Even a lot of comments on Slashdot seem to be picking this rather one-sided review to pieces ("breaks the law of physics"? Care to explain that?). I guess the easiest solution will be just not to load premium content on to your Vista box, but use a standalone player (or PS3 ) to watch it - as other readers have commented, that hardware will still have to jump through the same hoops to protect that precious content.

Protest with your wallet and your choices and above all pirate like there's no tommorow.

Joe Avaerage's point of view will be why bother with Blu-Ray or DVD-HD if the quality of the picture/audio is the same or worse than current dvd on their oh so expnsive and fairly new and most importantly PERFECTLY working TV/LCD/Plasma/Projector. This is the main word that will spread. Sure there will be select few who will also go out and replace perfectly working equipment but that really will be very few.

This leap backwards in technology has hopefully painted itself into a corner.

Yep, quite true, I suspect many will say enough is enough, I've just gotten the TV paid off, and DVD's look just fine to me, might wait until the next generation after BluRay/HDDVD...

I'm secretly (OK not so secretly now) hoping that BluRay and HDDVD fail miserably. Sure I'd love a huge 1080p screen with all my favourite old movies and programs on a 1080p format, but it can't happen as they weren't filmed in HD in the first place.

Cheers
TiggerK

As I understand it anything that was filmed on real film has a quality far in excess of 1080p. Common guestimates for the quality of film when presented in a digital format is a res of about 3200x(some other big number).. I think it'll be a while before digital catches up to what analog holds in terms of display.

Either way though the VCR was with us for 20 years and not many collected large movie collections. DVD has been with us for 10 and many have invested in a large collection. I can't see the average person wanting to part with all that in the short term. Certainly not at the cost it would represent (1080p display, the latest in Audio tech, the players, media) and the protection the studios insist they must have (until it is broken at any rate).

I'm believe that Blu-ray/HD-DVD will be the next "laserdisc". Only really there for the hardcore HT people.

Either these protection schemes will work and the technology will be limited to the few. Or they will be broken and it may spread. Not condoning it but how many people do you think would own a PS2 or a DVD player if they weren't chipped etc.

The studios are in a difficult position, they need to protect the media but at the same time a healthy bit of piracy helps a lot. I see DRM as an attempt at getting back some balance as at the moment we are all pirates (in their eyes). Even Mum and Dad technophobe.

Cheers,

Arkay.

Ah yes true, good point arkay. Like comparing an LP to the original 2 inch 30ips analogue studio master.... Good, but nothing like the original.

Of course whether the old classics ever gets re-released in HD is another story.....

Cheers
TiggerK

I agree that DRM is evil. But something you said bothers me - you'd buy Blu-Ray over HD-DVD? Do you realise that:
- HD-DVDs run on modern codecs, Blu-Ray runs on MPEG2,
- Blu-Ray has MORE copy protection,
- Blu-Ray discs use a Java-based system (meaning added cost to discs and players),
- Blu-Ray discs and lasers cost more to produce (once again, added cost to discs and players),
- (HD-DVDs can be legally ripped to a Vista x64 machine),

But I personally hope that downloadable HD Movies take off soon so we can end this petty (Sony, Apple, Dell) vs (Toshiba, Microsoft, Intel [and HP, kind-of]).

It's not that I don't want HDDVD. My point here is that I don't mind buying a dedicated device with protection to the hilt (as long as it does it's job), but I'm not accepting of having a computer that is in effect crippled for more than just that part of it's function.

A standalone Blueray player will play blue ray discs. I'm not about to ask it to calculate a spreadsheet for me.

A PC I need for many varied things. It's ability to play a HDDVD is only a part of it's function.

It'd be fine if I could buy MCE certified components. i.e. a video card with DRM compatibility, a motherboard with same etc. IF that pc was only to be used for that purpose. What I can't justify is having THAT hardware/software overhead enforced upon me irrespective of what my use of the PC will be.

At the very least this DRM rubbish should only be enforced on devices specifically tailored to the function of content playback.

I hope other hardware manufacturers snob the whole idea and continue to produce decent hardware free of this rubbish.

Cheers,

Arkay.

Isn't this the sort of thing that caused MP3's to take off, and for the Microsoft Network to die. When Microsoft and friends try to monopolize at this level they open the door wide open for free or open competition.

