This movies service is amazing! rentals from 99p and the quality it better then iTunes!

DRM Killed the Video Download Store!

Samsung Movies is pretty much DOA thanks to unreasonable DRM restrictions.

I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab & was delighted to get 16 full, recently released Movies for it from the Samsung Movies site.

Delighted that is, until I tried to stream the content across the room to my TV via my web/network enabled 3View box (UK) on my home network. The movies do transmit, but are scambled by the DRM system.

The 3View box cannot decode the content as the company don’t have permission from the Film Studios to download an obtain the license to enable decryption. 3View said that they will only be granted such an agreement if they significantly expand their user base, leaving chumps like me with “free” content that is in reality less valuable than the DVD version (though priced he same) & Samsung with a complete let-down of a Movies service for their Tablet product which is an otherwise promising device for media management.

Far from discouraging piracy, this kind of restriction on the legitimate use of paid content risks a new generation of people seeking content illegitimately JUST to avoid the ridiculous restriction of not being able to send your paid for content across the room!

The DRM crowd need their heads fixing. If I buy content, I should be able to play it back on any device that supports the underlying content (in this case WMV) without having to seek permission from each content originator (i.e. film studios) and supporting their own licensing model.

If you’re dead-set on DRM (*) here’s an idea, set up an impartial DRM servicing group to serve licenses/validate devices. Allow users a simple management tool to register their devices, and then just give the key to that device. It could be as simple as a DRM password set up with the first DRM purchase, and given to the user to enter into their devices (could make the user validate each device via website, which would be annoying but less so than what we’ve got now), then the device contacts the server and requests/downloads a key. Full control, no individual agreements with content originators, much simpler for manufacturers to implement and makes the content do what it should (with a bit of fiddling)!

Regards.
A Samsung Galay Tab (Android Tablet) and 3View (internet/broadcast TV box) owner.
(feeling pretty dejected about the way media technology is heading)

(*) if you are set on DRM I think that’s half of the battle to keep revenue lost already – iTunes doesn’t DRM music, but it’s sales are huge, not DRM’ing their content hasn’t damaged the music industry.

For the entertainment industry, enabling new and innovative content delivery, adding value through download on demand, and streaming services is where the future lies.