[LINK] DVD chips 'to kill illegal copying'

[rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au]

Kim Holburn wrote:

> So these "new" DVD players, presumeably wouldn't play current DVDs?   
> How does that work?  Buy this new DVD player: it will only play these  
> "special" DVDs.  Interesting marketing ploy.  Can't see it catching  
> on unless they do something else.

It's already happening in the plasma/LCD TV business. The aim with the 
newest copy-control interfaces is that you can't play movies at 
high-definition unless the TV is compliant - so if you have an older 
digital TV (as in, purchased before very recently), as the new interface 
rolls out, you won't be able to see new DVDs in high-definition. 
Personally I think there's a trade descriptions issue here...

As for the RFID "new players", they would have to be considered of 
questionable legality in Australia, since one of the things to come out 
of Sony-vs-Stevens is that we have the right to bypass regional encoding 
(just not make infringing copies). See:

>> Home DVD players will eventually be able to check on the chip  
>> embedded in a
>> disc, and refuse to play discs which are copied or played in the  
>> 'wrong'
>> geographical region, the companies behind the technology expect.
>
My bet, though, is that within about a month of the technology hitting 
the street, someone will offer a "universal DVD RFID dongle" that 
bypasses the mechanism...

RC