The Digital Rights Locker

[Sporkman]

Consumers, the industry believes, could balk at buying digital movies and TV shows until they can bring their collections with them wherever they go — by and large the same freedom people have with DVDs.

In the last year and a half, a broad alliance of high-tech companies and Hollywood studios has been trying to address this problem through an organization called the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, or DECE. Five of the six major Hollywood studios (Warner Brothers, NBC Universal, Sony, Paramount and Fox, but not Walt Disney) are involved, with Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Intel and Best Buy.

The group is setting out to create a common digital standard that would let consumers buy or rent a digital video once and then play it on any device. It might sound technical, but it could be crucial to persuading consumers to buy all the splashy new Internet-connected gear that tech companies will demonstrate at C.E.S., like HDTVs and set-top boxes that can download TV shows and films.

Under the proposed system, proof of digital purchases would be stored online in a so-called rights locker, and consumers would be permitted to play the movies they bought or rented on any DECE-compatible device...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/technology/04video.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[SuperSonic4]

Just looks like another way to try and impose DRM. I can see that being a fragile alliance at best and when the **** hits the fan no films for you.
Only difference here is that they're trying to slip it in quietly under a load of technical jargon most will not understand

[The Toxic Mite]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/technology/04video.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

<rant>DRM is bull-honky</rant>

;)

[LeifAndersen]

Sounds like we're just making another player that a company will believe will play everything. Claiming that since everything will be streaming, it will be universal. Netflixs anyone? Also, what of when your internet connection goes down, or your on a bus? Ho-hum, sounds rather dull to me.

[soni1770]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/technology/04video.html?partner=rss&emc=rss




i like this part


“Consumers shouldn’t have to know what’s inside,” he said. “They should just know it will play.”



meanwhile little jimmy is bit torrent'in 18 films to sell in thbe playground:popcorn:

[Groucho Marxist]

Sounds like we're just making another player that a company will believe will play everything. Claiming that since everything will be streaming, it will be universal. Netflixs anyone? Also, what of when your internet connection goes down, or your on a bus? Ho-hum, sounds rather dull to me.

It is; I'm bombarded by this kind of garbage all the time due to my career field (I'm a broadcaster). This "Swiss Army Knife" mentality of attempting to cram as many features in one product results more often than not in sub-par features for all of the accouterments.

On a different note, about a year ago, I did some research into the past, present and future state of optical-disc based media and discovered a disturbing trend. Media outlets are pushing towards pay-for-play types of distribution services (such as those already mentioned in this thread) so that "you can watch what you want, when you want." In reality, your viewing habits would be subservient to the whims of content providers. Hence, my dedication towards DVD and CD delivery methods.