Chris Lanier's Blog

Alternative titles:

How to rollover for the IP owners

How to help IP owner try to ass rape

consumers by buying things multiple times

Ways to let the free market properly value your offering as crap

Apple chuckles all the way to the bank

How cable card labs needs to be burned to the ground

PingBack from http://mediacenter.mattgoyer.com/archives/2006/11/30/1191

So in the meantime people will download every show using BitTorrent, coupled with an automatic Divx-WMV transcoding service.

This is the kind of thing that gets the anti-DRM people all fired up, and I don't blame them.  Also, by unnecessarily limiting the Zune this way, they're indirectly promoting piracy.  

On a related note, I finally went to Circuit City with intentions of purchasing the Zune.  Long story short:  fantastic screen but way too thick.  I wasn't as impressed as everyone else at the physical look-and-feel.  The UI was very nice, but also a tad bit underpowered (animations seemed just a little too slow).  I decided against buying it.

I could probably get past the these limitations if the thing had a strong MCE integration and better use of wireless.  So maybe I'll buy one later after we get a taste of what MSFT will offer via firmware.  But I do plan on using CableCARD, so it's not looking good!

"If you take a look at anything related to CableCARD, part of the deal is the data must stay protected throughout it's existence."

And by insisting on that, they are killing the product.

If their goal is to kill piracy, these morons have to understand that the only way to do that is to provide a better service.

I have seen mention that Zune is using WMDRM 9.1.  

I would HOPE that Cable/CableCard & Microsoft can agree to allow it if content is transcoded to a lower resolution (320x200), honor broadcast flags and have limited playback duration between resyncing.  Basically, you won't be able to watch HBO because of their broadcast flag restrictions but you can take along perhaps DISCOVERY recordings.  And to address the HBO,STARS,SHOWTIME gap, Microsoft probably should offer a movie download service.  At least in my judgement, that would be fair way to do.

I have been writing on Zune boards for the past two weeks promoting the idea that would add Media Extender capability to Zune.  I think if Microsoft/Zune team is smart, they will do it.  Heck I would buy 3 or 4 Zunes & Docking Stations just to connect all our TVs in the house to Media Center.  And as you suggest, it would be very cool to walk around the house watching live TV.  That would in one swipe, take care of what LocationFreeTV, SlingMedia, Sonos and iPod/MP3 largely offer.  This is the kind of functionality that wins hearts & mines.

...continued, I forgot to mention.  Microsoft/Zune shouldn't be afraid to develop their own Media Extender (other than 360) and stomp into some of their partner territory.  From my perspective, LinkSys&HP haven't been exactly loyal in supporting it.  I mean the 1st generation extenders have been cancelled more than a year or two ago.  I've heard rumors about V2 Extenders earlier this year but haven't see anything.  So to guarantee Media Center viability, Microsoft NEEDS to have its own offering.

Zune w/Media Extender Capabilities Please!!!

so who are the "morons"?

1. The media companies?

2. The owners of the material?

3. The technical companies?

4. The users?

5. Others?

There are no "morons" in this situation; there is just people trying to do "their job."  

As a lifelong developer of software, I want my inventions protected and yet there is no way to make this happen.  I see many of the things in products I worked on first, showing up in other products, including Microsoft products.

I would like to have better protection, but with each layer of protection we get a whole set of new problems.

"There are no "morons" in this situation; there is just people trying to do "their job." "

The "morons" would be the developers who seem incapable of devising a solution, as well as the executives who are incapable of diplomatically negotiating agreements with the media companies for their content.

"There are no "morons" in this situation"

The 'morons' in this situation would be Cablelabs and the media companies that are likely pulling their strings. By demanding 'protection' (which ironically is unlikely to stop copies from showing up on P2P networks), they are limiting the functionality and value of their products to the average consumer. Which in turn makes P2P a more compelling alternative for their potential customers.

This should be so blindingly obvious that it is hard to label those that don't understand it as anything but morons.

"As a lifelong developer of software, I want my inventions protected and yet there is no way to make this happen."

That's as far as I can see an unrelated issue. You wish software patent protection? Or design mark protection of UI features? Those are double edged swords that will be used more efficiently by large companies, in effect putting the average small developer on an even weaker footing.

I don't buy this explanation, but it could be due to my misunderstanding.

I thought that the Media Center/WMP would automatically reformat the video before/during the transfer to the device, as it does with videos transferred to my phone.  

SURELY you aren't telling me that you would transfer a full-res HD recording to a Zune.

If the videos are downsized, then the excuse given doesn't make sense.  If the videos would not be downsized, would they even work on the Zune?

The reason given still makes sense to the media companies that own the content. Whether you transfer the full-HD version or a low-rez version of a recorded episode of The Sopranos to your Zune, there would still be a vulnerable episode on the unsecure Zune. It could then quickly become lost revenue to the DVD box-set department at HBO.

so if I record Aqua Teen Hunger Force via the normal tuner on my MCE and transfer that to a portable MC, that is okay.  But if I have a CableCARD-equipped MCE, that is no longer allowed?  

This still doesn't make sense to me.

Is it due to the device in Question being a Zune?  If it were a Creative Portable Media Center, would that be a "secure" device?  My phone(!) is secure enough to work with PlaysForSure (some the Zune doesn't do), so maybe this is just another failure of the Zune?

"CableLabs takes these rules and regulations and develops hardware/software technologies to allow the content to stay protected as deemed by the content providers."

The irony here is that this 'protection' will do little to stop copies from showing up on P2P networks. If the goal of DRM is to stop P2P, then it is a resounding failure so far.

If the goal of DRM is to limit the functionality of the devices available to the average consumer, it is however a success.

What I don't get is why the media companies believe they can combat piracy by limiting the value and functionality of the services they sell to their paying customers. That's going to perpetuate piracy, not limit it.

"Microsoft just can't say "Let's do it" without the consent of CableLabs/"Hollywood"."

Did Sony ask "Hollywood" for permission before they made the Betamax? Did the cable TV industry ask for permission? Did the Compact Cassette manufacturers?

In the old days, you could count on consumer electronics manufacturers to be on the side of consumers by bringing new technology to market - and even fight all the way to the US supreme court for their right to do so. Today, it seems like most technology that isn't "Hollywood"-preapproved gets the axe.

I don't expect Microsoft to grow a set, but it sure would be nice if they did.

Reason #8,412 why DRM is defective by design.