Self-Destructing DVDs at DVinfo.net

Joseph George · May 20th, 2003, 06:52 PM

NEWS
Buena Vista Home Entertainment, owned by Disney, will begin a pilot program in August to rent DVDs which do not need to be returned. The DVDs become unplayable in 48 hours due to a chemical process which turns the DVD black as it is exposed to oxygen. Once the DVD turns completely black it can no longer be read by the laser in the DVD player. The special DVDs will be given the name EZ-Ds.

The technology behind the DVDs is owned by Flexplay Technologies. Flexplay--as well as Spectra Systems--began using self-destructive DVDs back in 2002 (see our previous coverage). Up until now the technology has been used by movie studios to send new movies to members of the media for preview.

Since the DVD rentals will not need to be returned they are sure to be offered to a much wider rental market. Some of the first movies to be offered for rental using the new technology include The Recruit, The Hot Chick, and Signs.

Read more on this topic at Reuters.

Nigel Moore · May 21st, 2003, 02:19 AM

Presumably these 'self-destruct' DVDs are also fully degradable? Or are thy intended to go to landfill?

Forgive my cynicism, but this almost makes AOL seem environmentally responsible!

Rob Lohman · May 21st, 2003, 07:33 AM

They don't dissolve completely or anything. So yes, you will
have to throw them with the garbage or use them to put your
cups on.

Not very environment friendly at all indeed! Oh and for those
that are wondering. This was not done to prevent illegal copying
or anything. They just didn't thought the consumer wanted to
go back to the store to return their rentals. Personally I like it
that way, I can check out what next to rent. And ofcourse this
will add more $$$ for shipping etc. A DVD rental store now needs
new DVD's each week because they won't come back.

Weird system and world we live in!

Nigel Moore · May 21st, 2003, 01:21 PM

My first question was cynical, my second rhetorical. But thanks for the reply anyway.

Forgive my forthrightness, but I cannot see that this waste of resources and environmental pollution, which IMO equates to reckless abandon, can be suitably balanced by commercial greed or the slack-arsed laziness of rental consumers. If renters don't want to get off their backsides to return a DVD they should buy it instead.

Rob Lohman · May 21st, 2003, 04:32 PM

Couldn't agree more!

K. Forman · May 21st, 2003, 05:44 PM

I think that this is why Netflicks was created. You rent movies online. They mail them to you. You watch the movies, then mail them back in a postage paid return envelope. It keeps you from having to drive anywhere, there is no waste materials (except for the envelopes), and it keeps the economy going by using shipping services.

These degrading DVDs are something else to add to my list of worthless excuses to avoid.

Cosmin Rotaru · May 22nd, 2003, 06:08 AM

It would be nice to have a count down timer! And you must buy a reusable steel can where to put the self destructing DVDs, to safely explode! :)

Joseph George · May 22nd, 2003, 11:21 AM

Water soluble eatable DVDs will be the next step -- will come in 31 flavors; pet versions will come in dog and cat favorite favors. Very environmentally friendly, Red 40 color content 50%. Drug dealers will sell their version with your favorite ingredients or with a custom computer controlled mixture. You'll watch one, then will eat it as you'll pop in another one into your player. It will be like chain smoking. Sales will be high. Economy will sore. No more recessions. No more depressions -- everyone will be high. We are in 21st century. Why use old technologies and philosophies? The biggest drug dealer will be Microsoft, since they lobbied heavily to legalize drugs and the legislators listened to their dollars and gave them exclusive rights to use their patented system.

Nigel Moore · May 22nd, 2003, 11:37 AM

Erm, what drugs are you on, exactly? :-)

Joe Carney · May 22nd, 2003, 04:49 PM

I recently joined NetFlix. You rent online and the DVD they send you includes a return mailer at no cost to the renter, nada. No late charges either. Just stick it in my mail box and put the flag up. Don't have to go to the rental house for renting or returning. Much better than this disposable option. Only problem is they don't seem to have the latest releases. good source for foreign film.

K. Forman · May 22nd, 2003, 04:58 PM

I joined Hollywood Video's unlimited rental plan. For $20 a month, I can rent as many movies as I want, two at a time, for as long as I want. It's a short drive, but I need to get out sometime :)

Jarred Land · May 23rd, 2003, 03:43 PM

lol, Circuit City tried to do this with DVd's in the 90s, (DIVX, no not that DIVX) you would buy the DVd and you could watch it 3 times.

Joseph George · May 23rd, 2003, 04:29 PM

That taught them a lesson -- to go back selling refrigerators

Alex Taylor · May 25th, 2003, 11:52 AM

I don't think they realized that DIVX failed horribly, and this should too. It makes me sick thinking of the millions of discs they're going to waste by doing this.

