Some one suggested it at the time too. I wasn't 100% sure how to do it and I didn't really want to complicate an already frustrating event. I started to but chickened out.
Now that I think about it wasn't there a Vista compatibility program packaged with Win 7? Shit, should have tried that too. #microsoft
@tande04: the fact that you don't know where it was or even if it really existed shows that Microsoft needs to fix the User Interface and not just eye candy it. #microsoft
@imTheKing: Or it shows that I panicked because I didn't want to handwrite a 3hr exam and just went with what I thought was the easiest option at the time. #microsoft
@tande04: I hope you have better concentration with your studies and you pass your exams. Using compatibility mode is highly easy to use and 100% less drastic than removing an entire operating system. Search google for an answer next time. #microsoft
@joncoffee: No I don't actually. I'm sitting on Giz. Thanks for caring though.
Google or not I'm going to stick with my way of doing it. Even though I'd admittedly didn't even think about it at the time I don't think that compatibility mode would have worked now that I'm talking it out with people. The whole point of the software is to keep other things from running on the computer so I doubt a virtual version of windows would have worked out. Plus (even assuming that it would work) I'm sure that compatibility mode works great and all but since the whole point is to keep me from having to handwrite the thing I'd hate for something to happen midway and get stuck handwriting the thing after all was said and done.
It may have been the more drastic option and may be a sucky option but in the end I'm sure it was the safer option. #microsoft
@tande04: Compatibility mode is pretty good actually. And sorry to say, it's sometimes not a bad idea to admit that "your way" may actually not be the best to stick with, because in this case, it really wasn't.
EDIT: Came across snarkier than I intended to, sorry.
@tande04: bummer, right click, hit compatibility tab and select "run this app with "operating system" mode. You can choose XP, Vista (various system service packs for both) and most of the time it'll run perfect. #microsoft
@tande04: nah, it's not really a virtual OS as it is just a setting that allows it. You don't have to boot into it or anything. It basically tricks the OS and is stable at that. give it a whirl next time. You'll be stoked that it probably worked without having to install an entire diff. OS and saving you much time in the process.
Cheers all the same, at least it worked for what you needed which is the bottom line right :-) #microsoft
@tande04: Wow you are dumb. Did you try compability mode. Or run windows 7 in xp mode. Or use a virtualizing software with the OS of your choosing. #microsoft
@tande04: dont blame microsoft blame your sorry ass univerity and their lame ass software. All the software that ran on my vista runs on Windows 7. #microsoft
@chapoec: Hey, Asshat: instead of commenting here, bad mouthing someone forming an opinion, perhaps you should realize that something as important as an exam shouldn't be left to chance. And the fact that when you first set up Win 7, it doesn't guide you through and specific tutorials might have made it a little hard to justify trying to finagle a new OS when grades and a degree are on the line.
I'm sure you're a Windows 7 master who could run fucking circles around us, but some of us would rather use an OS we know for the important things rather than early adopt and get screwed on accident. Tande04 did what was right by him, and you coming in here calling him stupid and being a Microsoft apologist isn't winning you any points, pal. #microsoft
@E30Kid: Yep. Thats what I figured to. I hadn't had a problem with anything in the past so when I ran it and it said "Windows 7 not supported" I was a little surprised.
@Asherek: Pfft. Thats not snarky at all by Giz standards. And yes, I still stick by that it was the best decision in the end. Windows 7 is not supported and if I fucked myself in the end by trying to get around it I just would have been pissed.
@JYHASH: Yep my point exact. Not going to try and get around it. I'm going to stick with what I know would work.
@et al.: I almost want to reinstall Win 7 and try compatibility mode just so I can prove one way or the other if it would or wouldn't work. I've got a lot to do but spite is a strong motivator. #microsoft
And this is why I love having access to Volume Licensing. Clean, untouched copies of all my favorite software... and keys to go with 'em.
Anyone up for the 'gold master' of XP Pro, with vulnerabilities up the wazoo pre-configured? =P
Seriously, I wouldn't pirate software such as Windows off the 'net. God knows what they've snuck into the CD until after the fact... and having hundreds of "custom" editions out there doesn't help. No, I do not want 'XP Black Edition', just give me damn XP Professional. #microsoft
So I would like to provide some insight to this bit of tech. Mark brings up a lot of good points. Would like to refute a few of them.
Titles: Currently Paramount and Warner titles, the rest of the studio contracts are in the works. So it's not just any no name movie that couldnt hack it in the theatre =) Should check your notes on that one Mark.
