Digital Copy included = No Sale

Why? Because big media have their head up their asses, with no idea what to do about the internet. Clutching at straws. But then, you've *known* that since Hilary Rosen and the RIAA bought congress and killed fair use, haven't you?

Holy crap, I can't believe the backlash against the digital copies. They're a big plus for me, I've picked up a couple of borderline movies just because they came with digital copies.

You know, there are ways to make digital copies from movies you already own on DVD, legally.

I did not know that. Is there a legal program/website that explains how?

just a few questions / issues with these 'digital copies' which are appearing on US DVDs :

1 - how many 'copies' can be made ? - ie - from the comments here it would appear that you are NOT able to use this digital copy on multiple PCs.

2 - "Life" of the digitial copy : the pack of Live Free or Die Hard (Die Hard 4) states that the digital copy needs to be 'redeemed by 1 Dec 08' - what happens if you purchase that DVD after this time ?? obviously its a POINTLESS disc !!

3 - Overseas purchases : it would appear that anyone purchasing these DVDs with 'digital copies' is SCREWED - as the internet verification will 'check' to see where in the world you are. If your not in the US - then no verification and a WASTED DISC.


what other rules or limitations are being put onto these discs to screw them up ??

Wouldn't using a US proxy work for this?

This is for the FOX Digital Copies :

from http://foxdigitalcopy.com/termsofuse.aspx

QUOTE :

You are required to use the serial code included with your disc in order to access the Copy. The serial code you enter will be verified. Once the serial code has been entered and accepted, it cannot be used again. If the serial code is determined to be invalid (for example, if it has already been used or was not issued by Fox), you will not be able to access the Copy.

There is a redemption period during which you will be able to access the Copy using the serial code included with your disc. To access the Copy, you must use the serial code within twelve (12) months after the Release Date of the DVD which included the Copy. The "Release Date" is the date a DVD is first made available for purchase by consumers. After such 12-month period, the serial code will expire and you will not be able to use it to access the Copy.

You are authorized to transfer your Copy to, and store your copy on, up to two Authorized Devices: one (1) personal computer and one (1) portable media player.



TERRITORY.

The Copy is only available in the United States and Canada, and is not available in any other location. You agree not to access or use, or attempt to access or use, the Copy from outside of the United States or Canada, and that Fox may use technology to verify your compliance and/or disable access from an unauthorized location.


THEREFORE.......................

So - us international people getting these : POINTLESS.

Those Terms of Use were likely written when Fox first started experimenting with Digital Copy and haven't been updated. For example, the printed insert included with Juno explicitly states that the DC can be used on up to 5 authorized devices, not just 2 as was stated above. It also does not say anything about needing to use the DC within 12 months of the disc's release date.

There's a whole lot of paranoia and general foolishness in this thread. Discs that include Digital Copy cost no more than the studio was going to charge for those titles anyway. I've spoken to a rep from Fox who was very clear that the studio considers the feature a "value-add".

If you think that spreading a minimal selection of bonus features to a second disc and calling it a "2 Disc Special Edition" is somehow a new trend introduced due to Digital Copy, you just haven't been paying attention to how the DVD market works. That's going to happen with or without Digital Copy.

If you don't plan to use the Digital Copy, then fine, don't use it. Nobody cares. How many people actually watch all the bonus features on every DVD they buy? Next to none do. If you don't have a need for it, don't use it. But to continue railing on about it being a bad thing is just silly. And to claim that you won't buy a movie you like because it has Digital Copy is pretty assinine.

Josh,
I understand what you are saying, but the point I started with this thread is I enjoy having a digital copy, but I think it's pointless to have a disc as a coaster and not putting the features on the second disc. I am one of those assinine persons that you mention. I don't buy DVDs that have a Digital Copy as one wasted disc. I do buy DVDs that have had the Digital Copy as an extra on the second disc. And, yes there is some paranoia and general foolishness in this thread, but, that is the opinion of the members. I really enjoy reading what everyone thinks about this. I might not agree, but everyone has there own opinion and a right to be foolish.

I agree Lucky 101. To devote an entire disc to the digital copy and having it become a useless piece of metal afterwards is assinine.

