From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V5 #45 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Monday, February 8 1999 Volume 05 : Number 045 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: DIVX = Greed [James Dixon ] Re: CD damage (was DIVX = Greed....and the world we live in) ["Neil K. Gu] Re: DIVX = Greed ["Neil K. Guy" ] Happy opening for Marillion/Rush/Annie/Gabriel [Suzanne Cerquone Subject: Re: DIVX = Greed Someone wrote: > >But please consider not shopping at Circuit City (or any other > organization) > >who is pushing DIVX. > > Check out http://www.bandivx.com for a more complete list of reasons > not to > support this rogue format. ;-) > -- > | Greg Dunn | "god money's not looking for the | > > | gregdunn@indy.net | cure. god money's not concerned | > > | GregDunn@aol.com | with the sick among the pure." | > > | http://www.indy.net/~gregdunn/ | Trent Reznor | OK. I just visited the bandivx website, and I just don't understand the problem. I have a DIVX player, and I see some really nice benefits: A DIVX disc costs about $4.50. For this I get to watch a movie that I've never seen before for $4.50 - a movie which I might not like or want to watch ever again. If I got that movie on DVD, I'd pay full price, usually well over $20.00. I just got a _Tomorrow Never Dies_ special edition DVD for $30.00, and I probably won't watch it 5 more times in my life. Terminator 2, Judgement Day sells for $31.00 at the local Media Play. If I get a DIVX of a movie, I can upgrade it to unlimited playing, usually for about $15.00, and watch it a zillion times if I want to, although, I just got a DIVX of _There's Something About Mary_, for which this unlimited viewing period is not currently available. I suspect that this will change in the near future. If it doesn't, no big deal. I probably wouldn't watch it 5 more times anyway... People complain about hooking up a phone line to the player. No problem. I've had a phone line hooked to my satellite receiver for pay-per-view for years. It's not a problem. It's part of the game. People complain that the DIVX folks will know which DIVX discs you watch when you watch them. That is true, but not on a realtime basis. The player calls-in its report periodically, perhaps daily, I don't know. I don't care. It's part of the game. People complain that the DIVX folks will know which DVDs & CDs you play. Ok, fine. I don't care. People complain that the format might be extended to audio CDs. Fine! I have over 3000 CDs, about 2980 of which I don't listen to very often. I've bought many CDs (at full price) over the years that I haven't liked very much and don't want to listen to ever again. I'd love to have gotten these for a mere few dollars, learned that I didn't like them, and not paid the full price for the privilege of never listening to them again. A bad side to DIVX: the DIVX discs which I have seen don't seem to support subtitles or multiple-language audio tracks. But they do tend to have the Dolby Digital 5.1 system as the 1 audio track they do have, and they sound just fine in normal stereo mode, too. What do you want for $4.50? Sorry, guys. DIVX = Greed doesn't work for me. It may not be the BEST idea in the world, but it deserves its chance. It doesn't deserve the enmity that a lot of people seem to have toward it. James Dixon (MrJim) Savannah GA USA ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 22:08:10 -0800 From: "Neil K. Guy" Subject: Re: CD damage (was DIVX = Greed....and the world we live in) At 11:12 PM -0500 2/7/99, jason and jill wrote: > No doubt a disc produced by PDO--or more accurately--misproduced by PDO, > a well-acknowledged problem that effected many British labels (including > the pricey UK classical label Hyperion). This has been known about for > a number of years, with some classical magazines printing specific > catalog numbers and pressing periods for known problem discs. > > There's info about what happened at: > > http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/bronzed.html Hey! That's cool. I have a bad Hyperion pressing of some early music that exhibits those exact symptoms. It was quite bizarre - towards the end of the disc the music turns horrendously scratchy and distorted, like my amplifier was burning out, or like the sound was off an old scratched vinyl LP. The first couple times I heard it I thought the amp was about to croak. Thanks for that URL. Still, I guess it proves that it is technically possible for chemical damage to the surface of the disc to cause problems that result in apparent static on playback rather than simple tracking errors or dropouts. Hm. - Neil K. - -- t e l a computer consulting + design * Vancouver, BC, Canada phone: (604) 254-0520 * email: tela@tela.bc.ca web: http://www.tela.bc.ca/tela/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 21:51:31 -0800 From: "Neil K. Guy" Subject: Re: DIVX = Greed Well here's my $0.02. At 12:17 AM -0500 2/8/99, James Dixon wrote: > If I get a DIVX of a movie, I can upgrade it to unlimited playing, > usually for about $15.00, and watch it a zillion times if I want to, > although, I just got a DIVX of _There's Something About Mary_, for which > this unlimited viewing period is not currently available. I suspect > that this will change in the near future. If it doesn't, no big deal. > I probably wouldn't watch it 5 more times anyway... That isn't the point. The point is if you own a DVD of a movie, realistically