SD Cards: There are currently 100's of SD cards and as us techies know not one SD card is the same. The funny thing though is SDXC is coming out 2010, giving the ability to have up to 2TB on an SD card BUT of course thats not gonna happen anytime soon. BUT if you think about it a 32GB card which is the highest you can get right now COULD potentially fit 16 Movies since each movie is roughly 2.5GBs. Hey if your traveling and you are waiting 2 hrs before your international flight that is 14 hrs long and you have the ability to go to a kiosk and browse 1000's of titles and can download 3 movies to a 8GB card for $1.99 each u know thats better than watching the inflight movie that MOST likely was a movie that couldn't hack it in the theatre ie. Wolverine (Fail)
Deleting Content: Yup who the hell would want to accidentally delete peoples photos or files. You have to give the software developers a little bit of credit that they don't want to screw someone over. So yes deleting content from the kiosk it will only detect the movie file and won't delete your other files.
Current Model:Currently it's rental, price bounce around a bit they are trying a few different prices but entry is $1.99 for a movie that consumers have 30 days to watch once they watch they have 48 hrs before it expires. When it expires they don't need to go back to the store to return anything. Next time they go in the system will recognize that the SD card has expired content and will ask if you would like to delete the movie.
Playback: SD Cards on movies, who the hell would want to do that? SD Cards are for pictures..duh...ya thats a pretty small box you are thinking in right now Mark. An SD card is a storage device just like USB stick, just like a portable external hard drive that we all have bit torrented movies on. You can put anything on an SD card, and if we take a look at all the hardware that is being developed right now, laptops, net books, PMP devices, Phones (micro-sd), TVs. They all are coming out with an SD slot. The iphone argument is very prominent everyone argues "hey i can download it on itunes, i've got an Iphone." the issue though is apple only holds a small percentage of the market. Comeon now you know better than that Mark. And the streaming arguement get that all the time, netflix, xbox360, bit torrent. Valid arguements, bandwidth def getting better but at the same time though, it's not as portable as and SD card. Sure you got wifi coming to airlines, but how soon will that actually be prevalent with all airlines? The other issue is, could airlines charge you an arm and a leg to stream movies? Since you are goign to take up a lot of bandwidth? Current playback is a single device, yup, 1 device a set top box that shows proof of concept to say to the OEM manufacturers and hardware manfacturers and software dev that hey you know what this is real. SD cards/Micro Sd cards can be used for something different. By 2010 PC playback App, and other devices will fall in to play. So yes we can look at this current tech and argue a lot and say HAHAHA this is a ridiculous idea, but is it really that ridiculous? SD cards are only getting better with SDXC coming out, and then you have USB 3.0 coming out that will enhance download speeds. Since a movie currently downloads 1gb : 1min with a specific card again going back to the card issue, but as we move forward cards get better they get cheaper in reality this proof of concept is following the tech and if you look at the bigger picture it actually makes a lot of sense.
So Mark, great article, it's easy to say BB this is a ridiculous idea but we all know optical media is going to stick around for a long time and actual streaming of media isn't going to be prevalent for a while since we aren't Japan or Korea where broadband is a requirement. Not everyone streams movies every single day, and to get good speeds to download well you have to pay what $60/month? Most of the time it's just to surf the web, chit chat on our gchat how many people TRULY stream movies right now? So I would recommend taking a look at this one more time review the technology maybe ask a few more questions because it sounds like you asked the janitor that was cleaning the block office that over heard that bb might be trying somethnig new. I would expect better journalism than this from a Giz writer. =) #blockbuster
@dimsum4u: Ah also forgot to talk about the UI. It doesn't sound like you took a look at the UI Mark. One pretty cool feature is just the ability to watch trailers of the movies. How many times have you walked through a movie store and said hmm...whats this movie about, read the back and all it says is WOOHOO GREAT MOVIE RENT ME. Watching a trailer is just a neat little feature.
Again total technical trial, I'm pretty sure they are accepting all forms of constructive criticism boomingEchoes brings up a good point, if it's a little flawed doesn't mean they can't improve on the idea. Who would want a product that is flawed, thats a fail. Always want to make it better. #blockbuster
You didn't mention that the SD cards have to be plugged into a proprietary box that is connected to your TV. Which means they didn't even think about using this for playing on phones, laptops and other devices while waiting at the airport. #blockbuster
For mini-SD and micro-SD users, all you'd need to do is make sure to pack one of those SD-sized card readers (assuming they _don't_ give you an SD card with this).
