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Vista is infested with drm
- Thread starter maxius
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Microsoft isn't the only one invovled, that is true, but they are invovled. I won't say Linux is the answer, and shouldn't be. I still like Linux how ever 
and if it comes down to only closed source expensive software can read the damn discs, or specialty hardware, well I can stick with plain old DVDs while they are still around.
and if it comes down to only closed source expensive software can read the damn discs, or specialty hardware, well I can stick with plain old DVDs while they are still around.So you are talking about craking it... You don't think it'll be cracked in windows too?Whatsisname said:
Again, I'm missing how linux is the answer.
Ice Czar, help me out here? Anyone?
eeyrjmr, what if people just don't buy the content and keep windows? Why the need for a "mass exodus"? That doesn't require linux.
edit: Link to old thread.
Whatsisname said:
You can do that in windows too, I fail to see how that has a damn thing to do with linux. If it's broken in Linux, it'll be broken in windows.
And as everyone else has pointed out, this is not a Windows/Microsoft/Apple/OS issue. The problem of having HD content downgraded if you don't have the right hardware applies to your High Definition TV too. If you don't have a digital output, the video gets downgraded to 480p period. On the computer side, someone _may_ beat the DRM, but if the H/W and OS companies don't play by the MPAA rules, they'd never get access to the information to decrypt the disks in the first place.
You want to stick it to the man? Don't buy any disks that have the flag that force players to downgrade analog video.
Whatsisname
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As I said, free software is the answer, not necessarily the kernel called linux.
However, the reason I said it would not necessarily be available for windows is because of the possibility of Digital Restrictions Management and Treacherous Computing being built into windows. If Microsoft decides you shouldn't be able to use software they don't like, they can upload instructions to your computer, to disallow you to run the crack/viewer, and force their will against yours.
However, the reason I said it would not necessarily be available for windows is because of the possibility of Digital Restrictions Management and Treacherous Computing being built into windows. If Microsoft decides you shouldn't be able to use software they don't like, they can upload instructions to your computer, to disallow you to run the crack/viewer, and force their will against yours.
Phoenix86 said:
Whatsisname
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Not necessarily. If the owner of a machine has absolute control over their hardware (possible in a free operating system, not possible in a DRM machine) I'm sure it would be trivial to spoof the proper authentication certificates to their HDTV once the DRM scheme is cracked. That way, the Hardware can be playing by the rules, but the software does not, only the hardware doesnt realize it, so it plays the full resolution video thinking everything is AOK.
nilepez said:
Ice Czar
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as has been mentioned
while opensource development isnt an immediate answer
if there is enough penetration of the protocol adopted there will be a huge incentive to make it usable without onerous restrictions
more to the point though is that by increasing the market share of alternatives you are "voting" on this and many other issues regarding freedom in the digital age. As that market share grows so does its viability for the masses as its becomes easier to use and more people are available to help the newcomers.
go out on the street and ask the average 35 year old how to backup a DVD and they will be clueless
ask the average 12 to 15 year old and they will either know or can findout in a chat room or forum in a matter of minutes
3 years ago my brother was clueless and used a computer as a glorified spreadsheet and wordprocessor, with my help its now his entertainment console
and he has mastered his rights to backup his media, in a digital age there is no reason to purchase and repurchase licenses to content, so they try to create those reasons
we can choose to accept restrictions and bitch about it or find alternatives
where we go others will follow
while opensource development isnt an immediate answer
if there is enough penetration of the protocol adopted there will be a huge incentive to make it usable without onerous restrictions
more to the point though is that by increasing the market share of alternatives you are "voting" on this and many other issues regarding freedom in the digital age. As that market share grows so does its viability for the masses as its becomes easier to use and more people are available to help the newcomers.
