Comments on: How DRM Directly Costs You Money And Time – And Why Every Consumer Should Care http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/ Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:08:33 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Dagny http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/comment-page-1/#comment-5665 Dagny Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:49:07 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/#comment-5665 When you hear DRM, in your mind attach the word "infection". As stated in the article, avoid DRM infected products as you would a virus infected product. If you like DRM, you will love Vista as it has lots of DRM baked in for you! When you hear DRM, in your mind attach the word “infection”. As stated in the article, avoid DRM infected products as you would a virus infected product.
If you like DRM, you will love Vista as it has lots of DRM baked in for you!

]]> By: samerwriter http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/comment-page-1/#comment-5640 samerwriter Thu, 08 Feb 2007 07:20:04 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/#comment-5640 Another big problem with DRM -- you can't resell it. That means something as trivial as swapping music with a friend no longer works. (in college I used to swap CDs with friends). It also means you can't sell your CDs to a used music store to pay the rent (hey, I did that in college too). Another big problem with DRM — you can’t resell it.

That means something as trivial as swapping music with a friend no longer works. (in college I used to swap CDs with friends).

It also means you can’t sell your CDs to a used music store to pay the rent (hey, I did that in college too).

]]> By: Jeff http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/comment-page-1/#comment-5633 Jeff Thu, 08 Feb 2007 04:44:51 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/#comment-5633 I ran up against the iTunes idiocy this Christmas. I wanted to give my dad a CD of the old Christmas music we used to listen to when I was an toddler, interspersed with my own toddler daughter's voice. The ONLY place I could find the songs I was looking for was iTunes (even bitTorrent sites let me down!). It took me an extra 40 minutes or more to burn those songs to a CD-R through iTunes, then rip them back off again with something else to get my MP3s, so I could use Nero to put together the program I wanted. I'm with you on boycotting companies that limit you like that. I never would have used iTunes if I did have any other options (and a gift card). I ran up against the iTunes idiocy this Christmas. I wanted to give my dad a CD of the old Christmas music we used to listen to when I was an toddler, interspersed with my own toddler daughter’s voice. The ONLY place I could find the songs I was looking for was iTunes (even bitTorrent sites let me down!). It took me an extra 40 minutes or more to burn those songs to a CD-R through iTunes, then rip them back off again with something else to get my MP3s, so I could use Nero to put together the program I wanted.

I’m with you on boycotting companies that limit you like that. I never would have used iTunes if I did have any other options (and a gift card).

]]> By: Vincent Maglione http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/comment-page-1/#comment-5624 Vincent Maglione Thu, 08 Feb 2007 02:54:21 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/#comment-5624 Hi Trent. I recently discovered this site and I've gotta say, it's officially one of my very favorite blogs now. You write well, and the information is always invaluable. Anyway, you're obviously familiar with open source software, so I'll spare you the zealotry and just come out and say it: for ripping CDs (and DVDs, for that matter), Linux, for me, has been incredibly useful. I've been using it for a few years now and the free, open-source programs available to it are truly world-class nowadays. For instance: you mention Sony's DRM. Last year, they released CDs that not only scrambled ripped audio, but actually installed a rootkit onto Windows PCs. Sony distributed one of my favorite artist's recent CDs (My Morning Jacket's Z), which I didn't know when I bought it. This CD happened to have the rootkit. Took it home, popped it into my Ubuntu-operated computer, and had it ripped in five minutes. No rootkit, no scrambled audio, just high-quality OGG-Vorbis files awaiting my portable audio player quickly and easily (literally the press of two buttons). And this has been true of every CD I've purchased in recent history, regardless of distributor or label. Linux will cost you some time initially--the setup can be a beast, though Ubuntu eases most traditional desktop Linux woes--but monetarily, it's absolutely free, as are most of the programs available to it. I keep a Windows partition (there are some Windows things I can't lose, like Photoshop, Illustrator, and IE for site testing) but I don't spend much time on it. Linux laptop support has grown immensely in recent years, so it might be worth your while to check into installing it for yourself. Free, easy to use, with next to no risk of viruses, spyware, or corporation-produced rootkits. Hi Trent. I recently discovered this site and I’ve gotta say, it’s officially one of my very favorite blogs now. You write well, and the information is always invaluable.

Anyway, you’re obviously familiar with open source software, so I’ll spare you the zealotry and just come out and say it: for ripping CDs (and DVDs, for that matter), Linux, for me, has been incredibly useful. I’ve been using it for a few years now and the free, open-source programs available to it are truly world-class nowadays.

