Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Disney to begin renting Self-Destructing DVD's

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Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 05-16-2003, 03:24 PM:

Starting this August Disney will start releasing DVD's that will
self-destruct in 48 hours. Looks like one of those DIVX guys got a job over at Disney Video.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030516/tc_nm/media_disney_dvds_dc

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/ontv/052103_nw_disney_technology.html

[ 05-21-2003, 06:34 PM: Message edited by: Bill Gabel ]

Posted by John Lasher (Member # 968) on 05-16-2003, 06:11 PM:

Hopefully this will bankrupt the studio. I imagine it will cost somewhere around 5 dollars to get one of these. Why on earth would I put down $5 of my hard earned money to get something for 2 days, when I can get it at the same price for 5 days at Hollywood Video, I can even keep it late, they'll just charge me for an extra 5 days. If anyone in LA law enforcement is reading this, I think the boys at Disney are using some sort of illegal, mind-altering substance!

Posted by Pete Lawrence (Member # 130) on 05-16-2003, 08:27 PM:

I give them credit for trying something different. If it's priced to high the market place will take care of the problem and it will die quietly.

However, the self destruction of Disney material is an old tradition that dates back to their IB Technicolor 35mm prints. Disney prints seem to die from vinegar syndrome more than any others. The suspected reason is Disney would rejuvenate prints in an effort to squeeze every nickel they could out of them. This process made the film stock prone to VS.

I guarantee someone will be selling a storage box for Disney DVDs that will at least slow the color change down. Check Ebay the day these DVDs hit the stores. [Big Grin]

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-16-2003, 09:12 PM:

The technology will serve no purpose, other than to make the disks a "throw-away item" after 48 hours. I think it will be more of a burden on the rental facilities who have to maintain an inventory of the DVD's people want to view at home. I think in the long run, instituting a program like self-distructing DVD's is going to cost more than what it will yield.

Another problem I see is they still can be copied perfectly up to the 48-hour time frame. DVD rippers are becoming more popular as time goes on, and many movies DVD's go "out of print" soon after they are released. It will probably stop the sale of rental DVD's of old stock because it is no longer "moving". There simply won't be any available to sell, which will represent a loss of revenue for the rental facility.

People can get some good deals on buying used DVD's. They are all over the place. People might catch on to the piracy aspect as being a viable option for adding movies to their personal archives simply because they can no longer buy used stock from the rental facilities.

As an example, I can truthfully say that at least 70% of my VHS archives came from used stock sales purchased from rental facilities.

With the price of new DVD's, the sales are dropping like a lead bowling ball. The average blue collar worker sees the prices are just too high to plop down 25 bucks to buy a DVD of a movie that is not even worth seeing in the first place.

Disney Studio's idea could possibily backfire.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 05-16-2003, 11:48 PM:

Unless I can buy Disney's new disposable DVds for less than $2.00, the plan will not work for me because I can rent both old and new DVDs from $1.35 to $1.85 per day as part of my special senior citizen discount from Tower Video. As a movie lover, I have made an effort to see almost every major film in a theatre up until about three months ago but because of my senior status in renting DVDs and the excellent home theatre system I have, I have decided to see only special films in a theatre and the others at home. Putting up with late comers, cel phone use, people talking and other things that used to annoy me in a theatre is non existent at home. If I have to go to the batroom at a theatre, I would miss at least five to ten minutes of a film. I will not miss out on anything at home because I can press "Pause" when I have to go to the bathroom. I just love it.

By the way, tonight's feature at my home theatre will be "BATTLE CRY" with Van Heflin, Aldo Ray, Nancy Olson and Tab Hunter and will be in the original CinemaScope ratio and a brand new 5.1 soundtrack remixed from the original four track mag.