go out on the street and ask the average 35 year old how to backup a DVD and they will be clueless
ask the average 12 to 15 year old and they will either know or can findout in a chat room or forum in a matter of minutes
3 years ago my brother was clueless and used a computer as a glorified spreadsheet and wordprocessor, with my help its now his entertainment console
and he has mastered his rights to backup his media, in a digital age there is no reason to purchase and repurchase licenses to content, so they try to create those reasons
we can choose to accept restrictions and bitch about it or find alternatives
where we go others will follow
FSCDiablo
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I can see the ads now:
Buy Vista Core Bundle: $545 (OS and compatible video card)
or
Buy Vista Pro Bundle: $975 (OS and compatible video card and monitor)
or
Buy Vista Ultimate Bundle: $1789 (OS plus compatible PC)
or
Buy Vista Gamers Bundle: $3770 (OS plus a PC that doesn't suck)
<notice lack of OS only option>
Buy Vista Core Bundle: $545 (OS and compatible video card)
or
Buy Vista Pro Bundle: $975 (OS and compatible video card and monitor)
or
Buy Vista Ultimate Bundle: $1789 (OS plus compatible PC)
or
Buy Vista Gamers Bundle: $3770 (OS plus a PC that doesn't suck)
<notice lack of OS only option>
I don't see this happening as soon as some think. It would alienate a few people, and the people that are already setup would not upgrade for it. It would see minimal cash gains, possibly losses. I think it would be more of a ramp up, ending at a full requirement.
It's like it all gasoline suddenly had to change to a biofuel not able to run in cars. You had to buy a new car. A LOT of people would be outraged, especially the new car owners. It wouldn't happen, the technology wouldn't be bought, and it would go in the trash. Same as any other product.
PC's capable of HD playback aren't cheap, especially for the guy next door that buys a new one every 5 years. Most PCs still ship with floppy drives these days, CDR and DVDR still haven't killed that! And that's a cheap $5 part! It's hard to find floppy disks anymore, CD's are cheaper, and it's faster to email 1.44 MB than it is to copy a file to a floppy disk.
I just don't see it taking hold as fast as people are thinking. Sure, it sucks. But so is a lot of things (the loss of a REAL DOS in Windows...). But, it was phased out. Slowly. It took people and PC manufactures and software writers time to adjust.
It won't happen overnight.
It's like it all gasoline suddenly had to change to a biofuel not able to run in cars. You had to buy a new car. A LOT of people would be outraged, especially the new car owners. It wouldn't happen, the technology wouldn't be bought, and it would go in the trash. Same as any other product.
PC's capable of HD playback aren't cheap, especially for the guy next door that buys a new one every 5 years. Most PCs still ship with floppy drives these days, CDR and DVDR still haven't killed that! And that's a cheap $5 part! It's hard to find floppy disks anymore, CD's are cheaper, and it's faster to email 1.44 MB than it is to copy a file to a floppy disk.
I just don't see it taking hold as fast as people are thinking. Sure, it sucks. But so is a lot of things (the loss of a REAL DOS in Windows...). But, it was phased out. Slowly. It took people and PC manufactures and software writers time to adjust.
It won't happen overnight.
Amanda, welcome to the forums.
Yes, $ is the crux of the problem, not the OS. It's the fact that existing hardware, which is perfectly capable of playing the content, can't. What this amounts to is the consumer's directly funding DRM. The only thing the new hardware will be able to do is play protected content.
Anyone here care to buy a new monitor & video card to support DRM?
*tumbleweeds*
Yeah, that's what I thought.
OK, so where does that leave us? Paying extra from HD-DVD, and watching it on 480p? Yeah, I don't think so. I'll stick to normal DVDs.
Yes, $ is the crux of the problem, not the OS. It's the fact that existing hardware, which is perfectly capable of playing the content, can't. What this amounts to is the consumer's directly funding DRM. The only thing the new hardware will be able to do is play protected content.
Anyone here care to buy a new monitor & video card to support DRM?
*tumbleweeds*
Yeah, that's what I thought.
OK, so where does that leave us? Paying extra from HD-DVD, and watching it on 480p? Yeah, I don't think so. I'll stick to normal DVDs.
BobSutan
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^^^ I'm inclined to agree. Why pay for less? Oh that's right, so you can can pay even MORE.
I already do.eeyrjmr said:
I stopped buying music all together years ago. I stopped going to the theater because of the red dot cap codes. I don't own a single SONY product. I don't pirate things anymore either, been years since I had any illegal software.
Fuck DRM and piracy. They both screw with the real consumer, the ones paying.
Phoenix86 said:I already do.
I stopped buying music all together years ago. I stopped going to the theater because of the red dot cap codes. I don't own a single SONY product. I don't pirate things anymore either, been years since I had any illegal software.
Fuck DRM and piracy. They both screw with the real consumer, the ones paying.
Here here!!!
I have boycotted Sony after their BS. Music I still buy but in CD-form only (or vinyl) the greatest scam I have come across is the whole online music phanomonon. You buy a product at roughtly the same price but for 2/3 of the quality (CD are around 300kb/s and iTunes AAC are 192kb/s) and you cant move it where you want.
