Consumerist
technical problems
Posts Tagged “
Downloads
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technical problems
movies
Netflix Lifts Restrictions On Downloadable Movie Rentals
Netflix has removed the monthly limits on all but its lowest-cost plan in an apparent attempt to position itself more competitively against Apple, which is expected to announce a downloadable movie rental service tomorrow. Now for as little as $8.99 per month you can watch as many movies on your PC as you can download. More »
music
Amazon Expands DRM-Free Music Store, Adds Warner Music
Starting today, Warner Music songs are now available on the Amazon MP3 music store, in DRM-free formats and at prices competitive to what iTunes charges. According to Reuters, Amazon has now reached "deals with music labels Universal Music Group, part of Vivendi, and EMI. The remaining major recording group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, has yet to offer its songs for the service." Sony BMG, you guys are very, very old dorks. More »
Fox and Apple have reached a deal that would allow movie rentals through the iTunes Music Store. No official announcement yet, so no details on pricing, date, or how the rentals will work. [Reuters]
failure
Walmart Shutters Video Download Store
It's official: Walmart is no longer in the video download business. More »
online advertising
New Microsoft Patent App Provides "Enforceable" Ads That Can't Be Skipped
Last year Microsoft filed a patent application, published yesterday, that explains a method by which embedded advertising can't be skipped. From the application abstract: "Enforcing rendering advertisements and other predetermined media content in connection with playback of downloaded selected media content. Playback of selected media content is made conditional on acquisition of a playback token that is generated in response to playback of the predetermined content." More »
If you've ever wanted the professional version of DivX for free, now's your chance: for a limited time, DivX is giving it away (it's usually $10). (Thanks to Andy!)
digital music
DG Launches DRM-Free Classical Music Store
The Internet always seemed like a logical sales outlet for classical music, which has long been the neglected step-child of the record labels. We're happy to see that last week, Deutsche Grammophon launched a music store that sells DRM-free files of classical recordings—the files are constant bit rate 320 kps MP3s, and prices range "from $/€1.29 for a full-length track to $/€11.99 for an album." More »
filesharing
RIAA Told To Provide Breakdown Of Expenses Per Each Downloaded Song
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, a Brooklyn judge made a defendant in an RIAA lawsuit very happy when he ordered the RIAA to document the actual expenses incurred per downloaded song. More »
punishing the ones who don't steal
MLB Rips Off Everyone Who Bought Games Under Their "Old" DRM
Major League Baseball, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to deactivate its system for "authenticating" downloads, and they apparently expect people to repurchase the games in a new format. What? More »
network meddling
Comcast: "We Throttle Traffic To Help Other Users; Besides, It's Not Permanent"
Comcast is in heavy PR-spin mode this week following last week's reports that they spoof customers' computers to cancel peer-to-peer connections, and have been blocking corporate users from sending large attachments via Lotus Notes (that blockage was "fixed" last week, around the time this story broke). Comcast says that they don't "block" anything but rather delay requests, and that it's only done to improve overall performance for their customers. More »
new and exciting products
NBC Announces Free "Downloads" Of TV Shows
NBC has announced that it will "permit" customers to download its shows for free. The downloads will expire after a week and become unplayable, according to the NYT.The service, which is set to start in November after a test period in October, comes less than three weeks after NBC Universal said it was pulling its programs out of the highly successful iTunes service of Apple Inc. That partnership fell apart because of a dispute over Apple's iTunes pricing policies and what NBC executives said were concerns about lack of piracy protection.More »
...
NBC makes many of its popular shows available online in streaming media, which means that fans can watch episodes on their computers. Under the new NBC service, called NBC Direct, consumers will be able to download, for no fee, NBC programs like "Heroes," "The Office" and "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on the night that they are broadcast and keep them for seven days. They would also be able to subscribe to shows, guaranteeing delivery each week.
video wars
Blockbuster Tries To Thwart Netflix, Gobbles Up Movie Download Service
Blockbuster has purchased Movielink, an ailing movie download service cobbled together by film studios to combat online piracy. The deal will give Blockbuster access to movies from Sony, Universal, Paramount, MGM, and Warner Brothers. Netflix's download service, by contrast, offers a limited selection of mostly older movies. The deal is the latest salvo fired in the consumer-friendly war of the movie rental services. No word yet on how long hackers might take to crack the new download service.
Blockbuster buys download service [Mercury News]
(Photo: Magic Lantern Shows)
itunes
Bought a Song on iTunes? Don't Pay For it Twice
Until yesterday, iTunes users who bought a single song, and later decided they wanted the whole album, ended up paying for the same song twice. Not anymore! More »
tax tip
Download Tax Cut For Free
Still haven't done the old taxes? Here's your chance to download TaxCut Premium Federal from HRBlock for free. More »
apple
Apple: Sorry About South Park
Apple is trying to set things right with customers who complained after they bought a "South Park Season Pass" that was only good for half the season. According to MacNN, "Comedy Central had decided to 'split' the season into two halves for $11.99 each, confusing many customers who thought they were purchasing the entire South Park season." Apple changed the name of the download to reflect the two halfs of the season, and is offering customers who purchased the first half under the confusing title the opportunity to download part B for free. Let us know how that turns out. —MEGHANN MARCO More »
drm
You Don't Own Anything With DRM
One problem with DRM in general is that it is an industry concept that takes-as-read the consumerist fallacy that you don't actually own things you buy, you just license them. Perhaps this is the natural evolution of consumerism now that products like media are, if not less tangible, at least a bit more ethereal. Still, DRM gives all the power to the companies... and companies prove time and time again that they can't be trusted. More »
bits du jour
