“If you like to download the latest episodes of ‘Heroes’ or other NBC shows from BitTorrent, maybe you shouldn’t buy a Microsoft Zune to watch them on,” Saul Hansell reports for The New York Times.
“A future update of the software for Microsoft’s portable media player may well include a feature that will block unauthorized copies of copyrighted videos from being played on it,” Hansell reports.
“Tuesday, Microsoft announced that it would start selling video programming for the Zune, mainly TV shows. These include programs from NBC Universal, which has pulled its shows off Apple’s iTunes Store,” Hansell reports.
“Late Tuesday afternoon I reached J. B. Perrette, the president of digital distribution for NBC Universal, to ask why NBC found Microsoft’s video store more appealing than Apple’s,” Hansell reports. “He explained that NBC, like most studios, would like the broadest distribution possible for its programming. But it has two disputes with Apple.”
“First, Apple insists that all TV shows have an identical wholesale price so that it can sell all of them at $1.99. NBC wants to sell its programs for whatever price it chooses,” Hansell reports. “Second, Apple refused to cooperate with NBC on building filters into its iPod player to remove pirated movies and videos.”
“Microsoft, by contrast, will accept NBC’s pricing scheme and will work with it to try to develop a copyright ‘cop’ to be installed on its devices,” Hansell reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Jack” for the heads up.]
Microsoft is desperate. Apple is not. And this is yet another reason not to buy a Zune, as if another one was needed. NBC can keep dicking around until the cows come home for all Apple cares. iPod and iTunes sales continue unabated with or without also-ran NBC TV shows. P2P just keeps on serving up NBC shows at very nice prices, iPod- and Mac- compatible, thanks. NBC will come crawling back to Apple in due time.
[UPDATE: 8:59pm EDT: According to CNET, “Microsoft denies putting ‘copyright cop’ in Zune.“]
In a few years NBC will insist on monetizing discussions at the water cooler. Ballmer will have to come up with a way to charge people for discussing last night ‘s episode.
The 5 people who actually own Zunes are outraged!
Just my $0.02
haha yeah lets block copyrighted movies from the zune.. thats a smart idea from microsoft. It’s bad enough for M$ that no one uses the stupid zune… now people will really not want to get it if they plan on watchin their downloaded shows. M$ keep it up and lets see how long it takes till you dump the zune.
Does Hansell understate the problem? The way I read Perrette’s quote, they wanted software on the iPod that would actively REMOVE content that appeared to be pirated, not just block it from playing. They’ll have to pry my half-full iPod Classic from my cold, dead hands before I buy a product that is built to do the network’s bidding before mine.
MW: never. Damn right…
I’ve never actually seen a zune…. not that I want to
Microsoft doesn’t have any stones left. Jerry Yang kicked the few MS had down the drain. MS coughed at UMG and is paying then $1.00 or $2.00 for every Zune sold. They are willing to kick their customers to the curb just to get NBC selling a few crappy NBC shows to Zune Customers? And they are going to add software to block unauthorized content and then NBC will want more like the software to report the users so they and sue them.
This is MS way after all standing up for the big corporate interest while kicking the little customers to the curb and then stepping on their heads.
Future MDN Headline
“Zune Cops reports customers as Pirates for attempting to put legal non-Zune Market place content onto Zune Player. Cost customer $35,000 in legal fees.”
OK, just read the whole article and they’re not direct quotes from Perrette in MDN’s excerpts, and the rest of the article talks about blocking playback rather than deleting files. Still, knowing how these bozos operate (rootkit, anyone?) I don’t trust them at all.
More aggressive copyright protection…Brilliant!!! This is the piece of the puzzle M$ has been missing to send Zune sales through the roof! And here all of us thought it had something to do with usability or the interface.
All of this turns into a bigger joke every day. As if Zune sales aren’t pitiful enough. And how many tv shows does NBC really expect to sell this way? In particular at $4.99 or whatever it is they want to charge for some of them. And hardly anybody wanted a Zune in the first place, who exactly do they think would buy it if they do THIS? Both NBC and Microsoft are putting yet ANOTHER bullet in their respective feet. Barney Fife wasn’t this bad. I don’t know if it’s more pathetic or more funny, but it’s definitely both. Of course, I’m more than happy to sit back and watch it happen….
