DVD Releases and News

Amazon Debuts DRM-Crippled Movie Downloads

Amazon.com has taken the lid off their anticipated online movie download service, and we have to say, well, we're a bit underwhelmed. First off let's take a look at the good news:

* Buy and download DVD-quality and portable-version movies and TV shows. OK, they got the basics down.

* Rent movies and TV shows. Once downloaded, you have 30 days to begin watching them before they are deleted. Once you have started watching, you have 24 hours to finish watching, upon which time the file is auto-deleted from your system.

* Watch videos as you download with the progressive download feature.

* Store your downloads on two different PC's. Each computer can transfer the videos to one portable device.

* You can re-download files you have purchased. No more hard drive crash worries!

Now for the bad (and the really, really bad):

* Digital Rights Management! Encoded with this crippling WMV copy-protection, files are only viewable in Amazon's proprietary player (or Windows Media Center), or on a supported PlaysForSure portable device (sorry iPod owners).

* Don't try to install the Amazon Unbox player on Macs or Linux boxes. It won't work.

* No burn-to-DVD support, except for backups. This means you won't be able to watch them in your living room's DVD player.

* Prices start at $2 (for TV shows), and then anywhere from around $9 up to $20 for movies, way too much to ask for the lack of hard copy and other features you get from DVD.

We are fairly certain that all these limitations can be laid solely at the feet of the movie studios and MPAA, who are fumbling around in the technological dark trying to figure out how best to bother the hell out of consumers (and wondering why their services are floundering). Honest consumers are shackled by their own purchases, while the pirates are laughing as they download DRM-free, High-def or DVD-quality videos over BitTorrent that they can manipulate to their hearts' content.

Look to this space next week as Apple surely makes the same mistake all over again.

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Posted by on September 7, 2006 10:35 PM
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