For me, they'll need to overcome three hurdles before I'll start renting them:
1. They need to include all of the bonus content that typically would be left out on rentals.
2. They need to be actual DVDs.
3. They need to be selling them instead of renting them. #blockbuster
@Pessimippopotamus: Blockbuster does sell DVDs. Not like it matters since people these days are busy torrenting or watching it off of Netflix. #blockbuster
@ddhboy: No. Their problem is that they're not competitively priced nor are they compelling buys. They are selling rented-out DVDs at the local Blockbusters that's going out of business for $9.99. I can buy new copies of most of the movies at the same price. They've always overcharged for DVDs that they sell. That's the problem. #blockbuster
@Pessimippopotamus: Then your going to the wrong blockbuster. My college is in the middle of nowhere and the blockbuster near there sell DVDs NEW on the day they are released and afterward.
@ddhboy:
Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and a host of smaller store chains would beg to differ. It's not that people aren't buying them because they're downloading them. It's that people aren't buying them _there_ because Blockbuster just isn't the place people think of when they want to go buy a movie or TV show on DVD. I don't know if their price structure is based on the fact that they'd rather have you pay them money for something that they can keep selling to the next dozen people who walk into the store, or if it's based on the fact that there's just not enough movement on that side of the business to make it worth adopting a more enticing price structure.
What I do know is that mall-based stores are prone to charging full MSRP on everything, while the big retail chains tend to discount heavily off of that price point. I bought the first few seasons of Babylon 5 at Sam Goody because they were the only ones who stocked it. I stopped buying anything there once I could start knocking $20 off the price of a box set by shopping elsewhere. And within a couple years they closed up shop (I'm sure that was because Best Buy moved into town, and not because of the small amount of business they lost with me). #blockbuster
@AkkiRonin: DRm has nothing to do with viruses, but if you take a look at photo kiosks that have been around for years and just library computers that people use every day and have users plugging in usb sticks everyday I think we can consider that tech that blocks anything installing on the computer is out there and locking down the computer to avoid this would be thought of. Again just a possibility since there are a lot of boxes out there that are shared resources by 100's of people daily. #blockbuster
@szrimaging: The reason for SD, and ONLY SD is because of it's native support for DRM, it enables uses like this where they want to keep it locked down #blockbuster
Digital rentals? P'shaw! The best part of the rental process was having the surly yet vapid clerk look at my rental choice as though I must be a lobotomy patient to have picked that movie. Oh, and being reminded that the movie has to be returned or there will be late fees... with the vaguely ominous tone that implies that I could be reponsible for some sort of apocalyptic result if I do not return this rare and coveted copy of Cocoon 2 on time. (Which is odd, because by the clerk's earlier expression, you'd think this movie wasn't very popular.)
@dingus: Dante Hicks:"Best of Both Worlds"? Randal Graves:Hermaphroditic porn. Starlets with both organs. You should see the box. Beautiful chicks with dicks that put mine to shame. Dante Hicks:And you rented this? Randal Graves:Hey, I like to expand my horizons.
My G1 takes a form of SD, it's not Blockbusters fault you picked the wrong phone to watch movies on......or for that matter the wrong type of device in general for watching movies on. #blockbuster
They shouldn't limit themselves to SD. The dock should also have jacks so you can connect USB, MiniUSB, Apple etc. So that any device can connect to it for you to download the rented movie. THAT, would be far more useful than just SD. #blockbuster
@Kaiser-Machead: That doesn't mean Blockbuster can't have their own App that would allow users to connect to a kiosk to rent movies. They don't need Apple's permission. It's anti-trust. #blockbuster
@Noobs-R-Us: No, but what I mean is that Apple would probably not allow Blockbuster to make a compatible expiry-encoded DRM movie file similar to the kind used in ITS. The only instances where I've seen compatible DRM files from third-parties outside of the iTunes store have been pay to own, not pay to rent. #blockbuster
@Kaiser-Machead: So you mean you don't think Blockbusters can make an app to do that? You mean Apple's commerical of "there's an app for that" isn't true? #blockbuster
@Noobs-R-Us: Apple would reject it, they reject google, you think they wont reject a failing movie rental company, hell blockbuster probably couldnt even afford the legal fight.
