Blu-ray and HD-DVD shown at the CES

"Locked content"? You're joking, right? Can anyone verify where/how this might be useful? I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation.

Sure it's just another way for them to justify the added expense so you'll pay more.

Possible uses of locked content: 1) Steam-like distribution of games (probably with all the screw ups as well) Where you can cheaply buy the disc in stores/online before the official release date, then pay the difference to unlock the game- no more queueing, and no waiting ages for games to download over the internet. 2) Small TV studios distributing content- episodes of a series could be locked when you get the disk, and you get sent the unlock codes when the studio wants you to be able to see the episode.

The second point does seem somewhat reasonable if you want to control when the episode's released as long as there's no overhead cost, unless you possibly make a deal in which you pay, say, a quarter of the dvd up front for one episode, then a quarter for a new episode, and so on. This could be somewhat defeating if you give the public enought time to find a way around this feature, so you might as well ask for it all up front at the cost of disgruntling your audience with episode release dates. Steam can be really useful for control over MMOG, but I like to play in my solitude away from the wired every once in a while. (I don't even touch MMORPG.) My main concern is the way it's described: you'll have to take your player online, pushing the envelope towards a completely wired hts. I don't know about you, but I don't want my dvd player connected to the net. I want privacy. I want control. I don't want to be babied. I don't think the public do either. Also, If there were fixed codes for offline players, then you're practically defeating the purpose of your own lockout mechanism.

I don't wanna get off on a rant here, but I wish them all the luck in the world. Software copy protection ended 15 years ago, because no one would put up with it, and the true hackers busted right through it. Locked content only hurts honest people. I'm sure this will be tied to your DVD player, rather than there being one universal code to lock out the disk. SO when your player goes belly up, you'll be outta luck or have to go through some complicated black magic ruse with new codes from the manufacturer to get it to work (and if it doesn't, your SOL); again, the honest people get hurt. Can't Macrovision and their likes just blow away and die? They're totally useless and serve no good purpose. If Blu-ray has protection, I hope everyone boycotts them and sticks with "low quality" DVD, 'til Hollywood loses so much, they have to throw in the towel and trust their audience. And I don't want to pay the added cost to each Blu-Ray disc to protect against myself. There's always a dishonest minority, and it's a losing battle to take aim at the honest majority.

Agreed. And to think, if you pay for the extras on your dvd player, how are you going to watch it on someone else's machine? That, my friends, is rediculous.

Let's face it. The majority of great T.V. shows are shown in high def and can be recorded to TIVO or other high quality DVRs. Soon, you will be able to archive somehow. If the greedy movie studios don't get their sh!t together they will lose out. They need to embrace the new world and work with all.