Microsoft: Too little, too late, too stupid.
Who cares?
If I cannot find a TV show I want on iTunes I simply use EyeTV to record, edit out commercials and prep for my iPhone or Apple TV.
And just how does this software know that the content you put on your Zune is copyrighted? I’m sure a very easy workaround will be out before it even becomes a problem.
Of course, that assumes that one of the 5 Zune owners is a programmer . . . .
What this “copyright cop” system is more likely to do is break some legitimate uses of the Zune and piss off more customers.
I copy all of my DVDs to my hard drive and put the DVDs away for safe keeping. I play them back whenever I feel and I do not give the copies to anyone. I would not be inclined to purchase any product that would stop me from playing my movies.
According to this your Zune would refuse to play them as they are illegal.
that Hansell’s so hot right now
The Zune/NBC saga couldn’t get funnier even if you started making this shit up.
To dan:
It’s time to challenge the Zune to a walk-off.
No great loss. Except for “The Office,” NBC’s programming is “Must Pee TV” (props to Garry Shandling for that one).
But give them credit for something: they found a way to make the Zune even less attractive to consumers. Impressive, most impressive.
Great news!!! (for Apple)
And “dicking around until the cows come home”? What are you, from Texas?…
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
Speaking of shite…
@macoverdose_dot_com
> I’ve never actually seen a zune…. not that I want to
I saw one this morning. And then I flushed.
MW “british”… huh? What’s that got to do with anything?
Ignoramuses in the TV & Film (and Music for that matter) industries STILL don’t get that adding all kinds of hurdles and pricing trickery to your content ONLY serves ONE purpose and that is to help another generation of users discover Bit Torrent. These clowns SHOULD be slashing prices!! Make all this an impulse buy! I feel that at $2 the TV shows are STILL overpriced! Make them $1 (or less) so that we will buy shows we aren’t that familiar with on a whim! Who knows maybe we’ll like it and buy the whole season for $10-$15. But at $2 a pop and $30± for a season (with sleezeballs like NBC clamoring for even more $) it just becomes compelling to investigate the torrents…
I saw a Zune once…it was clunky and lopsided… completely uninspiring. Everything I expected from the way people make fun of it on here (and everywhere for that matter)
Made me want to scrub myself after being two feet from it.
The music being played was like the device too…….
This is Microsoft’s version of putting a rootkit on your Zune. NBC is making the same mistake all those music execs made. When will they ever learn?
To: HMCIV
…. or to Apple’s iPod!!!!
@ macoverdose_dot_com: I’ve seen exactly one Zune “in the wild” – that is, being used by a person and not stuck to some display in Best Buy.
And I live in the center of the most populous city in the country and ride the subways at rush hour with thousands of people. Seen about a zillion iPods and iPhones in the last year, just for comparison…
MDN word: “response” as in the consumer response to the Microsoft Zune has been somewhat, uhh, underwhelming.
“Microsoft, by contrast, will accept NBC’s pricing scheme and will work with it to try to develop a copyright ‘cop’ to be installed on its devices,”
SO, you will pay $5.99 to watch a copy of Heros, and the best part is that MS will “TRY TO DEVELOP” a way to stop extra copies of the downloads from being made. Hmmm. MS did say they ARE GOING TO DEVELOP, only that they would TRY TO DEVELOP. Guess NBC is going to be screwed. MS can’t even get their OS to work right after 7 years, I don’t think they will be able to make a whole new program to work any faster.
You should go read the comments on the original story. Some of them are so funny.
Nicole’s comment is one of the best.
“My goodness, as a former MSN Music customer I can ASSURE you that your legitimate purchases are safe in Microsoft’s hands. You don’t ever need to worry about your purchases ceasing to work with every Windows update or Microsoft suddenly deciding to terminate your licenses.
