Gwênlyn
Not Permitted ∅
When you pop a DVD in, looking forward to watch a movie, the first thing you're forced to see is a series of screens warning you of the consequences of copying the movie. It's as if every time you walked out your front door, you had a government official stopping you forcefully and giving you a lecture on proper public behavior, or if you couldn't get in your car without being warned against breaking any traffic rules.
Naturally, while such warning screens are presented, you cannot skip, fast forward, go to the DVD's menu, etc. What about pausing?
Ridiculously, even pausing the DVD playback is disabled. If you want to spend a longer while pondering the consequences of copying audiovisual material, perhaps hold a family discussion with this helpful screen as cue... you can't. Eventually it goes away, and if you didn't have enough time to appreciate it, sorry. Maybe next time.
To try to mitigate that difficulty, DVDs now come with more of such screens, lasting longer. This educational screen you see here (while I failed to pause it) is number two of three. The first was the classic screen with the FBI logo, and the third says just "DUPLICATION IN WHOLE OR IN PART OF THIS DVD IS PROHIBITED", in case you didn't have time to read the longer versions, or lacked the acumen to understand them. You have to appreciate the friendly ALL-CAPS, too.
Additional good news: the warning-screen genre is evolving. Not only more and longer, but now they also have a "preview-style" videoclip, with an exciting fast pace guaranteed to keep the whole family entertained. The message is the same as the boring static screens, and while the video plays, you can't stop, skip, pause, etc.
Think of the potential for expanding this genre! How about full length movies about DVD Piracy, force-fed before the movie you wanted to watch? (Sorry, a preview of your movie: there was no room left on the DVD.) How about "DVD Piracy: the video game"?
Will all these measures stop those that will copy the DVD anyway? Do they improve the experience of those of us who just want to watch the movie, and have no interest whatsoever in copying it?
Not Permitted ∅
When you pop a DVD in, looking forward to watch a movie, the first thing you're forced to see is a series of screens warning you of the consequences of copying the movie. It's as if every time you walked out your front door, you had a government official stopping you forcefully and giving you a lecture on proper public behavior, or if you couldn't get in your car without being warned against breaking any traffic rules.
Naturally, while such warning screens are presented, you cannot skip, fast forward, go to the DVD's menu, etc. What about pausing?
Ridiculously, even pausing the DVD playback is disabled. If you want to spend a longer while pondering the consequences of copying audiovisual material, perhaps hold a family discussion with this helpful screen as cue... you can't. Eventually it goes away, and if you didn't have enough time to appreciate it, sorry. Maybe next time.
To try to mitigate that difficulty, DVDs now come with more of such screens, lasting longer. This educational screen you see here (while I failed to pause it) is number two of three. The first was the classic screen with the FBI logo, and the third says just "DUPLICATION IN WHOLE OR IN PART OF THIS DVD IS PROHIBITED", in case you didn't have time to read the longer versions, or lacked the acumen to understand them. You have to appreciate the friendly ALL-CAPS, too.
Additional good news: the warning-screen genre is evolving. Not only more and longer, but now they also have a "preview-style" videoclip, with an exciting fast pace guaranteed to keep the whole family entertained. The message is the same as the boring static screens, and while the video plays, you can't stop, skip, pause, etc.
Think of the potential for expanding this genre! How about full length movies about DVD Piracy, force-fed before the movie you wanted to watch? (Sorry, a preview of your movie: there was no room left on the DVD.) How about "DVD Piracy: the video game"?
Will all these measures stop those that will copy the DVD anyway? Do they improve the experience of those of us who just want to watch the movie, and have no interest whatsoever in copying it?