PlayStation Network Video DRM Decidedly User Unfriendly
For legit customers, there’s nothing more hateful than the dreaded DRM.
While PC users face anti-piracy software and restrictions on a daily basis via games, music and other software purchases, console gamers are beginning to get a taste of the evil DRM beast.
According to an article over on Ars Technica, PlayStation 3 owners who purchase and download movies through Sony’s PlayStation Network Video Store are only allowed one official download. The files cannot be backed up, or moved to another hard drive. This limitation seems rather harsh considering that hard drives can fail or files can be accidently deleted.
To make room for new content, one Ars Technica reader cleaned off his PlayStation 3 hard drive only to find out that his movie could not be re-downloaded. "You can only download videos once and they are tied to your PS3 forever," reports the reader. "If your PS3 dies or hard drive dies you lose. Don’t get burned like I did."
However, Sony’s rule of thumb about purchasing and downloading video content has been perfectly clear since the service began: "Purchased content can be downloaded to a single PLAYSTATION 3 or a single PSP system. Content cannot be re-downloaded once it has been downloaded to either a PLAYSTATION 3 or PSP system."
PlayStation Network media relations manager Lincoln Davis explained to the Ars Technica website that consumers could actually request one additional download. "If a consumer deletes a purchased movie from their PS3, they will not be able to redownload the movie without assistance from SCEA’s consumer services," he said. "Consumer service can issue a redownload as a one-time courtesy, as provided by our guidelines, for the title to allow the consumer to go back and download the movie from their PSN download list."
Of course, PlayStation 3 owners who rent movies need not worry about the DRM restrictions, as rental movies are only valid for 24 hours. But when system updates brick the console or consumers upgrade the hard drive as permitted by Sony itself, it seems rather excessive to only allow the consumer one official download of the purchased version; that’s $15 gone for good. After all, other downloadable content like full-blown games and add-on packages remain active as long as the consumer’s PlayStation Network account remains valid. Why should video files be handled differently? Namely because the sharing of content is possible on other PlayStation 3 consoles.
In some ways, restricting video downloads makes sense. After all, consumers don’t receive free backup copies of Blu-ray disks when the master copy becomes scratched or cracked. But DRM sucks in any case, and recent escalations of DRM usage in BioShock, Spore and even Windows Genuine Advantage leaves the legit consumer feeling like a victim rather than the protected investor.
Like it or not, DRM is the future of digital media, and now even console owners are feeling the bite of the beast’s evil teeth sinking into their wallets.
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These people just never learn. DRM does absoluty nothing to stop pirates. It just pisses off the legitimate users. While pirates just go about their business without even flinching.
Also on one of your points about the whole thing if the cd gets scratch. Say you downloaded 3 movies 45$ it frys, crashes, or w/e else, and you lose them all. If you break a cd you're only out 15.. I know for myself I never broken/scratched 3 cd's at once unless i ment to. Not to mention theres are ways to get around scratched cd's there is no way around a burnt up hard drive.
Also... A lot of the more expensive downloaded video is only available for a limited time (1 year in most cases).
I wouldn't have as big a problem with this if the prices were reasonably, but you can usually buy the dvd at walmart for the same amount that Sony expects you to pay for their crippled version... and their 'rentals' are more expensive than normal rentals. IMO they have no value proposition.
Limited access movie 'purchases' (I think of them more as extended rentals) from PSN should cost at most half what the full dvd purchase costs at walmart or best buy, or a couple bucks more than they're currently charging for a 24 hour rental (which should cost at most 2-3 bucks).
DRM just gives pirates more things to laugh at the real consumers about.
"Like it or not, DRM is the future of digital media..."
I call B.S. on this. DRM is only the future IF the consumer allows it. You don't buy DRM and big corporations will have no choice but to STOP USING IT or at least make compromises. This is how the FREE MARKET works.
Freedom and profit don't walk hand-in-hand (both are necessary, FREEDOM more so). And shove that defeatist/corporate control rhetoric about 'DRM never going away' back up the hole you forced it out from.
why not just use bittorrent to dl the videos you want and play them on your ps3?
Stupid Sony. They shouldn't start abusing their powers until almost all of humanity are (forced to) using DRM. I thought they have a chart or something that goes: Create DRM -> Play nice to fool all -> Once all are using DRM, ABUSE!!!
Quote: " In some ways, restricting video downloads makes sense. After all, consumers don’t receive free backup copies of Blu-ray disks when the master copy becomes scratched or cracked. "
Excuse me? With a DVD-movie I can go around any friend and watch my film. So I can take it anywhere, without needing all the hassle.
Just the main fact is still, that DRM hurts the customer aswell. I DO BUY GAMES, but I also have cracked games. Example: Crysis, Bioshock Quake 4 and many many more. All legit bought by me. Some games you just can't find in stores (like oldies) So torrenting is the only option.
Second I downloaded Spore via torrent. And I'm not willing to spend 60 US for a game that has DRM.
They need to seek out their lives, and start realizing that DRM isn't a good option. Sure it might be for some customers (
This is just a case of what happens when a industry, like RIAA and the overall movie industry does not keep up with the technology. The technology moved ahead while their business models, especially the distribution, remained relatively unchanged for the last 30 years. I just think all these companies are having a hard time realizing that they no longer have ultimate control like they used to and they have to produce quality as well as quantity. Consumers now no longer have to fork over $30 or more dollars for that game only to find out its full of bugs, glitchy, and just plain poor quality. Same goes for music. You used to have no choice but to pay the $15 to $20 for a cd that had only two or three decent songs on it. Not anymore now you can, legal or illegal, pick and choose what you want. DRM is just another way they wish to try and gain back the control they once had.
here we go again with the drm... when are these corporate morons going to learn that it only motivates loyal paying customers to bypass the legit deal? I hacked the original diablo when i was in like 6th or 7th grade just because my disc was scratched to hell (pun intended) and i didn't have money to buy another... I bought it, i paid for it, i'm going to use it... that's my 2 cents and if you don't like it shove it because your a tosser! Just for this i'm going to make it a goal to find and publish an easy way to hack any gaystation 3.
DRM hahaha stupid.
Like many, I buy games to the tune of 10 to 18 each and every year across different platforms. However I do also down load some games. Often old crap or games that my disc is lost or bad. The only new games I have Dloaded are the Hard Core Secure Rom games. I am interested in the game but not in the crazy locked DRM BS. Normally if I get burned by a bad game (which we all know happens semi regularly) i could at least eBay it. With stupid DRM that is much harder to do.
The only DRM system I have minimal complaints about so far is from Valve. Steam in and of itself has provided a value added proposition. Notice the words I used, "Value Added Proposition" ... I get good free content for many games I own and Steam has regular specials. Nothing else quite like it. I kind of hope Steam becomes the big daddy of distribution systems or at least Valve keeps kicking out awesome titles.
Put annoying DRM on content and I will simply not pay for them. Though companies don't seem to understand that.
Oh well, their loss.