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Topic: DVD "Security" Devices

John Hawkinson
Film God

Posts: 2273
From: Cambridge, MA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-01-2005 10:25 AM

Terminological clarification.

A few days ago, Randy said, "Those security tags are RFID devices. Radio Frequency tags. When you walk through the funky gates, an electric field is produced. (Imagine a radio antenna inside the gates.) The field incuces a current in anything made of metal within range. Inside the security tag is a strip of metal which is the right size and shape to emit a field of a certain frequency when it's induced by the gates. A receiving antenna picks up said field and sets off an alarm whenever it's of the right frequency."

This technology is not RFID, it has some other name.

RFID technology is much more recent, and it involves a radiofrequency field at a particular frequency that excites energy in the tag, which powers an extremely small microchip which then emits a radio signal on a different frequency, which is picked up by a receiving antenna. That radio signal is actually a unique number, and could be used to, say, uniquely identify a single can of Coke within a store (assuming that Coke had RFID tags, which it does not yet, but might in the future).

--jhawk

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Tao Yue
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 209
From: Princeton, NJ
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 01-01-2005 12:03 PM

Here's a site with some overview on EM vs RF vs RFID security devices:

http://www.shopbrodart.com/site_pages/h2guides/text_guides/security_systems/

EM tags are the metal strips that most libraries use, in the library world they're generically known as tattle-tape (a 3M trademark but on the road to aspirin).

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Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-01-2005 03:12 PM

Mike -- Actually, DVDs did used to come in CD Jewel cases. Some of the early Universal titles released around 1998 came in jewel cases that were slightly thicker than normal, and clear on the inside under the disc. (I think DivX discs came like that too, Universal being one of the studios supporting the format). Later they decided to move to the other cases to set DVDs apart from CDs and allow more space for screenshots, and something close to the dimensions of the poster.

So while they *can* make them smaller, get more shelf space, etc. that would leave little room for info, or it would have to be printed smaller. Think of some of the old record albums on CD where instead of resizing the cover(s) properly, they just shrank the LP jacket to CD size so you can't even read the back. [Wink]

=TMP=

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: California, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 01-01-2005 04:21 PM

quote: Thomas Procyk
I read an article where Wal-Mart will be implementing this technology for two other reasons besides security: One was so you can push an entire cart of stuff thru the cash register area and it will scan all the items at once allowing you to consume even more voraciously than you have in the past.

Second was so the item(s) can be tracked along with consumer spending and use. Imagine a DVD with a little RF thing hidden in it, and the retailer knowing whose house you're taking it to to watch.

RFID is not as powerful as all that.
The RFID tags work more like a radio frequency sonar. A unit in the immediate vicinity (not more than a few hundred feet away i believe) would be able to "excite" and pick up the signal of an RFID tag.
RFID tags cannot be used to track a product out of the store. I figure the product could be found much in the same way wardriving could find an open wi-fi access point, but what's the use? All the RFID tag should have is some basic info about the product, such as UPC code, ISBN, etc.

The "magnetic" security tags found in most of the dvd's are commonly called "chicklettes". When hit with a magnetic field the two plates smash together released small crystals which disrupt how they react to the "scanners" standing at doorways in retail stores.

As for the great case debate...
...I hate those goddamn plstic tabs!!! Useless!
I didn't realise they were there once and almost snapped a case trying to get to the dvd goodness...

As for compressed video...DVD is good because it has so many features VHS doesn't have, but I can't stand the compressed picture! AGH!

And damn anyone who buys "full screen"...

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-01-2005 07:20 PM

You're right. I mixed my letters up again. I should have said, "EM" instead of "RFID".

My brain doesn't work right sometimes... but you all probably new that already. [Wink]

I don't worry about CD or DVD cases breaking on me. I just take all the AOL disks that come in the mail, throw the disks away, pull all the labels out of them and save the empty cases for when I want a "spare". They are so thoughtful about making sure I have all the spare cases I need. [Smile]

Truthfully, it doesn't matter what kind of case a disk... any disk... comes in. The size and shape of a case is just a trick to make you think that the disk inside has more "value". People tend to think that movies are "bigger" and "more valuable" than a music CD. Therefore, the cases movies come in have to be "bigger-looking" and "more valuable-looking than a music CD case.

People wouldn't buy a DVD that came in a music CD case because it doesn't look "big" enough.

It's the same reason why the price of buying an "album" went up with the advent of CDs. There's a psychological value to having a "digital" music player. It simply MUST be more valuable just because it is "digital". We should have to pay MORE for a "digital" copy of the music! It has nothing to do with the fact that it's actually CHEAPER to produce music on a CD.

That concept carries over to movies, just on a grander scale.

It's all bullshit just like everything else in Hollywood.

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James Faber
Film Handler

Posts: 66
From: Des Moines, Iowa , USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 01-01-2005 11:50 PM

CD cases suck. One of the major problems I have CD cases, is that sometimes the top part of the hinge will break off, so every time you want to open the case, you have to actually remove the entire front portion of the case. DVD cases, however are one solid piece, and not held on by a small bump in the plasic...Plus, they don't crack when you step on them, which happens frequently on the mess that is my floor.

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Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1517
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 01-03-2005 01:06 AM

quote: Randy Stankey
People tend to think that movies are "bigger" and "more valuable" than a music CD. Therefore, the cases movies come in have to be "bigger-looking" and "more valuable-looking than a music CD case.

Ironically, more DVDs are reasonably-priced than CDs, even music DVDs by the same artists. $19.99 list price for 2-3 hours of music with a multichannel sound mix plus visuals and possibly some extra material is a bargain; $18.98 for up to 80 minutes of 2-channel audio with nothing else is a slap in the face. I haven't bought any CDs in a long time, but I've bought a lot of music DVDs lately.
A DVD packaging trend that is pissing me off lately is having them come with cardboard slipcases with NO shrinkwrap over them, with a shrinkwrapped case inside. I like to save the cardboard slipcovers, but titles that use them I have to buy at stores that don't use price tags since the stores that do will stick them directly on the cardboard.

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