2 replies to this topic

[banj0]

Is it going to be true in our lifetime? In the next year?


"Vista's Suicide Bomb: who gets hurt?
Mostly Wintel, we reckon
By Andrew Orlowski → More by this author
Published Thursday 28th December 2006 17:41 GMT
Free White Paper Download - Data Protection Tips for SMBs

Analysis So have fun fighting the battle against CPRM and alike but please do not be surprised when you fail, after all the war has been lost, long live the new world order: proprietary devices, proprietary interfaces, copy protection, limited functionality, and prepare you credit card accounts for all those monthly rental and service charges you will be paying for every "computer controller consumer electronics device" you use.

- Hale Landis, March 2001

If you read just one thing over the holiday break, make sure it's Peter Gutmann's cost analysis of Windows Vista, that we noted here. It's an eye opening 20 minutes.

Gutmann describes in great detail the various measures Microsoft has taken to lock down Windows on behalf of Hollywood. This isn't a comprehensive look at all of Vista's DRM - Gutmann barely touches on Microsoft's new activation framework; this is beyond the scope of his enquiry.)

To recap: in order to playback HD-DVD and BluRay content, Microsoft agreed to degrade video and audio functionality in Windows. Gutman points out that when "premium" content is being played, component video - YPbPr - and S/PDIF interfaces are disabled. Third party hardware that fails to obey these orders may have its "certified" status revoked by Microsoft - leaving the user with minimal (eg VGA) functionality."

Will the tail wag the dog in 2007?

[m.oreilly]

yep, lining the pockets of the wealthy few. sad, that we have let things get to this point, and that the "entertainment" industry is nothing more than a highly organized cabal of swindlers and their counsel. but hey, you just HAVE to watch "dumb and dumber" and "saw 3" in hi def, don't you?

[chriso_86]

Yup, this sucks!! Sounds like I need to read that 20 min book.