As to software hence Linux for me, does what I need it to do
Whatsisname
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I've never heard of this what is that all about? Phoenix86 said:
Basically a unique code of red dots are flashed on the screen (each print has a different pattern/timing). This is used in an effort to ID which theaters the movies on the net came from. Match the dot code/time, BAM! You know which theater it came from.Whatsisname said:
If you play any FPS games, or have good eyesight they ruin a movie. I noticed them in one of the very first movie they used them in (Kill Bill), a week later I read about them.
Text.
The dots are large, and placed in spots on the screen so they contrast well (so you will see red dots on a white backround). They are also pretty frequent.
Drudenhaus
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Crosshairs said:Best answer yet, and advice I took..
Windows free by 2007 for me .....
We need to convince all game companies to only use OpenGL then I can get rid of my blasted Windows install which I ONLY use for gaming and movies (since the 24" is on that comp).
Spaceninja
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I remember reading something a while back about HD-DVD and Bluray, something like 90% of the population doesn't give a crap. Everyone has a cheap $30 DVD player that they got a Wal-Mart or Cosco. Why would they want to go buy a new DVD player so they can watch movies that cost more on the same 27" TV with S-Video connectors?
My point is this. Most people have pretty low tech stuff, they also aren't going to go out and spend $4000 on a new home theater, just so they can watch movies in better quality. Most people think that "digital" cable is just fine. If I were to take 100 people that I know and ask them the any questions about resolution and such, they would stare at me blankly.
So with this in mind, and going back to a point someone else made earlier.... If the tech is expensive, and not going to work with your current hardware, that works perfectly, the new technology will die.
My point is this. Most people have pretty low tech stuff, they also aren't going to go out and spend $4000 on a new home theater, just so they can watch movies in better quality. Most people think that "digital" cable is just fine. If I were to take 100 people that I know and ask them the any questions about resolution and such, they would stare at me blankly.
So with this in mind, and going back to a point someone else made earlier.... If the tech is expensive, and not going to work with your current hardware, that works perfectly, the new technology will die.
eeyrjmr said:
Hell yeah, not to get too much off topic but...
I won't buy online Music until they offer lossless encoding (FLAC) completely free of DRM, or something with a DRM that I can crack super easy. There's simply no way hell I'm going to pay more than the CD would cost me on Half.com for a file I can lose when my Maxtor hard drive fails encrusted with DRM gayness. The music industry must really take us for stooges.
and of course Boycott Sony, I've been doing that for about 3 years now. I've unintentionally gone all the way with that now that I think about it. I haven't bought a single Sony product or media since that Leftfield CD.
LstBrunnenG
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First off, I found this on another forum. From one of the posts in the middle:
Now, I agree that the whole thing with current hardware not working on the new standard sucks. That said, there are positives as well. As I understand it, Vista will have the ability to rip these formats. They would be DRMed rips, to be sure, but right now you can't rip a DVD legally in the US. You can also bet that MS will make sure that this format is playable on PlaysForSure players, meaning you can take it with you on pretty much any HD-capable PVP that will come out that isn't made by Apple.
Most likely, by the time a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player for my PC is affordable, it will be upgrade time anyway. If the new format lets me do things I couldn't before, all while upping the quality, I'd call that a plus.
Some other forum said:
Now, I agree that the whole thing with current hardware not working on the new standard sucks. That said, there are positives as well. As I understand it, Vista will have the ability to rip these formats. They would be DRMed rips, to be sure, but right now you can't rip a DVD legally in the US. You can also bet that MS will make sure that this format is playable on PlaysForSure players, meaning you can take it with you on pretty much any HD-capable PVP that will come out that isn't made by Apple.
Most likely, by the time a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player for my PC is affordable, it will be upgrade time anyway. If the new format lets me do things I couldn't before, all while upping the quality, I'd call that a plus.
Don't be so sure about this. The content owner can (and likely will) charge you to use this feature, and exactly what you can do with the rip, which will probably be limited to 'watch it on the xbox360 over the network. I'm pretty sure you won't be able to copy this to a portable player without paying a whole bunch of $$$.LstOfTheBrunnenG said:
Crosshairs said:Best answer yet, and advice I took..