May 20th, 2003, 06:52 PM	#1
Joseph George Permanently Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 265	Self-Destructing DVDs NEWS Buena Vista Home Entertainment, owned by Disney, will begin a pilot program in August to rent DVDs which do not need to be returned. The DVDs become unplayable in 48 hours due to a chemical process which turns the DVD black as it is exposed to oxygen. Once the DVD turns completely black it can no longer be read by the laser in the DVD player. The special DVDs will be given the name EZ-Ds. The technology behind the DVDs is owned by Flexplay Technologies. Flexplay--as well as Spectra Systems--began using self-destructive DVDs back in 2002 (see our previous coverage). Up until now the technology has been used by movie studios to send new movies to members of the media for preview. Since the DVD rentals will not need to be returned they are sure to be offered to a much wider rental market. Some of the first movies to be offered for rental using the new technology include The Recruit, The Hot Chick, and Signs. Read more on this topic at Reuters.

May 21st, 2003, 02:19 AM	#2
Nigel Moore Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Switzerland Posts: 358	Environmentally irresponsible? Presumably these 'self-destruct' DVDs are also fully degradable? Or are thy intended to go to landfill? Forgive my cynicism, but this almost makes AOL seem environmentally responsible! __________________ _________________ Time flies like an arrow Fruit flies like a banana

May 21st, 2003, 07:33 AM	#3
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	They don't dissolve completely or anything. So yes, you will have to throw them with the garbage or use them to put your cups on. Not very environment friendly at all indeed! Oh and for those that are wondering. This was not done to prevent illegal copying or anything. They just didn't thought the consumer wanted to go back to the store to return their rentals. Personally I like it that way, I can check out what next to rent. And ofcourse this will add more $$$ for shipping etc. A DVD rental store now needs new DVD's each week because they won't come back. Weird system and world we live in! __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

May 21st, 2003, 01:21 PM	#4
Nigel Moore Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Switzerland Posts: 358	My first question was cynical, my second rhetorical. But thanks for the reply anyway. Forgive my forthrightness, but I cannot see that this waste of resources and environmental pollution, which IMO equates to reckless abandon, can be suitably balanced by commercial greed or the slack-arsed laziness of rental consumers. If renters don't want to get off their backsides to return a DVD they should buy it instead. __________________ _________________ Time flies like an arrow Fruit flies like a banana

May 21st, 2003, 04:32 PM	#5
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	Couldn't agree more! __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

May 21st, 2003, 05:44 PM	#6
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	I think that this is why Netflicks was created. You rent movies online. They mail them to you. You watch the movies, then mail them back in a postage paid return envelope. It keeps you from having to drive anywhere, there is no waste materials (except for the envelopes), and it keeps the economy going by using shipping services. These degrading DVDs are something else to add to my list of worthless excuses to avoid.

May 22nd, 2003, 06:08 AM	#7
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	It would be nice to have a count down timer! And you must buy a reusable steel can where to put the self destructing DVDs, to safely explode! :)

May 22nd, 2003, 11:21 AM	#8
Joseph George Permanently Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 265	Water soluble eatable DVDs will be the next step -- will come in 31 flavors; pet versions will come in dog and cat favorite favors. Very environmentally friendly, Red 40 color content 50%. Drug dealers will sell their version with your favorite ingredients or with a custom computer controlled mixture. You'll watch one, then will eat it as you'll pop in another one into your player. It will be like chain smoking. Sales will be high. Economy will sore. No more recessions. No more depressions -- everyone will be high. We are in 21st century. Why use old technologies and philosophies? The biggest drug dealer will be Microsoft, since they lobbied heavily to legalize drugs and the legislators listened to their dollars and gave them exclusive rights to use their patented system.

May 22nd, 2003, 11:37 AM	#9
Nigel Moore Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Switzerland Posts: 358	Erm, what drugs are you on, exactly? :-) __________________ _________________ Time flies like an arrow Fruit flies like a banana

May 22nd, 2003, 04:49 PM	#10
Joe Carney Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Centreville Va Posts: 1,828	netflix better I recently joined NetFlix. You rent online and the DVD they send you includes a return mailer at no cost to the renter, nada. No late charges either. Just stick it in my mail box and put the flag up. Don't have to go to the rental house for renting or returning. Much better than this disposable option. Only problem is they don't seem to have the latest releases. good source for foreign film.

May 22nd, 2003, 04:58 PM	#11
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	I joined Hollywood Video's unlimited rental plan. For $20 a month, I can rent as many movies as I want, two at a time, for as long as I want. It's a short drive, but I need to get out sometime :)

May 23rd, 2003, 03:43 PM	#12
Jarred Land DVX User Join Date: May 2003 Location: Vancouver Posts: 281	lol, Circuit City tried to do this with DVd's in the 90s, (DIVX, no not that DIVX) you would buy the DVd and you could watch it 3 times.

May 23rd, 2003, 04:29 PM	#13
Joseph George Permanently Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 265	That taught them a lesson -- to go back selling refrigerators

May 25th, 2003, 11:52 AM	#14
Alex Taylor Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 390	I don't think they realized that DIVX failed horribly, and this should too. It makes me sick thinking of the millions of discs they're going to waste by doing this. __________________ alextaylor.org