Chips On DVDs Could Prevent Theft

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There is a new technology out there that supposedly makes discs unplayable until they're activated at the cash register in the store.

A chip smaller than the head of a pin is placed onto a DVD along with a thin coating that blocks a DVD player from reading critical information on the disc. At the register, the chip is activated and sends an electrical pulse through the coating, turning it clear and making the disc playable.
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they should use this tech in cars...LOL! The windshield and windows remain clouded until the owners key is in the ignition. :D
 
Well, and this may solve some of there theft issues.

But what about the issue of people burning them from like Netflix? How do you solve that issue?
 
"and even flat-screen TV sets by preventing some critical element from functioning unless activated."

Imagine the joy in the eyes of the first person to get their 60 inch TV home, unbox it, hook it up, then see it doesn't work because the cashier at your local store didn't ring it up exactly right on the way out of the store. Call the store and get the nice advice of - "Just pack it back up, and bring it back and we'll try scanning it again."
 
rod.jpg


:D
 
hmmmm, wonder if it came out how long it would take to make a standalone activator that you could carry and someone would just walk through the isles erasing the discs and thus all potential profit for the store ;)
 
Could help with shop lifting; which if any of you guys worked retail know is a huge problem with DVDs and CDs.
 
Ok, unless your magic dye layer is smart enough to recognize an authorized electircal current from any other electrical current, it would seem someone will combine a battery and some resistors and sort out your multi-million anti-theft scheme fairly quickly.

From the sounds of it, at worst, someone would have to find the right voltage and pulse width and frequency to make this work.

Since stolen DVDs don't cost much, I suspect this formula will hit the internet in very short order.
 
It is, I worked retail. I also remember how easy it was to scan the DVD, even get the confirmation deactivation beep, only to find out the security tag was still active. So, to me, it sounds like another system to annoy legit customers, while not really phasing those who are intent on stealing it.

Offtopic, but I also remember our store didn't allow the employees to do anything, the security department had to do it all, we could only alert them. Made for some interesting days when the entire security department (1 guy) was on vacation. Crazy guy long sinced banned from the store came in, watched me watch him (eyes locked the whole time) unpackage a CD, play it in the demo CD-player, then walk out with it setting fire to the outside garbage can. Weee!
 
screw you, that garbage can was giving me a worse look than you ever could! oscar was askng for it!!

hehe j/k
 
The desperation is almost palatable.

I don't think they'll ever learn. The solution is to reduce the price of the content to the point where it's not worth the effort to steal it. If they'd reduce the price of DVD movies or music CD's to $2.99 (just tossing that figure out), they'd come out ahead. They wouldn't need to spend bazillions on anti-theft crap or even waste time and effort to pursue counterfeiters.

Idiots!
 
I can see lots of issues with product not getting activating and making customer pretty mad if they have to bring it back to the store just to have it scanned again and hope it works. Sounds like another method to frustrate consumers if you ask me.
 
I have an interesting question to pose. Do you think the people that try to enforce these crazy schemes are stubborn people of the old generation that are unable to change and perceive the internet age? Aged 40+, perhaps? Personally, I have a feeling that once these people die off, things will improve.
 
Destructo said:
I can see lots of issues with product not getting activating and making customer pretty mad if they have to bring it back to the store just to have it scanned again and hope it works. Sounds like another method to frustrate consumers if you ask me.
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What would be worse is ordering a bunch of DVDs from Amazon.com and them not having deactivated it..
 
I like the windshield idea better than it on the cds lol. I'm pretty sure that little chip can be cracked in no time if it were popular and on dvds and stuff. Its not possible to 100% eliminate piracy. They are trying to win a war which can't be won lol.
 
Conker said:
I like the windshield idea better than it on the cds lol. I'm pretty sure that little chip can be cracked in no time if it were popular and on dvds and stuff. Its not possible to 100% eliminate piracy. They are trying to win a war which can't be won lol.
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Very true, somebody will always find a way to crack it, always have and they always will. The only way to make anything secure enough a hacker can't crack it is to make it so secure nobody can access it.
 
Conker said:
I like the windshield idea better than it on the cds lol. I'm pretty sure that little chip can be cracked in no time if it were popular and on dvds and stuff. Its not possible to 100% eliminate piracy. They are trying to win a war which can't be won lol.
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This is what we do best in America.. Fighting "wars" in a way which is completely unwinnable, because we want to achieve goals so lofty that they could never be fully realised.. and being so rabid about it, as to completely cause the opposite effect.. Look at the war on drugs, the war on poverty, the war in Iraq, etc... It's the same thing over and over. :p
 
Cyrilix said:
I have an interesting question to pose. Do you think the people that try to enforce these crazy schemes are stubborn people of the old generation that are unable to change and perceive the internet age? Aged 40+, perhaps? Personally, I have a feeling that once these people die off, things will improve.
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That's generally accepted as one of the barriers.

The 40 somethings are a pretty sharp crowd. It's when you approach the 50> gang that you begin to run into incompetence and ineptitude. The problem is that they're smart enough to know they are irrelevant, however, they have the power and the expensive lifestyles that they're willing to fight to the death to retain.

Only time will weed them out.
 
In that case, I guess I'll just resort to downloading.

What problem is this supposed to stop? People from stealing DVD's from the store? Because once deactivated, the DVD can be processed like any other and then be offered up, correct?