They already "have an app for that"... Its called itunes. #blockbuster
@Win7autoCrash: and that's where you're wrong. Apple is scared of the regulators at this point. They know that the FTC has its eyes set on any anti-competitive behavior. The FCC already stuck a microscope up Apple's butt for the Google rejection. #blockbuster
11/14/09
You should talk to Rosa before saying something like that. You never know what people will email to you... #microsoft
11/14/09
I now know what everyone was bitching about. I hate you Vista. I miss you Win 7. Please come back after exams :( #microsoft
11/14/09
11/14/09
Blehh.. #microsoft
11/14/09
11/14/09
Some one suggested it at the time too. I wasn't 100% sure how to do it and I didn't really want to complicate an already frustrating event. I started to but chickened out.
Now that I think about it wasn't there a Vista compatibility program packaged with Win 7? Shit, should have tried that too. #microsoft
11/14/09
@Jaredu: Double damn. #microsoft
11/14/09
11/14/09
11/14/09
11/14/09
Google or not I'm going to stick with my way of doing it. Even though I'd admittedly didn't even think about it at the time I don't think that compatibility mode would have worked now that I'm talking it out with people. The whole point of the software is to keep other things from running on the computer so I doubt a virtual version of windows would have worked out. Plus (even assuming that it would work) I'm sure that compatibility mode works great and all but since the whole point is to keep me from having to handwrite the thing I'd hate for something to happen midway and get stuck handwriting the thing after all was said and done.
It may have been the more drastic option and may be a sucky option but in the end I'm sure it was the safer option. #microsoft
11/14/09
EDIT: Came across snarkier than I intended to, sorry.
11/14/09
11/14/09
Cheers all the same, at least it worked for what you needed which is the bottom line right :-) #microsoft
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/15/09
I'm sure you're a Windows 7 master who could run fucking circles around us, but some of us would rather use an OS we know for the important things rather than early adopt and get screwed on accident. Tande04 did what was right by him, and you coming in here calling him stupid and being a Microsoft apologist isn't winning you any points, pal. #microsoft
11/15/09
@E30Kid: Yep. Thats what I figured to. I hadn't had a problem with anything in the past so when I ran it and it said "Windows 7 not supported" I was a little surprised.
@Asherek: Pfft. Thats not snarky at all by Giz standards. And yes, I still stick by that it was the best decision in the end. Windows 7 is not supported and if I fucked myself in the end by trying to get around it I just would have been pissed.
@JYHASH: Yep my point exact. Not going to try and get around it. I'm going to stick with what I know would work.
@et al.: I almost want to reinstall Win 7 and try compatibility mode just so I can prove one way or the other if it would or wouldn't work. I've got a lot to do but spite is a strong motivator. #microsoft
11/14/09
Anyone up for the 'gold master' of XP Pro, with vulnerabilities up the wazoo pre-configured? =P
Seriously, I wouldn't pirate software such as Windows off the 'net. God knows what they've snuck into the CD until after the fact... and having hundreds of "custom" editions out there doesn't help. No, I do not want 'XP Black Edition', just give me damn XP Professional. #microsoft
11/14/09
If anyone says fie on Psystar but lauds this crack, I'm calling shenanigans. #microsoft
11/14/09
11/11/09
Titles: Currently Paramount and Warner titles, the rest of the studio contracts are in the works. So it's not just any no name movie that couldnt hack it in the theatre =) Should check your notes on that one Mark.
SD Cards: There are currently 100's of SD cards and as us techies know not one SD card is the same. The funny thing though is SDXC is coming out 2010, giving the ability to have up to 2TB on an SD card BUT of course thats not gonna happen anytime soon. BUT if you think about it a 32GB card which is the highest you can get right now COULD potentially fit 16 Movies since each movie is roughly 2.5GBs. Hey if your traveling and you are waiting 2 hrs before your international flight that is 14 hrs long and you have the ability to go to a kiosk and browse 1000's of titles and can download 3 movies to a 8GB card for $1.99 each u know thats better than watching the inflight movie that MOST likely was a movie that couldn't hack it in the theatre ie. Wolverine (Fail)
Deleting Content: Yup who the hell would want to accidentally delete peoples photos or files. You have to give the software developers a little bit of credit that they don't want to screw someone over. So yes deleting content from the kiosk it will only detect the movie file and won't delete your other files.
Current Model:Currently it's rental, price bounce around a bit they are trying a few different prices but entry is $1.99 for a movie that consumers have 30 days to watch once they watch they have 48 hrs before it expires. When it expires they don't need to go back to the store to return anything. Next time they go in the system will recognize that the SD card has expired content and will ask if you would like to delete the movie.
