Gizmodo
Yesterday, NBC jumped aboard Starship Zune after its protracted breakup with iTunes. It's clear why—and going with NBC's pricing was only part of it. Saul at the NYTimes says that Microsoft has agreed to develop a copyright filter that would block pirated content from being played on Zunes. Which is exactly what NBC was demanding from iTunes. Sucks, right? Well NBC's president of digital distribution just thinks you don't know what's good for you. Update: Microsoft says NBC was speaking out of turn, and there's nothing like this in the works for Zune. Phew. Update 2: As I suspected, Microsoft's denial actually isn't that black & white, details on that below.
"In the long term, the consumer wants there to be quality premium-produced content, and in order for that to continue to be a viable business, there needs to be significant protection around it." This is the same NBC that was working with AT&T to build a network-wide dragnet for pirated content, so color us totally not surprised. Just don't know why Microsoft would agree to this and give people a reason to avoid Zunes (whether it's a legitimate one or not), when they're already way behind the iPod (which told NBC to take a flying hoo-ha).
Update 2: Saul has since updated the original post with Zune Insider's retort, but he also adds what Microsoft spokesman Adam Sohn told him yesterday when he asked about the copyright stuff:
"I don't think they are wrong, but we are not going to characterize those discussions. We have agreed to work with NBC across a range of topics, and protection of copyrighted material is certainly one of them."The big tell? Via email, Saul told me that neither Microsoft nor NBC contacted him about a correction. And this isn't the kind of thing they tend to let lie. But feel free to draw your own conclusions. [Bits]
Comments
One more reason to not buy a Zune. M$ knows they want to increase market share, right?
I recall a parable, something about mousetraps getting better?
"why [would] Microsoft agree to this and give people a reason to avoid Zunes"
it's ok to piss in the ocean.
already hacked.
how? ...seriously, I don't understand how this would technically work. Like the zune won't play music that I've ripped from cd's and random torrents from my college days...
The more money people waste combating piracy via these filters and other crap like it the more people miss the point: your goods are not worth what you want to charge!
Make a better product or provide it via a service that is WORTH IT and you'll be getting people to jump on board.
They are trying to prevent water from leaving a strainer by using their fingers to plug the holes, you move you finger to plug a leak and another one will start in its place...
Real headline: "Microsoft Developing Way to Kill Sales".
I was wondering when this story was going to get here.
Before we hear: "well how will they be able to distinguish between the videos and music I legally rip from my CDs/DVDs?" let me just say . . . that is the point. Universal considers non-payment for "form shifting" content to be illegal. They want your money for each and every type of content that you use. Want to play "song a" via your cd player? Pay for the cd. Want to play the very same "song a" in your PMP? pay for the download. Want to use the same "song a" for a ringtone? Pony up my friend. The same for TV shows. No more ripping from DVDs and transferring it to your PMP. Download and pay.
So when you ask: "how will they distinguish?" I say that it will be simple! If it does not have an appropriate flag in the file . . . no play my friend!
@ ronnsprocket
Seems that I got my post in too late! SIGH! sometimes I wish I typed faster! :)
Oh Microsoft, why do you try (and succeed) so hard in keeping away the masses from the Zune? Is it because it is your baby and you don't want some drunk frat boy stealing its innocence? Lack of protection leaving it impregnated with pirated content?
Zune, you were cool for all of 10 second when you came out, now I must avoid you like a Chinese child does the bird flu.
And yet, NBC is now "selling" their shows in the UK iTunes store... with variable pricing (Hercules and Hulk, £1,19. Heroes and House, £1,89)
So the 7 people with a Zune will now jumpship.
thats really not cool, whether agree with "piracy" or not, they really shouldnt do that. they need to sell the hardware and leave it at that, let the consumer be responsible for what goes on it and the consequences of it. I dont get how they would even do that, its not like the content has anything to do with the torrent file. Either way, it will be hacked, and when support for Zunes hits Linux, and you can use Amork to sync, it wont even matter.
i really doubt it would be difficult to get past. more to stop the novice users how send their limewire videos straight to their zune library.
Are they serious? I wanted to buy a zoon too...now I don't know what I'll buy, I don't really care for the Ipod classic, but I need SOMETHING to replace my aging (and crashing) Creative Zen Vision:M
Zuneinsider.com already has their response.
[zuneinsider.com]
Maybe when NBC can actually put out a product superior to what I myself can rip and encode I'll buy in.
So, how will I be able to upload my OWN footage on that thing then? I am a videographer, and I export in h.264 or XViD often -- the same kind of format that usually pirated content is often found under. How is that "filter" is going to recognize that my content is legit and not stolen? Short of artificial intelligence, there's no way to know. This means that I would not be able to playback my own content on my devices, and this is simply too restrictive. Just because they can't limit piracy by other ways, *I* should not be paying for everyone else's sins.
@ianmac47: Exactly. Does anyone give a damn about the Zune? Either way, its shit like this that makes microsoft look like a bunch of fools.
@spenc938:
Ok I guess its not real then. Cool.
It would have been a really dumb idea. It's kinda hard for me to care though because I don't put videos on my zune. Just podcasts mostly. I think I have maybe 20 songs on it.
So, where were we with the Zune/Mac discussion?