Windows free by 2007 for me .....
good for you, but your still going too run into the same problems as every other person in Vista. The content itself will contain the DRM, your linux/unix/freebsd will still need a way to decode it a long with a compatible video card/monitor.
LstOfTheBrunnenG said:
AND this is not allowed in the EU!!!
A CD plays on all CD players. A DVD (for that region) plays on all DVD players (for that region). IF a consumerable product stops working on newer discs then this will be breaking EU trading standards laws. Why punish the public for something a company does.
EVEN if companys dont let these "keys" out, the threat of all their product not working with new disks is enough for referal to EU trading standards. Not gonna happen. Maybe in the US/Japan but not here
LstBrunnenG
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IanG said:
Likely feasible, but highly improbable. MS wants to give people a reason to buy Media Centers. That, and Bill Gates came out against Blu-Ray because of no ripping support and then they added it.
I just have a hard time believing MS would make obsolete every single video card currently in existence. Ok I understand it's the MPAA, not MS, but MS deffinitely has some serious sway, Blu-Ray and HD DVD both support VC-1 (a Microsoft video codec) and Microsoft is one of the biggest backers of HD DVD. And not just video cards but monitors too? I don't see how it's possible. That would piss a LOT of people off, and not just puny little consumers, big business's with several thousand seats would probably be a little peeved when told they needed to replace all their computers (that they just bought 6 months ago), if they wanted to be compliant with this new DRM. Perhaps like DivX, Digital Audio CD-Rs and RealAudio this will just go away, (I can dream about the RealAudio part). Either that or maybe there will be a crack, or a cheap converter box or something.
LstBrunnenG
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Speak of the devil!
From: http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/02/the-clicker-a-sitdown-with-microsofts-joe-belfiore-part-i/
There you have it. If HD-DVD wins, you get free ripping. If not, you're at the mercy of the studio.
From: http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/02/the-clicker-a-sitdown-with-microsofts-joe-belfiore-part-i/
Engadget said:
There you have it. If HD-DVD wins, you get free ripping. If not, you're at the mercy of the studio.
They're not making "every single video card obsolete." How many businesses do you think will want their empoyees watching HD movies at work? Even better, how many business machines will even have a HD/BD-Rom drive? I'm thinking of a very small number. To businesses, their current video cards will work just fine.ElBarto79 said:
About home consumers - is this going to mean I can't run vista on my own box? No. I'll still be able to surf, do office stuff and play games just fine. If I want to watch a HD movie I'll have to buy a new drive, new DVD player software, new video card, new monitor and new operating system. That sucks, but it's likely to be 18 months or so by the time HD/BD-rom has caught on, and I'm sure I'll be doing some upgrades between now and then. Even so, I'll probably still just stick to regular DVDs.
For the bulk of the population who buy a new PC, these issues are likely to be irrelevant as the oems will make sure that any machine with the capability to play HD movies has all the necessary equipment. It'll be transparant to most consumers. The only people bitching will be the ones trying to upgrade an older machine, which is a very small percentage of total users.
edit:
Read it again, it's not free ripping. The content owner can (and will) charge you for it.LstOfTheBrunnenG said:
The codecs (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, VC-1) aren't the problem. There's two layers of encryption:ElBarto79 said:
AACS, stronger than CSS on current DVDs, encrypts the data stream on disc (hollywood studios + sony + intel + microsoft http://www.aacsla.com/home )
and
HDCP, computer or player to display encryption (intel creation http://www.digital-cp.com/home )
Both are requirements on standalone HD/BD ROM players and computers. If it's possible to decrypt the disc, it will play back in full quality on any system. For example, unprotected H.264 videos play back in full quality on Vista beta 2 now. IOW, switching to another OS because of this is a little silly (as a few posts above suggested). HD/BD ROM won't play back without DRM software on any other OS either.
IanG said:They're not making "every single video card obsolete." How many businesses do you think will want their empoyees watching HD movies at work? Even better, how many business machines will even have a HD/BD-Rom drive? I'm thinking of a very small number. To businesses, their current video cards will work just fine.
About home consumers - is this going to mean I can't run vista on my own box? No. I'll still be able to surf, do office stuff and play games just fine. If I want to watch a HD movie I'll have to buy a new drive, new DVD player software, new video card, new monitor and new operating system. That sucks, but it's likely to be 18 months or so by the time HD/BD-rom has caught on, and I'm sure I'll be doing some upgrades between now and then. Even so, I'll probably still just stick to regular DVDs.