Playback: SD Cards on movies, who the hell would want to do that? SD Cards are for pictures..duh...ya thats a pretty small box you are thinking in right now Mark. An SD card is a storage device just like USB stick, just like a portable external hard drive that we all have bit torrented movies on. You can put anything on an SD card, and if we take a look at all the hardware that is being developed right now, laptops, net books, PMP devices, Phones (micro-sd), TVs. They all are coming out with an SD slot. The iphone argument is very prominent everyone argues "hey i can download it on itunes, i've got an Iphone." the issue though is apple only holds a small percentage of the market. Comeon now you know better than that Mark. And the streaming arguement get that all the time, netflix, xbox360, bit torrent. Valid arguements, bandwidth def getting better but at the same time though, it's not as portable as and SD card. Sure you got wifi coming to airlines, but how soon will that actually be prevalent with all airlines? The other issue is, could airlines charge you an arm and a leg to stream movies? Since you are goign to take up a lot of bandwidth? Current playback is a single device, yup, 1 device a set top box that shows proof of concept to say to the OEM manufacturers and hardware manfacturers and software dev that hey you know what this is real. SD cards/Micro Sd cards can be used for something different. By 2010 PC playback App, and other devices will fall in to play. So yes we can look at this current tech and argue a lot and say HAHAHA this is a ridiculous idea, but is it really that ridiculous? SD cards are only getting better with SDXC coming out, and then you have USB 3.0 coming out that will enhance download speeds. Since a movie currently downloads 1gb : 1min with a specific card again going back to the card issue, but as we move forward cards get better they get cheaper in reality this proof of concept is following the tech and if you look at the bigger picture it actually makes a lot of sense.
So Mark, great article, it's easy to say BB this is a ridiculous idea but we all know optical media is going to stick around for a long time and actual streaming of media isn't going to be prevalent for a while since we aren't Japan or Korea where broadband is a requirement. Not everyone streams movies every single day, and to get good speeds to download well you have to pay what $60/month? Most of the time it's just to surf the web, chit chat on our gchat how many people TRULY stream movies right now? So I would recommend taking a look at this one more time review the technology maybe ask a few more questions because it sounds like you asked the janitor that was cleaning the block office that over heard that bb might be trying somethnig new. I would expect better journalism than this from a Giz writer. =) #blockbuster
11/11/09
Again total technical trial, I'm pretty sure they are accepting all forms of constructive criticism boomingEchoes brings up a good point, if it's a little flawed doesn't mean they can't improve on the idea. Who would want a product that is flawed, thats a fail. Always want to make it better. #blockbuster
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
For me, they'll need to overcome three hurdles before I'll start renting them:
1. They need to include all of the bonus content that typically would be left out on rentals.
2. They need to be actual DVDs.
3. They need to be selling them instead of renting them. #blockbuster
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/11/09
Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and a host of smaller store chains would beg to differ. It's not that people aren't buying them because they're downloading them. It's that people aren't buying them _there_ because Blockbuster just isn't the place people think of when they want to go buy a movie or TV show on DVD. I don't know if their price structure is based on the fact that they'd rather have you pay them money for something that they can keep selling to the next dozen people who walk into the store, or if it's based on the fact that there's just not enough movement on that side of the business to make it worth adopting a more enticing price structure.
What I do know is that mall-based stores are prone to charging full MSRP on everything, while the big retail chains tend to discount heavily off of that price point. I bought the first few seasons of Babylon 5 at Sam Goody because they were the only ones who stocked it. I stopped buying anything there once I could start knocking $20 off the price of a box set by shopping elsewhere. And within a couple years they closed up shop (I'm sure that was because Best Buy moved into town, and not because of the small amount of business they lost with me). #blockbuster
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/11/09
11/10/09
And doesn't the external ports like the sd card slot lead to greater risk of the machine being hacked? #blockbuster
11/10/09
11/10/09
Can digital rentals do that?? #blockbuster
11/10/09
11/10/09
Randal Graves: Hermaphroditic porn. Starlets with both organs. You should see the box. Beautiful chicks with dicks that put mine to shame.
Dante Hicks: And you rented this?
Randal Graves: Hey, I like to expand my horizons.
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
I'd be more concerned about the DRM scheme they're using -- if I can't play it on my Myth box, there's no point.
Also, they probably should provide this online as well as in kiosks, but I won't hold my breath for Blockbuster to get that idea. #blockbuster
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
They already "have an app for that"... Its called itunes. #blockbuster
11/10/09
11/12/09
But no way would apple ever approve another movie rental app, itunes is its #1 app for making money, hell the app store resides inside of itunes.
But then again they allowed pandora which I know is a lot different then Itunes, but it still plays music... #blockbuster