For instance: you mention Sony’s DRM. Last year, they released CDs that not only scrambled ripped audio, but actually installed a rootkit onto Windows PCs. Sony distributed one of my favorite artist’s recent CDs (My Morning Jacket’s Z), which I didn’t know when I bought it. This CD happened to have the rootkit. Took it home, popped it into my Ubuntu-operated computer, and had it ripped in five minutes. No rootkit, no scrambled audio, just high-quality OGG-Vorbis files awaiting my portable audio player quickly and easily (literally the press of two buttons). And this has been true of every CD I’ve purchased in recent history, regardless of distributor or label.

Linux will cost you some time initially–the setup can be a beast, though Ubuntu eases most traditional desktop Linux woes–but monetarily, it’s absolutely free, as are most of the programs available to it. I keep a Windows partition (there are some Windows things I can’t lose, like Photoshop, Illustrator, and IE for site testing) but I don’t spend much time on it. Linux laptop support has grown immensely in recent years, so it might be worth your while to check into installing it for yourself. Free, easy to use, with next to no risk of viruses, spyware, or corporation-produced rootkits.

]]> By: Nathania Johnson http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/comment-page-1/#comment-5616 Nathania Johnson Thu, 08 Feb 2007 01:09:07 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/#comment-5616 The Foo Fighters are my favorite band and I was so disappointed when the music was scrambled upon putting it in my computer's cd drive. I heard the Foo wasn't happy about this and even posted directions on how to circumvent the situation on their web site. But in the end, who wants the hassle? The Foo Fighters are my favorite band and I was so disappointed when the music was scrambled upon putting it in my computer’s cd drive. I heard the Foo wasn’t happy about this and even posted directions on how to circumvent the situation on their web site.

But in the end, who wants the hassle?

]]> By: Rob http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/comment-page-1/#comment-5605 Rob Thu, 08 Feb 2007 00:05:51 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/#comment-5605 DRM will become even more of a nuisance once everyone transitions to HD video formats like HD-DVD and Blu-ray. The DRM policy for these products stipulates that every component of your home entertainment system must support that particular form of DRM, from the player, to the TV, to your speakers, and the very cables you use to connect them all. What you have now isn't - the components are just now coming to market. If any electrical variations are detected, the video is automatically degredated to non-HD quality - so you'd better buy a brand new surge protector or battery backup system as well. Want to watch it on your computer? Better spring for a new video card, monitor, cables, and possibly motherboard. In the past, DRM has been a nuisance. In the future, it is going to start to really hurt. I sense a consumer revolt. What the media conglomerates are too blind to see is that people prefer low-quality and free to hi-def and chained, anyway. Just look at YouTube. DRM will become even more of a nuisance once everyone transitions to HD video formats like HD-DVD and Blu-ray. The DRM policy for these products stipulates that every component of your home entertainment system must support that particular form of DRM, from the player, to the TV, to your speakers, and the very cables you use to connect them all. What you have now isn’t – the components are just now coming to market. If any electrical variations are detected, the video is automatically degredated to non-HD quality – so you’d better buy a brand new surge protector or battery backup system as well. Want to watch it on your computer? Better spring for a new video card, monitor, cables, and possibly motherboard.

In the past, DRM has been a nuisance. In the future, it is going to start to really hurt. I sense a consumer revolt. What the media conglomerates are too blind to see is that people prefer low-quality and free to hi-def and chained, anyway. Just look at YouTube.

]]> By: Karl http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/comment-page-1/#comment-5591 Karl Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:52:28 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/02/07/how-drm-directly-costs-you-money-and-time-and-why-every-consumer-should-care/#comment-5591 I'm with you...I bought the same CD and returned it when I found out I couldn't listen to it on my computer at work (I do a lot of writing and it helps having background music). Fortunately, I got it from a local record store instead of a chain, and they allowed me to exchange it for store credit. I got an older Cure album instead. Now on the increasingly rare occasions I do buy a new CD, I make it a point to go to that same store. But it's getting harder and harder to justify getting new music at all these days. I’m with you…I bought the same CD and returned it when I found out I couldn’t listen to it on my computer at work (I do a lot of writing and it helps having background music). Fortunately, I got it from a local record store instead of a chain, and they allowed me to exchange it for store credit. I got an older Cure album instead. Now on the increasingly rare occasions I do buy a new CD, I make it a point to go to that same store. But it’s getting harder and harder to justify getting new music at all these days.

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