Wow....
So I was reading today a little on the Best Techie website, they cover quite the topics. One of them that I read today was RealNetworks forced to stop selling their DVD copier. I found that... idiotic.
Why?
Why can't people have the ability to copy DVDs and CDs? Some scramble feature prevents us from doing this? Eh, I copy all my DVDs, wait excuse me, rented (if you didn't know, you don't OWN the DVD even though you BOUGHT it) DVDs to my hard drive all the time. Why isn't the manufacturers of the DVD-ROMs being sued?
I absolutely hate putting in a DVD in each time for when I want to watch something. Besides, if I can copy all my TV Shows to the computer, then rip individual episodes back onto a DVD, making it more of an enjoyable playlist for a trip, why aren't I allowed to do that? The RealDVD does nothing different than what ffmpeg, mencoder, mediacoder (ffmpeg/mencoder frontend), and a handful of other applications do -- so what's the hold up here?
I think the MPAA is just upset because they aren't making their bucks 🙁 - How sad. On the flipside, look at all the other artists/movie makers that are going for a more independent/open approach. I wish more would do this - The experience is much more enjoyable, knowing that there's no restrictions, and a risk of being sued for just making a backup onto your machine.
By distributing the RealDVD product, just makes for a hardware piece sitting in your house--pop the DVD in and wala... how simple is that? It's not exactly going to your computer, however you do have a copy. It's the same thing as these othersthat allow the same thing.
Personal Video Recorders
OK SO! What about these tools? Why aren't they outlawed? Is it illegal to record my OWN TV too? I can't make a backup with it? If so, then TiVo should be illegal too, and so should rented DVRs from television providers. RealDVD can't do it right? Or is it: "Hey, let's make up our own laws," huh?
Support
I, for one, am disappointed in this, and hope for the best towards RealNetworks. This is half the reason I don't really care about newer movies now-a-days. Bunch of repeated stories, and hyped trash. ... Hollywood has destroyed a lot.