For the bulk of the population who buy a new PC, these issues are likely to be irrelevant as the oems will make sure that any machine with the capability to play HD movies has all the necessary equipment. It'll be transparant to most consumers. The only people bitching will be the ones trying to upgrade an older machine, which is a very small percentage of total users.
edit:
Read it again, it's not free ripping. The content owner can (and will) charge you for it.
How are they not obsoleting every video card in existence if a new card will be required to view protected content? I'm thinking hard and I can't think of any instance in the past where something on this scale has happened with any PC technology. AGP, PCI, PC 66, PC 133, DVD, CD, Floppy, PCMCIA, etc. etc. every single standard has been supported as long as is technologically feasible. I can't think of one instance where there was large scale, forced obsolesence of fairly expensive hardware for no reason other than DRM. It's ridiculous. And you're right, a lot of business's won't need to view protected content, but there are a lot that will too.
What if you were the CEO of an advertising agency with 150 seats and the Microsoft rep came in and told you that you were going have to spend 300 grand on new monitors and 30 grand on video cards to view all the high def content studios are sending you. And it's not necessary for any performance issues, it's simply because MS and the MPAA are concerned about piracy and want you to foot the bill for the new, harder to hack hardware that has the exact same performance specs as your old hardware. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people that would be telling MS to go fuck themselves, and rightfully so.
ElBarto79 said:
They're not obsoleting cards if people don't want that functionality. I'm happy playing games on my PC, my card isn't going to be obsolete. Neither will any card in a PC that isn't upgraded to Vista - it'll continue to perform it's function just like it does now. You're not forced into getting a new video card to run Vista, you're being forced to get a new card if you want to add a HD/BD-Rom drive to your computer to watch a movie. That isn't Microsoft's doing, that's the groups behind HDDVD and BD.
You also won't be forced to upgrade every box in your advertising company - you'll continue to work on the raw, drm-free HD video files like you do now. This will only affect copywritten, studio-produced pressed discs which explicity require it. If they can't provide you that, you'll probably tell them to politely go screw themselves. As a fallback, you'll just make your staff view it at SD resolution.
People seem to think it will apply to any HD content, but it won't. My buddy has a HD video camera and he's going to be able to use it just like he does now in editing HD content. You'll also be able to watch High-Def transport stream files from OT broadcasts just fine.
BobSutan said:
Because of barriers to entry in the American market. Trust me, Hollywood is not as inept as you may think. I am sure that they have some legislation in place that will soon prevent anyone from legally importing HD content that "was not intended for resale in the US market" or some junk like that. Mark my words [edit removed].
BobSutan
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Quite frankly I'm surprised region coding lasted as long as it has in the US. In many foreign countries, depite what they are "zoned" as, nearly all DVD players sold there are coded as region 0 to be done with it. Region coding is nothing more than a tool used for price fixing on a global scale. If Japan wants to sell DVD for $60, but they know people can get them from the US for $15 (+shipping and duty), then they must find a way to prevent it. Queue region codes. My point is that they lock people into buying only the stuff they can get locally at the fixed price point. They do not restrict "how" people can use the content on the disk. This why DRM and Region Coding are two entirely different topics, and so we should save region coding for another day, please...
Actually this is one of the key elements in the HDDVD vs BluRay issue. The big Japanese manufacturers all took a beating once China/Taiwan started producing cheap (region free) players and they had to reduce their prices.drizzt81 said:
Sony (BDRom) are trying to do the same thing again and are wanting to keep production on players strictly within Japan, whole Toshiba is partnering with the Chinese to kick out cheap players to grab market share. If this generation goes the same way as the last, I hope that the cheap chinese produced players will have 'HDCP hacks' built in, and Wal-Mart will bring them to the US. Yes, I hope that HD-DVD wins the format war.
It'd be interesting to see the media industry going toe-to-toe with WalMart about this kind of stuff. WM is maybe the only company with the muscle to get their way - they have such a large market share that they could make or break either format.
LstBrunnenG
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IanG said:
Joe Sixpack that doesn't even have a computer won't know or care about ripping. So, if HD-DVDs are twice as expensive just to cover the ripping feature, they're doomed before they begin.