-Claude

Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-17-2003, 01:20 AM:

I see these as being terribly wasteful. Is Disney also going to start a program to recycle the useless discs? DIVX was a flop -- granted these do not require a special machine to play them, but the idea is the same. Well, as John said, if people don't want them this plan will die a quiet death.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-17-2003, 01:58 AM:

Oh sure, I didn't see this thread so Daryl gave me a rash of shit and closed my thread I started on this topic. What a jerk...him not me!

>>> Phil

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-17-2003, 02:07 AM:

My question is "WHY?" What made them want to do this? I'm sure they see tons of dollar signs, but I don't. Covering the already littered landscape with millions of useless DVDs is also an issue. Talk about overflowing landfills. Disney loves waste.

Paul, you are contributing to piracy by purchasing USED (gasp) movies!!!!! NONE of the money you paid goes to the studio who made the film. You and people like you will ensure that the movie industry will grind to a halt. How dare you. The studios need your money more than you do. They only made a 4 billion dollar profit last year and that is simply not enough. How can you expect them to survive on only $4 billion profit? Utterly ridiculous. It would have been at least $25 billion if not for you, and that still is not enough. Shame on you. Shame shame!!! [Smile]

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-17-2003, 02:43 AM:

I would NEVER purchase "used" tapes or DVD's. It is akin to taking bread from the mouths of the people that worked so hard to create the fantastic entertaiment that we all enjoy.

I think anyone that rips DVDs, or purchases USED CD's, DVD's or tapes are among the lowest of all possible life in the solar system.

>>> Phil

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 05-17-2003, 03:11 AM:

Being brought up in the automotive and aviation industries, like Phil, I think that anyone who purchases used cars or airplanes are also among the lowest of all possible life in the solar system.

In fact, that goes for anybody that has ever purchased used projection equipment or film too! [Wink]

Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-17-2003, 04:14 AM:

So then what should we do with movies and CD's we don't want anymore? Throw them out? Burn them? Bury them and salt the land so nothing will ever grow there again?? And if I have a car I no longer want, should I just park it on some railroad tracks or drive it off a cliff into the ocean where it will explode upon impact, just like on TV?? [Big Grin]

</sarcasm>

When Garth Brooks was making all that fuss over The Wherehouse selling used CD's, I thought Donna Summer or Olivia-Newton-John oughta publicly denounce the Goodwill store for selling their LP's and not giving them a cut! [Smile]

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-17-2003, 12:44 PM:

One thing I like about buying a used VHS movie is that if I don't like the movie, I can always erase it and use the cassette for something else... [Smile]

Hmmmm....2 bucks or less a pop for a used cassette in good condition from the Salvation Army, Good Will, Safeway, or whatever is not too bad of a deal. [Big Grin]

VHS inventories are dropping like flies. In fact, the last VHS cassette I bought either new or used was well over 5 years ago. [Wink]

I even stooped so low to buy a Pioneer CLD-900 Lazer Disk Player at a garage sale for 30 bucks 12 years ago, and got a bunch of Lazer Disks with it. I dragged it home, cleared the jam, and used it for 10 more years before it finally died. Got 10 years of service out of it. [Cool]

Another low-life thing I pulled was I got a 1983 Honda Civic out of a junk year for $150 bucks. I hung a used door and a used hood (same color) and drove it for 100,000 miles and then gave it away when it finally blew the engine. [beer]

The last two DVD's I bought were new. Dazed and Confused and Detroit Rock City were the titles. [Razz]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-17-2003, 02:16 PM:

The same goes for any studio that sends out a used print to a theater. That is just wrong! They should strike brand new prints for every engagement. Does anyone care to disagree with me on this one?

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-17-2003, 03:39 PM:

In answer to the problem of used and trashed prints going out to theatres, Kodak heard the cries and has released a new product called "FilmX ™".

It's a low-cost, high-quality, fine-grain color print stock with a specially formulated emulsion which peels off after 7 days or 50 plays, whichever comes first. This should alleviate the problem of poor print quality arriving at theatres.

The base stock can then be used as clear leader, thus helping to protect the environment and preserving our national resources.