I know I’ll be running out and buying a Zune.
— Posted by Nicole”
Line 2 should have said, “MS did NOT say they are going to develop”…
Demon:
I looked up “astroturfer” and there was a picture of Nicole next to the definition.
Let Microsoft do it. That would hurt Zunes cruddy market share even further.
This will benefit Apple.
But I still haven’t seen a Zune Yet, so I don’t get Microsoft’s hype on how successful it’s been. I just hear talk about it.
That Music sharing feature has gotta suck when there’s nobody to share music with.
“That Music sharing feature has gotta suck when there’s nobody to share music with.”
Norman Bates wasn’t stopped by the lack of real companionship either.
So how many hundreds of clients does NBC get out of this deal… one or two?
The only time I’ve ever seen a Zune in the wild was in early January at Office Depot. A girl was exchanging a white Zune for a brown one. I was being polite by not saying anything because, clearly, she was insane.
@Ampar
“I looked up “astroturfer” and there was a picture of Nicole next to the definition.”
Maybe she is bogus. Nevertheless, her comment is accurate enough. She says Redmond have a track record: so they have.
Anyway, look what The Borg’s own guy says:
“Adam Sohn, a spokesman for Microsoft, declined to discuss details of this effort other than to say that the software company is exploring anti-piracy measures with NBC. He said Microsoft, which suffers from its own piracy problems, is sympathetic to Hollywood’s concerns.”
So (1) he admits they are working on it; (2) he says MS is “sympathetic” to Hollywood; and (3) he talks of MS “suffering”.
No comment on (1).
On (2): well, how about some “sympathy” for the people who are supposed to be Microsoft’s customers, and who will inevitably get burned when this scheme goes wrong, as all such schemes do? C.f.:
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=wga+"false+positive"&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
On (3): This is supposed to provide a rationale for (2). So this “piracy” — an emotive and inflated term by which the Borg actually mean digital copying not robbery with violence on the high seas — causes MS “suffering” does it? I don’t believe people should steal, but I hadn’t noticed much “suffering” in Seattle — except, perhaps, that caused to Seattle residents by Microsoft’s not paying its taxes in its home state:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/2004-09-29/news/citizen-microsoft.php
Besides, Microsoft spokesmen may talk large about its “suffering” at times, but in candid moments it admits it likes people to steal from it sometimes.
Quote:
As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They’ll get sort of addicted, and then we’ll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade.
http://www.news.com/2100-1023-212942.html
Do they still make Zunes?
NB who?
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
nice way to kill Zune sales, keep it up, or even better, close down Z division and give money back to shareholders.
Shhhhhhhhh. Hear that sound? It’s the sound of worthless Zunes being flushed down the toilet by furious users who can’t get their content to play. Hey Redmond, Sony has some good technology for you.
1- Haven’t seen a Zune yet?
Go to Wal-Mart or Best Buy. You’ll probably have to blow the dust off of them to see them in all their glory.
2- NBC/Universal Idiocy
Other than sports (Sunday Night Football) does anybody below the age of 70 or with an IQ higher than a glass of warm water really watch the #4 network?
3- DRMatic
When will MPAA/RIAA members (both illegal cartels) realize that draconian DRM or spyware will kill the deal for many legitimate potential customers? How about pricing content at $1.99 an episode without commercials and 99¢ with commercials for a trial period? I would wager that most would pony up the extra cash to be free from the barrage of advertising on TV.
The DRM crack will be out before the DRM Zune.
Remember, this is MS we’re talking about.
MW: quality
*yawn*
Someday the networks will offer some kind of subscription site, like maybe 50 years from now. Until then I guess they’re okay that I’m paying a $19.95 to giganews instead of them.
“Microsoft, by contrast, will accept NBC’s pricing scheme and will work with it to try to develop a copyright ‘cop’ to be installed on its devices,” Hansell reports.”
Thats just awesome. I hope more major news sites beside NYT start publishing this little important tidbit. I wonder how Thurrott will spin this little feature as a great thing for Zune.
