Disney to rent 'self-destructing' DVDs

MIKE BURN

Quote:
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- This disc will self-destruct in 48 hours.

That is the warning The Walt Disney Co. will issue this August when it begins to "rent" DVDs that after two days become unplayable and do not have to be returned.

Disney home video unit Buena Vista Home Entertainment will launch a pilot movie "rental" program in August that uses the self-destruction technology, the company said on Friday.

How it works

The discs stop working after a change in color renders them unreadable. They start off red, but when they are taken out of the package, exposure to oxygen turns the coating black and makes it impenetrable by a DVD laser.

Buena Vista hopes the technology will let it crack a wider rental market, since it can sell the DVDs in stores or almost anywhere without setting up a system to get the discs back.

The discs work perfectly for the two-day viewing window, said Flexplay Technologies, Inc., the private company which developed the technology using material from General Electric Co.

In talks with other companies

Chief Executive Alan Blaustein said he was also in conversations with other companies to use the self-destructing discs.

The technology cannot be hacked by programmers who would want to view the disc longer because the mechanism which closes the viewing window is chemical and has nothing to do with computer technology.

However, the disc can be copied within 48 hours, since it works like any other DVD during that window.

Buena Vista did not disclose pricing plans but said the discs, dubbed EZ-D, would be available in August in select markets with recent releases including "The Recruit," "The Hot Chick," and "Signs."

MIKE

Social Spit · Joined: 28 Sep 2002 Posts: 251

Whoever thought that up is a dumass! Any smart person will use DVDdecrypter and then DVD2one to copy any moovie they want.

MIKE BURN

...indeed

...and the children, the target group of Disney,

will like the 'nice' changing colors, :eyebrow

...hold the disks long in their hands, looking on the reflections... :nutz

The chemicals used for this self-destruction mechanism

don't belong to the daily nutrition plan. :bonk

bbchris

That's insane!!! Why would I buy a self-destructing DVD?

hahahaha I invest in DVD's so I can watch them anytime because that movie is one of my favourites!!! (I buy Kevin Spacey DVDs) :wgrin

Seismic Anamoly · Joined: 22 Aug 2002 Posts: 3039

Isn't it amazing what some high-level executive dumbasses get paid to think up stupid crap like this??

You're right, Mike...they will be sued when some poor kid ingests the crap and dies from it.

Course I'm sure they've already figured that into the scenario.

PLX180 · Joined: 02 Aug 2002 Posts: 320

But these are just for rental right? So you don't have to bother returning it, and can watch it anytime later (by not opening the airtight wrapper immediately). They'll only cost the price of a single rental most probably.

Everyone hates this?

I think it's a cool idea! hahaha