As some of you have already mentioned. FOX did it correctly the 1st time around with the digital copy as an added value to a bonus feature packed 2nd disc. Including the 95 minute making of documentary and the other featurettes, there was at least 2 hours worth of material on that 2nd disc in addition to the "added value" digital copy.

Now we are pretty much getting a 2nd disc that serves no purpose whatsoever after the movie is copied over.

I totally agree. Anybody who falls for the studio "value added" BS line is being seriously short-sighted when it comes to the quality of the main feature. Any studio which crams all of the special features onto the main disc so they can waste the second disc with a digital copy isn't doing us any favors. It's a special feature which I don't want which fucks up the main movie. Gr-gr-gr-gr-great!!!

After you've loaded the Digital Copy to your computer, the disc can be saved as a backup in case your computer crashes. They generally can be used several times (Fox allows 5 uses).

If you really cared about picture quality, you'd be watching Blu-ray. :p

I don't understand the point of them.
1) If I want to watch the movie on my computer, why wouldn't I just pop in the regular disc???
2) Why would I want to upload a movie to watch on my iPod's two inch screen?

Speaking for myself, when I'm traveling it's nice to rip several discs to my laptop's hard drive so I don't have to bring the physical discs and worry about losing or damaging them.

News flash: The iPod isn't the only portable device on the market.

I got digital copies on My I Am Legend 2disc and my AVP-R 2 disc. Have to say I actualy bought both on the grounds that they where fully loaded 2 disc sets, only to find the seconddisc has but one lousy use. Granted the AVP set was already pretty well stacked for extra features but I Am Legend was lite as a DVD in general, never mind a "special edition". I just wish that they didn't require to pay so much more for the DC beacuse in the end of the day they ain't totally useless, but when you're paying $7 more just for that then well....I don't think I will but any more 2 disc sets with the digital copy sticker any longer.

Nope, that's never been established, as far as I can tell.

Sony just rereleased a bunch of titles as part of their "Handcock" promotion. They were all originally single DVD releases with a bunch of extra features. Now they are all movie-only releases with these crap digital copies instead of the original extra features.

This is a very bad trend indeed. Hopefully the people picking these up for the free "Handcock" movie tickets won't trick Sony into thinking that this is a good new strategy.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act specifically forbids the copying of any content that's been encrypted, whether it's for personal use or not.

"Fair Use" was never a law. The DMCA overrides it.

Again, this isn't a trend that has anything to do with Digital Copy. Studios routinely re-release stripped-down editions of previous movies all the time. Seriously, where have you been for the last decade?

I'm not saying that this is a great idea on the studios behalf. I can rip my own crap if I want. But they're doing what they can to see if there's any way they can stop joe six-pack from wanting to copy movies. Not the smartest effort, but the comments about 'digital copy = no sale'. You want to miss out on a movie you love just because it comes with a second disc that's a digital copy? Your loss people.

I really don't pay any attention to the digital copies, if I want a movie and it comes with it, so be it. However the two I have are wmv and, frankly, have collected dust on my computer since they were acquired. However if any were iPod compatible, I might use them. Operative word being might. Are any out there for iPod? Is there a list of some sort for each format? Though I'm not sure if they are worth $7-$9 extra bucks, but in some cases I will go for the bonus features; I have yet to buy a movie or make a decision on purchasing a movie based on its digital copy status. I agree though that they are essentially paperweights after use if they contain no other features that are being paid for.

I've been lurking through this thread, a bit amused that people could so violently hate these things. I love 'em. And Josh Z has been 100% right, in my opinion, about his responses regarding these.

My Archos 605 WiFi is chock-full of these now. Some are also on my PSP, and yes there are many for video iPod as well.

I had made a list of the available digital copies <a href="http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Dvd-News-Reviews/Studios-Support-Digital/800038526" target="tvg">at a TVGuide.com post</A>, and attempted to add running commentary with new titles I had found, or had been announced. But I've left off for now. I suspect that an entire, regularly-updated list will probably end up as a Wikipedia entry at some point...but I won't be the one maintaining it. If someone wants to begin one there and use my list there as a starting point, no prob with me. :)

Fox and Lionsgate offer iTunes compatibility.

(The first couple of Digital Copies from Fox -- Live Free or Die Hard and Family Guy Blue Harvest -- were only WMV compatible. They added iTunes later.)

Correction: Blue Harvest added iTunes, but Live Free was only WMV.