>>> Phil

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 05-17-2003, 04:37 PM:

quote:
...They [studios] should strike brand new prints for every engagement. Does anyone care to disagree with me on this one?

Oh, absolutely not! Matter of fact, expanding on Daryl's distain for used-equipment lowlifes, we should insist that all new prints be presented on new projectors, thereby perpetuating the species' (manufacturers, technicians, etc). This equipment should be installed and maintained at studio expense, so as to justify first-week percentages. When the engagement ends, all projectors should be packaged in those corrugated boxes for pickup by Technicolor, along with the prints... after which they'll be melted down and recast for new machines.

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 05-17-2003, 05:37 PM:

No no no. You have it all wrong! The studios should only have to strike ONE print of any given movie they make. Once they make the movie, print the one copy, then they can proceed to build a theater. Once the theater is built, it will be eqipped with all new projectors, speakers, everything down to the seats will be brand new. The print will be brought to the theater, run only once, (because, after one run it would be an old movie already, and we can't re-use the same movie as entertainment!) Then once the audience leaves, the theater and all its contents, including the print will be burned to the ground.

As for the props, costumes, equipment, and actors used to produce the movie, that's a whole other story... [evil]

=TMP=

Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-17-2003, 08:45 PM:

That is an entirely sensible solution! Think of all the industries we'd keep afloat that way! And the staff wouldn't even have to bother with cleaning the auditorium after the show! (Well, sometimes they don't do that anyway...) And it would always ensure the local fire department had something to do! Although, that would cut down on the number of chili cook-offs we'd get... Maybe after the show the theater can just destroy itself, like the house on Poltergeist?? [Big Grin]

Posted by Chris Markiewicz (Member # 1415) on 05-17-2003, 09:21 PM:

Or the whole theatre could be made out of biodegradeable materials that sunlight would break down after two days...just long enough for that one showing!

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-17-2003, 10:16 PM:

You guys are turning this thread into some sorta of ridiculous joke thread. That is very unprofessional.

Remember, people from all walks of life and even kids depend on us professionals to guide them through the complexities of quality film projection and superb showmanship. We are professionals, and we should set an supreme example for them to follow.

>>> Phil

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 05-17-2003, 11:17 PM:

That's Right!

The way to go to go, Phil [Smile]

-Claude

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-18-2003, 12:51 AM:

[Smile]

Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-18-2003, 02:45 AM:

OK, I'll stop the silliness now. Now, everyone must participate in intensely serious discussion of the topic of the thread. We cannot allow this to become a silly joke thread. Those have NO place on a professional forum like this!! I recommend that all silly joke threads be closed immediately, and the offending poster(s) should be strapped down and made to watch "Glitter" in a shoebox multiplex with mono sound, from an out-of-focus, mis-framed print with scratches and bad splices!

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 05-18-2003, 02:49 AM:

You've got a print of Glitter!? [Big Grin]

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 05-21-2003, 09:06 AM:

this is the third thread on this topic.

[puke]

bump

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-21-2003, 04:30 PM:

Thanks for counting and letting us know, Bill.

Who will make it 4? ...just to piss off Daryl? [evil]

>>> Phil

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-02-2003, 11:59 PM:

I made it 4 and Daryl the wimp didn't even catch it for almost 4 hours! [beer]

>>> Phil

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 06-03-2003, 12:31 PM:

Phil

He must be keeping an eye on that Bob Maar guy. [Wink]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 06-03-2003, 12:50 PM:

I keep on tellin' ya Phil... we're not all retarded, oops, I mean retired... so we can't all watch the forums 24/7.

I thought the 'flame' made up for it. [Smile]

Posted by Torsten Jasper (Member # 1860) on 09-04-2003, 12:07 AM:

quote:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
When the engagement ends, all projectors should be packaged in those corrugated boxes for pickup by Technicolor, along with the prints... after which they'll be melted down and recast for new machines.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

I agree!!! [evil]