you can watch it when you want, under your terms. (I say realistically because there are licence restrictions with any recording, but they are not readily enforceable by the tech) With DIVX, the disc's viewing terms are dictated by a large corporation interested in earning a constant revenue stream from your viewing habits. If that doesn't bother you and you feel your interests don't conflict with said large corporation, fine. It bothers many other people, however. > People complain that the DIVX folks will know which DIVX discs you watch > when you watch them. That is true, but not on a realtime basis. The > player calls-in its report periodically, perhaps daily, I don't know. I > don't care. It's part of the game. > > People complain that the DIVX folks will know which DVDs & CDs you > play. Ok, fine. I don't care. Again, you may not care if big companies do everything in their power to learn more about your personal viewing habits, in an attempt to maximize their profitability. But many people do not trust big companies, and do care. > Sorry, guys. DIVX = Greed doesn't work for me. It may not be the BEST > idea in the world, but it deserves its chance. It doesn't deserve the > enmity that a lot of people seem to have toward it. I don't have deeply emotional feelings about DIVX itself. I don't even own a teevee set, so it's an irrelevant product to me at the moment. But I find the whole DIVX thing sort of interesting. I mean, it's basically a power struggle with certain large content producers and owners attempting to wrench increased control *away* from consumers in favour of a system that benefits the big studios monetarily. So I say best of luck to the DIVX boycott organizers. Sure, it's not some fabulously noble cause that might save millions of lives, but commercial entertainment is a big part of every North American's daily routine. And increased distributor-oriented content controls will affect all of our daily lives in the future if they come about. DIVX is a first stab at widescale enforceable licence-based distribution of intellectual property and will set an important precedent if it proves to be commercially viable. A precedent that, like, sucks ass. :) - Neil K. - -- t e l a computer consulting + design * Vancouver, BC, Canada phone: (604) 254-0520 * email: tela@tela.bc.ca web: http://www.tela.bc.ca/tela/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Feb 1999 01:06:24 -0600 From: Suzanne Cerquone Subject: Happy opening for Marillion/Rush/Annie/Gabriel My .02 cents as a prog-rock pond scum chick (gotta love Fripp!): 1.) Gabriel: Great idea. Maybe he needs another Paula Cole next tour to sing "Don't Give Up" and "Blood of Eden" and all that. But, not to be naysayer, this is probably a very coveted position that female artists have probably been lobbying for for months, even years now. Not that it's too late for Happy--but I hope her management/label is pushing for this as we speak. As an opening act, I doubt Happy would work. I hear Gabriel is foraying back into the world music vibe (a la Passion) and would probably get one of his Real World artists to do a short opening set....if anything at all. 2.) Annie Lennox: another great idea, and I think Annie would be cool about it, but WHOA, hold yer horses!! Is Annie like, doing anything lately, including touring? When is her next album? Please oh please say it's soon. You guys got me excited and it better be for a reason! :) 3.) Rush: Agree with the person who said Rush fans are a hard crowd. They are devoutly fanatical for Rush and Rush only. I've only seen two shows (with no opening bands) and I'm not sure this is Happy's bag. 4.) Marillion: I saved the best for last. They are my favorite band, and I'm also working for them part-time, doing the North American fan club and mail-order service. Like someone else said, finances are super tight with Marillion lately and their U.S. label is not behind them. We just interviewed Mark Kelly (keyboardist) and he said a NA tour in the near future is not likely. However, IF there is a forthcoming tour, you can bet your sweet patootie (SP?!) that I'll be talking up Happy to the guys. However, it might not work out overall, unless Happy wants to be paid a pittance for the gig. I just can't see Marillion affording to pay her & her band more. Maybe as an acoustic act the risk could be less. Also, Happy should look into these Prog Festivals, for the fact that she'd blow away any of the female artists there and further spoil the Men's Club prog music continues to be! :) - --Suzanne <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> The Web North America web site: http://window.to/webna e-mail inquiries: WebNA@eudoramail.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 01:49:06 EST From: FAMarcus@aol.com Subject: re: divx greed and the search for happiness In a message dated 2/8/99 12:21:56 AM Eastern Standard Time, jd2@hargray.com writes: << Sorry, guys. DIVX = Greed doesn't work for me. It may not be the BEST idea in the world, but it deserves its chance. It doesn't deserve the enmity that a lot of people seem to have toward it. James Dixon (MrJim) Savannah GA USA >> ok people ......can we let this guy get away with this?????? I think not!!!!!!!!!!! first we boycott circut city.......then walmart ( cause i never got a chance to over that cheryl crow thing) and then this guy. ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V5 #45 *************************