I really want a Zune, but I can’t have one cause I’ve got a Mac.
Does anyone know if there’s a Leopard version of Zune Store coming out?
I was going to make a rather lengthy post about this, but right now I have to go take a Zune.
Darn, just read that Zune spokespeople are denying this and its just a rumor…
Uh, Nicole’s post was clearly satire.
ASSURE… <–hint much?
Do your sarcasm filters need calibrating? Sorry, I haven’t been around…
To come to think it, the only time i’ve ever seen a Zune player is at Walmart or Target on the Dusty Store Shelves right by the portable cassette players.
What does ZuneTang have to say about all of this? If Microsoft can write a program that will police their Zunes and not get hacked, that alone would be a triumph for them.
I have seen an actual Zune in the wild-my coworker got it as a free giveaway and was showing it to a group of people.
It’s ugly, chunky and the quality seemed very poor(buttons looked wrong-like they were going to fall off). The screen did look pretty good showing the free MS included video(bear fishing in the stream).
I pulled out my iPod touch and began demoing-no one gave the zune another look.
MS nearly crippled Vista with DRM encoded into the OS, now they will kill the zune with the same.
“It’s ugly, chunky and the quality seemed very poor”
Interesting – MS has already done this in Vista, so it shouldn’t be too hard (even for them) to port to Zune. Just look on the boards for posts about how Vista degrades video signals to HD monitors or disables audio cards that aren’t “MS registered.”
What is stunning is that consumers (not corporate ITers, they *want* the control) still buy Vista. Tens of dozens of them anyway.
I think Zune Tang got Copyright Copped, and currently his wonderful Vista system is in code 9 lockdown until he can get through to a Microsoft Tech support specialist in India, who will take him through the 20 minutes process of unlocking his system again.
All this for owning a Zune. Sounds like fun!
Zune? They still making that thing?
When Microsoft builds a PMP that’s easy to use, doesn’t crash, plays any and all formats the user wants, updates it without screwing over customers, without DRM they may stop supporting, then…
… you’ll all be sorry you said anything bad about Microsoft!
Dang! At this rate I’ll never ever see a Zune in the plastic, so to speak. And here we have Stevie trying to do the right thing which is keep the market in some viable order while NBC is dicking around about a few pennies.
Funny thing is that it’s Microsoft that’s screwing up the download market’s potential by entertaining different deals instead of trying to match the leader’s strategy. And that’s what they want: a disordered market because they feel it gives them a chance on the assumption that (a) they will eventually come up with a competitive service; (b) Apple will screw up somehow.
On both counts they’re delusional.
Wow this article is hilarious.
“Similarly, the copyright filtering system is still in development and its exact form has not been set.”
Translation: Vapourware.
” Mr. Perrette said the plan is to create “filtering technology that allows for playback of legitimately purchased content versus non-legitimately purchased content.””
I love that non-legitimate purchased content concept, especially when it comes purchasing a CD, which I can essentially play on any CD player anywhere in the world. Ah, but buy a DVD movie and it only plays on certain players programmed for certain areas, although there are ways around it (painful to say the least).
But hey, MS might finally find a use for that preys for sure concept.
Well at any rate good luck to NBC (New Ballmer Corporation).
MDN saved their butt with the word “may” in the headline.
Microsoft has no plans or commitments to implement content filtering features in the Zune family of devices as part of our content distribution deal with NBC,” the software maker said in a statement.
Wow. A tale of two companies that just either do not get it or are willfully ignorant.
“MDN saved their butt with the word “may” in the headline.”
Because Microsoft has <u>always</u> been truthful and honest to the public?
Lets see… How many iPods are out there capable of playing video… lets just say 50 million- low balling here. Zune has about 1.2 million. So, if NBC wants to make more $$, say $3.99 per down load, they will max out their sales at about $4.8 million (if every Zune owner in the world buys a copy of Heros). If you use the same idea for the iPod @ $1.99 per down load, sales would be $99.5 million. Sounds like a great move for NBC- someone has great book smarts.