Once the bits are on the 'net, it makes no difference how tightly secured all the copies on DVD are.

Futile.
 
If I was to purchase a DVD at the store and have it not play at home because it didnt deactivate properly I would be so freaking frustrated that I would return the damn thing for my money back
 
UrielDagda said:
This is what we do best in America.. Fighting "wars" in a way which is completely unwinnable, because we want to achieve goals so lofty that they could never be fully realised.. and being so rabid about it, as to completely cause the opposite effect.. Look at the war on drugs, the war on poverty, the war in Iraq, etc... It's the same thing over and over. :p
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Scary but true, just another form of that natural totalitarianism that affects us .
Too bad is the best alternative out there so far. If you know anything better go ahead and tell me.
 
Most coatings like this simply need a very low voltage charge. likely static electricity would trigger the change. If that did not work, then run it through the abrasive disk cleaner and buff the coating off.
 
Most coatings like this simply need a very low voltage charge. likely static electricity would trigger the change. If that did not work, then run it through the abrasive disk cleaner and buff the coating off.
 
Todd_a said:
Most coatings like this simply need a very low voltage charge. likely static electricity would trigger the change. If that did not work, then run it through the abrasive disk cleaner and buff the coating off.
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How did you manage to double-post two-and-a-half hours apart?
 
NebulaD said:
If I was to purchase a DVD at the store and have it not play at home because it didnt deactivate properly I would be so freaking frustrated that I would return the damn thing for my money back
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Good you mentioned that. Is that I have always wondered what is it with people (mostly American) that when they get pissed they just want their money back?
I work in McDonalds, and there are customers that ask for their money back in $20+ meals just because we don't have honey-mustard for their selects. WTF! (no lie)
And even worst, customers that ask for their money back because they can't wait 2 damn minutes for their fries. And I'm like: "Miss, please wait 2 minutes. Getting the manager is going to take longer than your fries to come out". And the customer is like: "I don't care, give me my money back". LOL:p
 
GJSNeptune said:
How did you manage to double-post two-and-a-half hours apart?
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LOL, for real.

Sorry for double post, but my edit button disappeared. I have issues with this website once in a while sometimes. And yes, I'm logged in.
 
Odin75 said:
LOL, for real.

Sorry for double post, but my edit button disappeared. I have issues with this website once in a while sometimes. And yes, I'm logged in.
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Wait, you're also Todd_a? :confused:

Anyway, yeah, these chips will easily be cracked. But it's the thought that counts, right? Engineers have to be paid for somethin', right? :D
 
Hell, why don't they all just go the route of Walmart, what with most of the DVDs behind glass and you have to go and find an employee to unlock them for you. That'd work better, cost less, and irritate the customer just as much. <sarcasm>

I already hate having to remove 27 pieces of plastic adhesive crapola from every CD/DVD I buy just to get into the case, and can never get it all off of the case.

They'd be better off re-investing the money wasted here in coming up with better content worth watching.
 
Odin75 said:
what is Todd_a?
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Ahhhh! I'm so confused!

Todd_a (7:46pm) said:
Most coatings like this simply need a very low voltage charge. likely static electricity would trigger the change. If that did not work, then run it through the abrasive disk cleaner and buff the coating off.
Click to expand...

Todd_a (4:53pm) said:
Most coatings like this simply need a very low voltage charge. likely static electricity would trigger the change. If that did not work, then run it through the abrasive disk cleaner and buff the coating off.
Click to expand...
 
Odin75 said:
Good you mentioned that. Is that I have always wondered what is it with people (mostly American) that when they get pissed they just want their money back?
I work in McDonalds, and there are customers that ask for their money back in $20+ meals just because we don't have honey-mustard for their selects. WTF! (no lie)
And even worst, customers that ask for their money back because they can't wait 2 damn minutes for their fries. And I'm like: "Miss, please wait 2 minutes. Getting the manager is going to take longer than your fries to come out". And the customer is like: "I don't care, give me my money back". LOL:p
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Those people are just being petty. The reason I would be pissed is I drive home and decide to watch the movie a few days later at night, and come to find out the damn thing doesnt work. So now I have to drive to the store the next day waisting more gas and more time.
 
I foresee trouble for legit consumers ahead. To curb piracy, lower the damn prices so people can afford the product. Spending $20 per DVD and $15 per CD doesn't help sales. Make CDs $3 and watch them fly off the shelves. Makes DVDs $5-10 range and watch them fly off the shelves as well. I work part time for BlockBuster and we regularly have to destroy DVDs because no one buys them, partly because they suck and partly because they are too expensive. You want to make money? Don't keep lots of inventory, or keep it to a minimum. Having inventory means that you are not selling items like you should.

Last year, one of my classes was how to run a factory. I had the lowest prices, marketed the hell out of my items, produced the most, and listened to what my customers wanted!. In twelve years on this simulation, I turned my $40 million business into a $400 million business. Maybe the movie and music industry should follow that marketing instead of trying to control people.

Destructo said:
Very true, somebody will always find a way to crack it, always have and they always will. The only way to make anything secure enough a hacker can't crack it is to make it so secure nobody can access it.
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Just ask the DoD, NSA, or even our beloved Microsoft on this. :rolleyes:
Odin75 said:
LOL, for real.

Sorry for double post, but my edit button disappeared. I have issues with this website once in a while sometimes. And yes, I'm logged in.
Click to expand...

There is no edit button in the News section ;)
 
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