HD Boycott
Former Apple dude, Mike Evangelist, wants to boycott the new HD DVD and BD players because of AACS.
This is important. I really want you to understand what’s going on with the video industry’s push towards HD. They are engineering a complete removal of the concept of fair use. They are setting up systems that will completely control how, when and where you can use content that you buy. Even worse, they can retroactively change the rules!
But I think he’s got it backward. It’s not the video industry that’s at fault. Do you honestly think they chose of their own free will to add a bunch of complicated hardware and software to their BD and HD DVD players that would just increase the complexity and cost of the devices for no benefit to the end useer?
No.
Hollywood made them do it. If Hollywood wasn’t pushing for such draconian DRM in all these new devices, then it wouldn’t be there. Simple as that. So instead of boycotting the new players, we should really be boycotting Hollywood itself. Stop buying movies, simple as that. Don’t watch DVD’s, don’t watch PPV, don’t watch VOD. That’s where the problem lies.
Check out our new sister blog on Home Theater, HTBlog.net
February 24th, 2006 at 10:24 am
I think he’s hit it right on the head. The content providers will never listent to the consumer. Once the hardware is ou there they won’t have to the inertia of the situation will have determined the outcome in their favour. Tell your friends, tell your spouse. If you buy a HDTV now it may not work in the future. Like next week future. See how much of a crimp that puts in sales. Lets see best buy and Futureshop not making their numbers. Lets see Sony not selling any more TV’s or less than they have. Let’s see who pressures whom. This is a consumer fight and with the power of the internet the consumer has an even shot at making a difference.