The discs won't be expensive - you'll only have to pay for this feature if you use it. I imagine it's going to be a case of putting th edics in the computer, firing up you dvd player software (or maybe just interactual!) and clicking 'create managed copy.' You'll then be taken to a screen telling you how much it will cost, accept the license, and be able to enter your credit card if you want to do this.LstOfTheBrunnenG said:
IanG said:The discs won't be expensive - you'll only have to pay for this feature if you use it. I imagine it's going to be a case of putting th edics in the computer, firing up you dvd player software (or maybe just interactual!) and clicking 'create managed copy.' You'll then be taken to a screen telling you how much it will cost, accept the license, and be able to enter your credit card if you want to do this.
BUT you have already paid for the medium. I have a right to back up any of my music,programs or games. THEY do not have a right to charge me for that right. That right is protected by UK and EU laws.
But we're not talking about music, programs and games, we're discussing movies which I don't think are covered under UK 'backup' law. Even if it is, circumventing encryptions is still illegal until the courts hopefully decide otherwise.eeyrjmr said:
It's their content, and they can unfortunately charge you for whatever they want to allow you to do with it. Hopefully the public will them them to go screw themselves and we'll be able to have a little bit more flexibility (like happened with Divx.)
It's kind of strange to compare this situation to the birth of original DVDs. There was no talk about being able to 'back them up' until css was cracked. Without that we'd be in the same situation as we're facing now. Even with VHS, consumers never really cared about making backups, and in most cases macrovision was enough to prevent most casual copying. Suddenly though, it's our natural born right to create backups.
While we're discussing original DVDs, when they were released (1997) almost every existing PC required a hardware decoder to be able to play them, and maybe even a 16-bit colour, 800x600 video card and monitor. People weren't all worked up about it though, claiming that DVDs were making their PC suddenly obsolete. They figured that if they wanted to watch dvds on their PC they'd have to plunk down cash on some upgrades. I don't really see anything different between the impending arrival of HDDVD/BluRay.
IanG said:But we're not talking about music, programs and games, we're discussing movies which I don't think are covered under UK 'backup' law. Even if it is, circumventing encryptions is still illegal until the courts hopefully decide otherwise.
It's their content, and they can unfortunately charge you for whatever they want to allow you to do with it. Hopefully the public will them them to go screw themselves and we'll be able to have a little bit more flexibility (like happened with Divx.)
It's kind of strange to compare this situation to the birth of original DVDs. There was no talk about being able to 'back them up' until css was cracked. Without that we'd be in the same situation as we're facing now. Even with VHS, consumers never really cared about making backups, and in most cases macrovision was enough to prevent most casual copying. Suddenly though, it's our natural born right to create backups.
While we're discussing original DVDs, when they were released (1997) almost every existing PC required a hardware decoder to be able to play them, and maybe even a 16-bit colour, 800x600 video card and monitor. People weren't all worked up about it though, claiming that DVDs were making their PC suddenly obsolete. They figured that if they wanted to watch dvds on their PC they'd have to plunk down cash on some upgrades. I don't really see anything different between the impending arrival of HDDVD/BluRay.
It is absolutely our right to make back-up copies. Whether consumers exercised that right in the past or not is irrelevent, we have the right and we can do it. It's just media companies aren't required to provide us a convenient means of exercising that right.
And having to upgrade your PC when DVDs first came out is not the same thing that is happening now. The issue then was hard technical limitations on some of the older hardware that existed at the time, it had nothing to do with DRM. What they are apparently attempting to do now is force you to upgrade perfectly capable hardware because they are concerned about piracy, it's a completely different issue.
And the only thing you needed to play DVDs was the drive and perhaps a graphics card with hardware decoding. You did not need to replace your monitor. The MPAA was not forcing DVDs to run at quarter resolution on older monitors, in fact they werent implementing any cheeseball controls at all save for CSS.
If someone told me "look, your computer simply doesnt have the horsepower to play HD DVDs and you're going to have to upgrade" I wouldn't have a problem with it. What I have a problem with is someone telling me "look, some people have pirated stuff from us in the past, so we want YOU to throw out your existing monitor and graphics card, and HDTV for that matter, and we want YOU to pay for all new equipment, just to help us out a little" To me it's total BS, piracy is their problem not mine, why do I have to pay for it?
What if the DMV told you they had implemented some new safety standards for cars, and your 1 year old model didn't meet them. So you were gonna have to dump it and buy a new car if you wanted to be compliant. Then if you throw a shitfit they just looked you calmly in the eye and said "hey, driving is a privelage, not a right, if you don't like it just don't drive on the road, simple".