This really sucks for the future of hobbyist Media Center PCs. I was looking forward to building one but now I have second thoughts.

Here's a thought. How about the hardware makers turn around and say "fuck you, shove your certification up your collective ass." This is yet another hinerance to the unfettered use of YOUR pc by a CORPORATE entity. It all seems to be going swimmingly to them right now, but that's because the average consumer hasn't even heard of this yet. The first time John Q Public finds out that he needs to fork over for a new monitor, or other such nonsense, the shit is going to hit the fan hard.

These asshats actually think that the "Apex" of PC parts won't be here soon enough to get us around this horseshit the same way that was done with dvd players? That's right, keep digging your own grave assholes, we'll send you packin' just like we did with the music industry.

Yeah. Although I wonder how effective it will really be -- will nobody at all be selling stand alone cards? What happens if you buy a prebuilt system and blow away the OS?

I suspect that the card interfaces will be reverse engineered (if need be) and that the Linux solutions will support them first, followed by the various non-MS Windows solutions. Particularly if you can buy the cards separately from trustworthy retailers (like Newegg).

It's a bit early to tell though. Sucks if it ends up being completely closed though -- it'll pretty much kill it.

Here's a thought. How about the hardware makers turn around and say "fuck you, shove your certification up your collective ass."

That never works. There'll always be one company who sees the opportunity in cooperating and capturing the market. Like Google and Chinese censorship. Google could probably live without the Chinese market except for the fact that somebody else would swoop in and the Chinese money behind them would make them a HUGE competitor.

Every day it seems we see new regulations plugging holes, cutting off options, closing loopholes. It's getting ridiculous (and I thought the Republican Congress and Administration were *against* regulation). I mean ridiculous in that there are so many damn holes to plug and there are probably a whole lot more left out there to go after. This can't possibly work. It's going to collapse eventually under all the weight and complexity. DRM will be cracked, blackmarket hardware will flourish--it'll be like the days of prohibition. Maybe the mob will get involved.

I predict the first entertainment companies to see the light and dump all this bullshit will make a killing.

That never works

Untrue. There was some DRM method that the media companies wanted last year. Every single consumer electronics manufacturer told them to go fuck themselves.

Of course, now we have different crap that will accomplish the same thing and the CEMs are going with the flow...

Like Google and Chinese censorship.

You do realize that Google was one of the last search firms there, right? Yahoo, MSN, etc. have all been there for awhile. Your point here is still valid, but I'm tired of people acting like Google was the first one here.

I thought the Republican Congress and Administration were *against* regulation

Ok... two issues here.

First, most of the DRM measures are not being enforced by legislation -- they're being put in due to pressure from the media conglomerates. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to think of a single piece of legislation that's passed since the DMCA that is relevant.

Second, the current Republican leadership is against any regulation that's not pro-business, particularly big business. You figure it out from there. (And, to be fair, you're hard pressed to find anyone in Washington, of either party, that's not kowtowing to the media companies)

DRM will be cracked, blackmarket hardware will flourish--it'll be like the days of prohibition. Maybe the mob will get involved.

Keep dreaming.

I predict the first entertainment companies to see the light and dump all this bullshit will make a killing.

The problem is that there's a huge, astoundingly large, barrier to entry here. And anyone who doesn't "play by the rules" gets shut out. The only way this could happen is for one of the existing beheomoths (Viacom, Disney, Sony, etc) to suddenly decide to ditch all the DRM. Which is very doubtful, and possibly impossible given how much cross-licensing goes on.

Or, alternatively, for Congress to pass some legislation definitively etching out consumer's rights. I wouldn't hold your breath.

First, most of the DRM measures are not being enforced by legislation -- they're being put in due to pressure from the media conglomerates. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to think of a single piece of legislation that's passed since the DMCA that is relevant.

You're right. I just couldn't help throwing that in but it's not relevant here. It's all choreographed through copyright, IP, licensing, etc. The BluRay, HD DVD, consortia own the rights to their technology and will only license it to those who play by their rules. And their rules are set by big entertainment.

DRM will be cracked, blackmarket hardware will flourish--it'll be like the days of prohibition. Maybe the mob will get involved.

Keep dreaming.

I don't think it's such a way out dream. The reason I'm starting to think this is the ridiculous lengths being reached to maintain control of everything digital. The webs and tendrils just keep growing and touching all kinds of applications and markets. Hackers have never had a better reason to declare all out war in this battle. Nothing stimulates invention like a really, really mad hacker. And when all of this really begins to affect Linux, when it will not be legal to play HD on Linux because nobody will give them licenses because it's too open--then the gloves will come off. What motivated DeCSS in the first place? A hacker who simply wanted to watch movies on his Linux machine.

DRM will be cracked, blackmarket hardware will flourish--it'll be like the days of prohibition. Maybe the mob will get involved.

The mob already is involved. Who do you think built Hollywood and the music industry?

I'm surprised they haven't gotten into the game industry yet. Or have they?


This comment was edited on Feb 1, 23:02.