@thinkthis: "not worth what you want to charge" ? So instead people should be free to pay nothing? Voting with your wallet is all fine and good but don't hiding behind "too expensive" as an excuse for piracy.
FWIW this sounds like a bad move for MS. If random stuff stops working because their filter deems it pirated (legit or not) I dont think I'd be buying one.
Wow, if this is true, then I don't know what I will be doing. I have a Zune 80 and Zune 4, and they both rock. Far and away better than my past iPod's, but if they try to pull this stuff, then I will have to look into a different player.
Which sucks because Apple offers nothing that competes with the Zune 80 really. I will probably keep the 4 because I just use it in my car with Sync for music. But the 80 I use every day for videos and stuff, including legit stuff that depending how they screw this up will look illegal just because they are my DVD's that I ripped.
Well, I won't be like everyone and pretend this is going to be worse than it is, lets wait and see.
@nojo: Not only does it not run on Mac's - now it has extra "features" to prevent basic usage.
Only Microsoft could figure out a way to make the Zune even less attractive.
And NBC is brilliant to give up iTunes in favor of MS and Zune support. You know how many people I see each day watching stuff on their Zunes and talking on their zPhone - none, zip, nada, AND there is NO zPhone!
@spenc938: Cesar, J. B. Perrette from NBC Uni, line 1.
Don't see how this hurts anyone?
I mean we all get our music LEGALLY right?
It's not real guys.
[zuneinsider.com]
Oh cool, thanks for the Zune Insider link. As long as they stick to that, then I am fine with it. That sounded a little too extreme for them to get on board with, regardless of the company I don't think anyone would do something that short sighted.
And yes think its hilarious how everyone's like "ZOMG IM NOT BUYING ZUNE NOW THIS IS GONNA KILL SALES". You're just admitting that you pirate all your shit.
Ah.... speculation! De-bunked straight from the horse's (aka Zune employee) mouth?
[zuneinsider.com]
@Eugenia: you make a really good point about footage you actually own. This is such a bad road that MS is going down, just to kiss the ass of NBC. NBC is really bent on showing Apple/iTunes how ridiculous they can be.
"We have seen some chatter in the blogosphere over the last 24 hours around a couple of posts speculating about what Zune may or may not do in terms of putting content filtering features directly into the Zune family of devices in future releases.
We know you guys are following this discussion closely, and wanted to be absolutely clear on this issue:
We have no plans or commitments to implement any new type of content filtering in the Zune devices as part of our content distribution deal with NBC.
We think some folks in the industry were expressing hopes for how the entire industry, not just Microsoft, would come to look at content distribution, and some speculation has ensued. Again, no plans are in place toward this end." - Cesar Mendez (Zune Employee) zuneinsider.com
@chillywilly:
Well they aren't doing it and honestly there is no way that they can do it correctly. It would be impossible. They already have a kind of similar problem with the Zune. If I download a podcast off a site, and not from Zune/iTunes the zune software will recognize it as a song almost 99% of the time. I believe this is because of thesharing capability with zunes. Songs can be played 3 times, podcasts can be played an unlimited amount of times. So if you can trick the software into recognizing a song as a podcast you could, i guess, send people songs. Its retarded though because it can only be done locally, and if people want to give songs to their friends for free they'll burn them to CDs or something.
@CCCombobreaker: if you don't think they're working on this you're a fool. There may not be 'plans' to put it on just yet - but this is the wedge MS will use to separate Apple from their content providers.
I mean who didn't see this coming? The Zune already vomits DRM-like sludge on all the files that pass through its squirt mechanism. That was just the test case.
@DW: Ah.... speculation!
Not quite.
The Times quotes "J. B. Perrette, the president of digital distribution for NBC Universal" -- a reasonably authoritative source, I would think. And adds, "Adam Sohn, a spokesman for Microsoft, declined to discuss details of this effort".
And then we have Zune Insider, written by "Cesar Menendez, a Microsoft employee working on Zune".
I don't know whether Cesar is an Official Mouthpiece, but the story is by no means speculation. At best we have an example of NBC Uni and Microsoft forgetting to compare notes beforehand.
I guess Gizmodo hasn't seen this : [zuneinsider.com]
Seriously, I hear speculation on how Apple plans on screwing their customers even more, but you guys never post that. :(
everyone should just get an archos... and they're french.. soo like who wants to deal with them or care
Here's to hoping the Zune crashes and burns.
The information in this was outdated and inaccurate the moment it was posted.
As several others have said: [zuneinsider.com]
What's a Zune?
@dagamer34: Here's hoping that people like you shut the fuck up.
@bitfactory:
I never said they weren't working on something like this. In fact lets fact it, every company is trying to find a "good" way to stop piracy. They're all working on it.
Well anyway this has been proven false. So the topic is moot at this point.
Cesar: "We have no plans or commitments to implement any new type of content filtering in the Zune devices as part of our content distribution deal with NBC."
NBC: Mr. Perrette said the plan is to create "filtering technology that allows for playback of legitimately purchased content versus non-legitimately purchased content."
The story stands until NBC or Microsoft officially denies it.
obligatory "fuck the riaa" comment
i am sure they had a hand in this. they have a hand in all things evil.
*ahem*
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Cesar is offical, he is on the Zune team.
Oh come on, Microsoft.
I had always liked the Zune. This will fucking blow.