If MS isn't carefull people will stick to XP until someone comes out with a look alike that's better.

I had that thought myself. I wouldn't be at all surprised if some underground group start "supporting" a bastardised version of xp and that many people continue to use it for some time with hacked drivers etc as a non conformists, community supported type OS.

Time will tell with what happens to Vista. One thing is for sure, it's going to be interesting to watch.

Cheers,

Arkay

Ummm... I don't think so... MP3s took off because they were the first hq compressed audio files - DRM wasn't even an issue back then.
And as for MSN, it's not dead - just facing more competition than it's ever seen before. I don't see how this article or your loose usage of 'monopoly' applies to MSNs successes/failures.

It happened with 2K, people hacked many drivers for that. But I don't think enough computer nerds will iinger on XP - just the average joes, and they can't hack drivers. The ones that can hack will move to Vista, as they'll be the ones that understand the advantages the OS has apart from new looks.
I don't mean that smart people will choose Vista and dumb ones won't, I just think that the people that have driver hacking abilities will mostly shift.

Well with the interest I am seeing from the public at the moment, I expect Vista to be a hot launch item - many users have expressed interest in it. (BTW, the store I work at [when I am not studying] will be selling Vista from the 27th - I work for a major retail chain).
Many people will do the whole "I'm going to wait for Service Pack 2, that's what my friends said to do", but the ones that don't have dumb-arse friends will likely be happy with Vista upon release, providing the OEMs get the drivers right (looking at you Creative).

I read this paper a few weeks ago, its sad to say but i have been heavily thinking about swapping over to using a mac with bootcamp or something. I have always been a windows supporter but all these DRM issues have made me think a bit more about upgrading to Vista.

Because Mac doesn't have DRM? I have heard a lot of strange reasons to switch, but DRM? Apple's lock-in iPod system is what really got this whole DRM thing moving.

I'll shortly be moving to an ASUS notebook running Vista for my work-on-the-go, my PC will become a Vista Media Center for my living room and I am building a Vista gaming PC for my room.

No DRM is not the only reason for thinking about switching but it is one more reason to add. I have no trouble with DRM for ipod, zune, etc i dont buy music online anyway i rip my cd's. Ive been running Vista for quite a few months now on my notebook and i really do like it, but all this tilt switch crap and a few other issues has me thinking of getting a mac and running vista with bootcamp, that way i have the option of either. Hell i could even use linux fulltime also, who knows, ill have to see what the coming months brings us.

As a follow up this article has been posted in response to the original posted in this thread, with feedback from "Dave Marsh, a Lead Program Manager responsible for Windows' handling of video".

The tone of the response coupled with the comments afterward (from some very well spoken and involved individuals) should soon paint the picture of just what Vista may mean to us.

They have embedded something into an OS that should have stayed at the application layer. Had they worked on the OS features (that got dropped), and written a good, secure, new OS and left all this rubbish to the content producers (they can write their own applications to enforce DRM), MS would have done much better.

Instead they decided to pioneer a new era with the Content Producers to rid themselves and the MPAA/RIAA of all pirates (i.e. the entire customer base) and attempt to become the worlds gateway to high quality content.

It seems to me that MS is currently acting much like a bear about to hibernate. With the enforcing of every possible anti-piracy measure and the price they are charging they are, in the short term, eating as much as they can; before they retire.

Gartner have predicted Vista will be MS's final OS release. I think MS realises this and are unable to see how they will re-invent themselves for some future market. They decided media delivery was the way of the future for them. Unfortunately it would seem this has changed public perception and they are now neither a media delivery Company nor an Operating System/Application vendor and perception is everything in marketing. They've split the hair down the middle and neither half is now strong.

With the press that this topic alone is generating it will be very very difficult for corporate decision makers to take on Vista. The corporate market means a hell of a lot to MS. In any way you look at it it's going to cost MS big time. Either by sweetening deals to aid in take-up or simply by poor take-up.

What company in it's right mind is going to foot the bill for what is primarily essential to home consumers (media playback).

MS has typically supported all of it's sister markets very well, particularly hardware vendors. This time they seem to have displeased not only consumers but their reliant markets as well. Hardware companies are not happy with the complexity they now have to endure. It would appear their easy ride is now over.

It seems a very large gamble to move away from what has worked so well for so long onto something new surrounded with so much controversy.

Cheers,

Arkay.