still like the idea of blu ray ?

[S1LVERBACK]

taken from this link

http://www.tomshardware.com/hardnews/20050810_131820.html

"One part of the announcement that had been anticipated by experts was Blu-ray's embrace of Advanced Access Content System (AACS), one version of which has also been adopted by the HD DVD Forum. This controversial technology would require that disc players maintain permanent connections to content providers via the Internet, making it possible for discs that fail a security check to trigger a notification process, enabling the provider to send the player a sort of "self-destruct code." This code would come in the form of a flash ROM "update" that would actually render the player useless, perhaps unless and until it is taken to a repair shop for reprogramming. The Blu-ray statement noted that certain elements of AACS have yet to be formally approved by the BDA"

dont know about you but after seeing SONY bully the importers of PSP`s etc and there general lack of respect to consumers i dont think i will be opting for bluray nor a ps3 imho.

[Woz]

It's a content providor's wet dream.
I'm guessing this will mean that they can 'expire' content as well. So - once Lucas decides that he wants a new version of Star Wars out there, he can withdraw all the old ones at the touch of a button.
Doesn't Windows Media 9 do something like this as well? Well, I know that MS have been touting this sort of thing for a while with Paladium, so I wouldn't expect a huge amount of liberalism from the Xbox 360.

Personally, though, I don't see how this will fly - how are they going to support portable players?

[S1LVERBACK]

i dont think there to worried about portable blu ray players at the min and i should imagine there gonna be a long way down the line but im definately worried about SONY having this kind of technology thats for sure.

[nigel_williams]

This really is a big brother approach. Can't we get the civil liberties groups to start an action on them? It's like ID cards for DVDs!

[DCH]

Far be it from me to argue with Tom's HW but... I don't think that's how AACS works... not in the case of HD-DVD anyway. Software players require handshaking with up-to-date keys, and as such they have to have an Internet connection over which they update every 90 days or so. If you stop updating you loose the ability to play new disks.

Regular hardware players have a partial key built in which is unique to that player. The idea is that if that key is extracted (which should be damn hard - electron microscope time!) they only need to turn off one key, and all other players will still work. Hardware players shouldn't ever need updating. There's another system called SPDC, which wasn't ratified by HD-DVD, which involves sniffing hardware players for this code. Blueray will use that, renamed BD+, but even so, no updating of ROMs or whatever AFAIK, at least in the version I'm familiar with - it just refuses to play and they asks you to contact a special number for support.

Anyway, I really do think HD-DVD will win this battle...

[S1LVERBACK]

when it comes time to upgrade my screen i was leaning towards HD dvd anyway but im even more convinced i will be getting HD DVD now.infact if both formats take this kind of stnace and will have the capabillity to do this i think i will just stick with a standard dvd player :mad:

[grimley]

So do I if Sony plan on implementing this - so will most people as they do not like being dictated to on what software they can play - though Kudos to Sony if they think this is their way of eliminating piracy.
IMO it won't work 'cos the the Chinese could manufacture 'psuedo blu-ray players' that would get round this kind of thing or there would be 'firmware updates' available to download & burn onto a disc to reset said players

For years when someone tries to make something 'copy-proof' or 'piracy proof' other people will find a way round it just as long as though there is a ton of money to be made out of it at the end of the day (could be sometime before someone breaks this idea though) :dork: