Sony "breaks its DVDs with DRM"

[EZRecovery]

A BLOKE claims that Sony is back to its old tricks and has installed a new DRM system on its DVDs which do not work in some machines.

Writing in a bog here, a geezer called Micky B recounts his adventurers trying to get some new disks to play on his Sony DVP-CX995V DVD player.

Several copies of two movies 'Stranger than Fiction' and 'The Holiday' loaded up to the splash title screen, stopped and then switched the machine off.

There were no problems with DVD?s or new releases from other movie companies, Mickey said.

He called Sony who admitted that the problem was being caused by its new copy protection making these discs unplayable in some players including our own. Sony says that it does not not intend to change the copy protection.

They told him he would have to have a firmware update to his player. Unfortunately this has not been released yet. In fact they do not know when it will be released.

Obviously he is a bit miffed about spending $350 on a Sony DVD player three months ago which cannot play Sony movies The player is still being flogged and makes no mention of this fact.

Source

/EZ

[NightmarE D]

I can't remember the last time I heard anything good about Sony. They just keep digging themselves into a deeper hole with their customers.

[Fergie]

Writing in a bog

LOL im sure that wasn't intended.

I also can't remember anything good been said about Sony either for quite some time.

[rvbfan]

Boy if this is true, could be the end of a once proud company.

[HawkMan]

"a bloke" told "the Inquirer".... that pretty much says it all.. granted we are tlaking about sony here so it could in fact be true.... but still.. it's the inquirer... and it's reported by "one bloke"...

it doesn't quitre have the stamp of approved truths there.

Still not unlikely, but also, they wouldn't be able to call it a DVD if this is the case, just like you can't call copy protected CD's for a CD. there's only one copy protection allowed on DVD's and this is not it.

[PL_ Veteran]

:pinch:

[shakey]

OMG I THOUGHT SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i rented both of those for my girlfriend last weekend, we go to watch holiday, and it wont go past the menu screen, which is already pixelated to hell. then i try stranger than fiction, takes about 10 mins to actually get it to play the movie. SONY YOU SUCK! STOP SCREWING OVER PAYING CUSTOMERS!!!!!! argggggg

[MrCobra]

Boy if this is true, could be the end of a once proud company.

The end of that once proud company started a long time ago. The name Sony used to mean quality. All it means now is lies, deceit, and screwing over thier consumer base. They really need to fold up and go out of business.

there's only one copy protection allowed on DVD's and this is not it.

Have you ever used AnyDVD or similar programs? They're constantly updated to get around new DVD protections and updates to older ones.

[Matt]

A friend of mine just purchased a DVD that wouldnt play in her DVD player. I wonder if it was from sony.

[Dazog]

Sony has been doing this for awhile now.

I hope people sue them over this.

[obsolete_power]

I am currently thinking up ways to sabotage Sony that could ultimately ruin them. If I go to jail I'd at least have the satisfaction of putting a company out of business!

[FlibbyFlobby]

Sony aren't the credible company they once used to be. Every Sony DVD or CD I own (which isn't many, and won't increase in the near future) is full to the brim with unnecessary DRM and protection that stops me from using properly (on my PC for example). If that's not bad enough Sony can't seem to stop placing products in all their films. They may as well just sell you a 2 hour long Sony commercial on DVD instead.

[Ironman273]

Here's another post of the same story. The interesting thing is the link to Amazon comments which, IMO, adds more credibility than "some guy told my brother's girlfriend" thing.

An anonymous reader writes:

"It seems that the most recent DVDs released by Sony ? specifically Stranger Than Fiction, Casino Royale, and The Pursuit of Happyness ? have some kind of 'feature' that makes them unplayable on many DVD players. This doesn't appear to be covered by the major media yet, but this link to a discussion over at Amazon gives a

flavor of the problems people are experiencing

. A blogger called Sony and was told the

problem is with the new copy protection scheme

, and they do not intend to fix it. Sony says it's up to the manufacturers to update their hardware."

Source

[dtanderson]

This is one reason I am hoping that Blu-Ray fails and that HD-DVD comes out the winner. Sony could change something in the Blu-Ray specs one day and make all future releases not work on any previous hardware because they are so strict on copy protection. I have no idea why they keep on with these protection schemes because there are always workarounds found to them.

Who would spend $350 on a DVD player when you can get an HD-DVD player for around the same price???

[Veedems Veteran]

This is one reason I am hoping that Blu-Ray fails and that HD-DVD comes out the winner. Sony could change something in the Blu-Ray specs one day and make all future releases not work on any previous hardware because they are so strict on copy protection. I have no idea why they keep on with these protection schemes because there are always workarounds found to them.

Who would spend $350 on a DVD player when you can get an HD-DVD player for around the same price???

Because that DVD player holds 400 discs and allows you to catalog each one of them.

[Ironman273]

This is one reason I am hoping that Blu-Ray fails and that HD-DVD comes out the winner. Sony could change something in the Blu-Ray specs one day and make all future releases not work on any previous hardware because they are so strict on copy protection. I have no idea why they keep on with these protection schemes because there are always workarounds found to them.

Who would spend $350 on a DVD player when you can get an HD-DVD player for around the same price???

BTW, they've already changed the Blu-Ray specs that doesn't block out older players, but cripples them by not allowing them to play some extra content.

[rajputwarrior]

i have the same problem. I just got layer cake and it wouldn't play properly on my desktop using windows media player or media player classic. I had to try like six times before it would play. Here is a screenshot, media player reads it, but won't play it. But on my mac, it works great. It's not a decoder problem because i can play any non sony dvds fine.

great now media player won't close.

[NightmarE D]

Yeah I'd say that Sony just completely screwed themselves here.

1.) People are wasting money on DVD's that won't even play

2.) Sony doesn't care and says it's up to the manufacturers to fix the problem. Forcing all these manufactuers to release fixes or completely new players.

3.) People out there who don't know this issue are going to start returning DVD's and DVD players thinking they're broke when it's actually Sony's little copy protection keeping it from playing.

Good job Sony (Y)

I'm just happy more people are seeing them for how they really are. They don't care at all about their consumer base anymore and haven't for a while. I'm talking about anything by Sony. Be it the Playstation, DVD players, stereo equipment...etc

[+mrbester MVC]

Yeah I'd say that Sony just completely screwed themselves here.

1.) People are wasting money on DVD's that won't even play...

Don't you have "fit for purpose" consumer laws? A DVD that doesn't play (especially in a player made by / for the same company that produced the DVD) breaches fit for purpose legislation here in Blighty, meaning you get a refund. No questions, no refusals (as that is illegal for the store to do so, to hell with the "package has been opened" bollocks), no "store credit"s, no exchanges; money back or you can sue the store for breaches of the Sale of Goods Act, Trades Description Act (it doesn't do what it is claimed to do: play), etc.. The stores have more clout with Sony than the DVD buying public; if enough of this happens then can refuse to stock because it is not in their interest to have returns.

[dragon2611]

"a bloke" told "the Inquirer".... that pretty much says it all.. granted we are tlaking about sony here so it could in fact be true.... but still.. it's the inquirer... and it's reported by "one bloke"...

it doesn't quitre have the stamp of approved truths there.

Still not unlikely, but also, they wouldn't be able to call it a DVD if this is the case, just like you can't call copy protected CD's for a CD. there's only one copy protection allowed on DVD's and this is not it.

What is it with these companies deciding oh "we're to good to follow the standard" I've taken a Sony dvd back before because it wouldn't play on a DVD player.

There are standards for a Reason its so everything will work how it was ment to

These are clearly not compliant with the DVD standard and there fore should not be allowed to be branded as a DVD :angry:

[NightmarE D]

Don't you have "fit for purpose" consumer laws? A DVD that doesn't play (especially in a player made by / for the same company that produced the DVD) breaches fit for purpose legislation here in Blighty, meaning you get a refund. No questions, no refusals (as that is illegal for the store to do so, to hell with the "package has been opened" bollocks), no "store credit"s, no exchanges; money back or you can sue the store for breaches of the Sale of Goods Act, Trades Description Act (it doesn't do what it is claimed to do: play), etc.. The stores have more clout with Sony than the DVD buying public; if enough of this happens then can refuse to stock because it is not in their interest to have returns.

Most places around me if you return a DVD you just get a copy of that same DVD. It's actually getting pretty hard to get a cash refund back anymore. In some cases if it was something that wasn't opened yet then you'd get a cash refund. If it's been opened and it's something that a copy could have been made of (DVD, CD, Software, Games) you only can exchange it for that same exact product. If it's not in they'd give you a raincheck. Wal-Mart used to be good on giving refunds opened or not, but they're starting to change how they do it. At least the ones around me are.

I'm not in the situation to have any of these DVD's yet. But I can see myself trying to take one back and explaining what's wrong:

ME: Yeah I'd like a refund on this Stanger Than Fiction DVD

EMPLOYEE: Could you explain the issue?

ME: Yeah my DVD player can't read it because Sony is using a new copy protection that my player doesn't work with and there's nothing I can do to fix it because Sony eats donkey poo.

EMPLOYEE: uhhhhh.....what?

OK I wouldn't say Sony eats donkey poo to the person. I threw that in for fun :p

The employee would most likely have no clue what I'm talking about

[Skiver Veteran]

well although their is a link with amazon too, you have to bare in mind this does start "A bloke"

however, Sony havent done much over the past few years to give them a good name when it comes to media so i for one do actually believe this article!

Its sad because before i got into techy things i always regarded sony as the Kings of home entertainment thinking they made the best! its only when you start reading into things you realise the truth

i do hope this is all just anti-sony flaming and that they havent done this but my outlook is not good as the great 8 ball would always tell me

[+mrbester MVC]

Most places around me if you return a DVD you just get a copy of that same DVD. It's actually getting pretty hard to get a cash refund back anymore. In some cases if it was something that wasn't opened yet then you'd get a cash refund. If it's been opened and it's something that a copy could have been made of (DVD, CD, Software, Games) you only can exchange it for that same exact product. If it's not in they'd give you a raincheck. Wal-Mart used to be good on giving refunds opened or not, but they're starting to change how they do it. At least the ones around me are...

And that is the problem. If you don't have consumer protection then you get shafted. Getting another copy of something that doesn't work still means you don't get what you paid for, but you don't have any recourse. Also with the "it's been opened so no refund" on something that could be copied (which then labels you as a filthy copying bastid pirate who ought to rot in jail / be shot like all those other terrists), you have no way of knowing if it works without opening it. The stores know this and don't care.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Any decent store in the UK will refund a DVD that won't play because of DRM issues. This harks back to when CD's couldn't play on laptops and some car stereos because of the DRM back then.

[MrCobra]

Don't you have "fit for purpose" consumer laws? A DVD that doesn't play (especially in a player made by / for the same company that produced the DVD) breaches fit for purpose legislation here in Blighty, meaning you get a refund. No questions, no refusals (as that is illegal for the store to do so, to hell with the "package has been opened" bollocks), no "store credit"s, no exchanges; money back or you can sue the store for breaches of the Sale of Goods Act, Trades Description Act (it doesn't do what it is claimed to do: play), etc.. The stores have more clout with Sony than the DVD buying public; if enough of this happens then can refuse to stock because it is not in their interest to have returns.

Nope. The U.S. government only makes and/or passes laws that help businesses and screws the consumers. Best Buy is somewhat "ok" on the issues but treat you like a criminal in the process and god forbid you buy something over $250 and have to return it. They make you wait 14 days to get your money back even if you bought it the same day.