi-def rips of BR and HD disks are sometimes better than the original would look on the same gear and much much better quality than original DVD. Add to that, the pirated versions don't make you wait 5 mins for the movie with several ad screens, fbi warnings etc that are impossible to skip past with a standard player.

edit: forgot to add, you don't need a $200 BR player to watch a Matroska file either

[edit on 27/4/09 by RogerT]

Most people download movies because they see trailers for them and they look like killer movies, then you pay to see them in the theater, or buy the DVD when they come out and the movie is pure trash! the "good" trailer was actually from deleted scenes or the scene that it was taken from was the only good part of the movie.

The movie studios need to learn that greed will be their downfall just like it was for the music industry.

Yep, this is my beef with the industry too.
People are sick and tired of being ripped off with crap movies.

It's about time they bit the bullet and instead of a 3 minute trailer, they let you pre-view HALF AN HOUR of the movie.

If you want to see the rest and think it's a good movie, then go see it at the cinema or buy it when it goes to DVD.
That would be FAIR.

I am so through with paying too much money for a night out at the cinema or forking out 30 bucks for a DVD all based a 3 minute trailer.

That would be equivalent to being forced to decide if you like a song on a 2 second clip.

You cannot be required to show ID on a simple purchase. Period. The government cannot require sellers to ID on an everyday purchase.

Originally posted by LiquidLight
reply to post by warrenb

 

Redbox requires a credit card to purchase. Instant ID.

Ok, so I rent a movie at the redbox and they know I rented it. I wait two weeks before i distribute my watermarked copy. How will they know it was me and not the person currently renting it? or the folks who rented it before me or in between me and the current holder? This system seems a bit flawed to me. Are they going to send the FBI to everyone that rented that movie and confiscate their computers?

Originally posted by cautiouslypessimistic
You cannot be required to show ID on a simple purchase. Period. The government cannot require sellers to ID on an everyday purchase.

Are you sure they can't?

Originally posted by evil incarnate

Originally posted by cautiouslypessimistic
You cannot be required to show ID on a simple purchase. Period. The government cannot require sellers to ID on an everyday purchase.

Are you sure they can't?

The only way the government can mandate IDing customers of a specific product is if that product has a legal age limit.

So, movies rated 'R' and up, yes they can ID you. Unless legislation passes that says you must be a certain age to buy a dvd of any rating, they cannot require it.

reply to post by xxpigxx


most movies suck which is why I dont bother buying them anymore

a quick torrent DL and I can watch a few minutes and decide if its worth wasting my time with or not...

I do occasionally take the fam. to the cinema but only for good stuff... like the new star trek

Well I for one would not show an ID to rent a movie and two I use Netflix and love it. I dont know why anyone would pay what they charge now for a movie over Netflix. I can see some sides but all in all Netflix is best. I rent more movies using Netflix than I ever have with Blockbuster. As for watermarks I agree with many that someone out there has already figured out how to get around it.

The first time someone ID's me for buying a CD or DVD watch me do a 180, I'm doing them a favour by buying something that I don't need.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


who's to say netflix isin't already using watermarked dvd's?
they would already have your account details so no ID required...

could bite people in the butt....

reply to post by LiquidLight


More than once i have and you know what even if the rip was poor quality if I enjoyed the movie then i will either go see it in the theater or i will buy it when it comes out on DVD.

I see where your going with this and Your logic will not work. atleast with me.

the last movie i downloaded was The Day The Earth Stood Still. it was a cam version. it was a poor quality rip. but I liked the movie, so as soon as it was released on DVD i went out and bought the 2 disc set with the original 1951 release with it. If i like the movie i go out and buy it after i have downloaded it and watched it. If i didn't like the movie well it just winds up in my waste bin on the ol computer. and there are some movies i can't even make it 30 minutes because they are junk and they end up in the waste bin.

the simple fact here is, the movie studios are putting out so much junk and they know it people are tired of getting ripped off 99% of the movies that are made today should have never been made. The studios Know they are junk so they piece together the trailers with deleted scenes and a mix match of short scenes to make the movies look good and then after they have your cash you realize you got ripped off.

Now if you have patience and are willing to wait until the movie is released on DVD 9 times out of 10 you can find a download of the popular movies with better quality than what you buy from the movie studios. so if the Pirates can improve the quality of the movie why can't the movie studios?

You pay for quality from the movie studios, and you get better quality from the pirates for free. Now you tell me whats wrong with the system?

Bottom line just like anything the movie studios do it boils down to GREED!

The MPAA sues people for violating their copyright, Its not a violation of their copyright to copy the movie, unless you claim that YOU made the movie.

If the MPAA wants to sue anyone then they should sue them for the right reason. they should sue them for the fair market value of the product they downloaded for free or for any profits they made from the sale of the products the pirates sold!

or they should ask the local district attorneys to file charges against the pirates! OH thats right they can't because they can't prove that the Pirate actually did it! yeah they might be able to get your IP and they might be able to get your info from your ISP But they can't prove which person in your house downloaded the file. and if you have a wireless router they can't even prove that someone in your house downloaded it!

IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO GREED!

And i wouldn't be surprised if the MPAA tries to implement this new plan, but I don't see how they will get store owners to actually do it, and there are a lot of people that like to sue for any little think and a lot of lawyers that will take their cases.

So whats going to happen to the MPAA if they do proceed with this plan?

Between the cost of the plan and the Tech to enforce the plan, and the lawsuits they will lose more money than if they would have just left things alone and let the pirates be.

I guess the MPAA also doesn't realize that we are having a little financial crisis in this country and a lot of people are spending money on anything that isn't a necessity. going to the movies and buying DVD's isn't a necessity so piracy will grow causing the MPAA to lose even more money!

Its time that the greedy people in our society got over their greed and start looking at ways to improve society without expecting money in return.

Originally posted by cautiouslypessimistic

The only way the government can mandate IDing customers of a specific product is if that product has a legal age limit.

So, movies rated 'R' and up, yes they can ID you. Unless legislation passes that says you must be a certain age to buy a dvd of any rating, they cannot require it.

But, are you sure they can't? What law saves us from it? There are many things that I thought they had no legal right to do, yet they do it anyway. What is to stop them from this?

Originally posted by evil incarnate

Originally posted by cautiouslypessimistic

The only way the government can mandate IDing customers of a specific product is if that product has a legal age limit.

So, movies rated 'R' and up, yes they can ID you. Unless legislation passes that says you must be a certain age to buy a dvd of any rating, they cannot require it.

But, are you sure they can't? What law saves us from it? There are many things that I thought they had no legal right to do, yet they do it anyway. What is to stop them from this?

What is to stop them is the people excersizing their right to tell the government and the merchant that "if you are going to illegally force this, we will not buy".

Go check out our constitution.
www.usconstitution.net...

The only institution in this country that can mandate such things are the states.

reply to post by evil incarnate


The Tenth Amendment stops them from doing it. The Tenth Amendment restates the Constitution's principle of Federalism by providing that powers not granted to the national government nor prohibited to the states are reserved to the states or the people.

If they allow this, it will simply prove once and for all that the government is in the pocket of big business and that the constitution means nothing to them.