[mythtv-users] Many new dvd's not working

Simon Hobson linux at thehobsons.co.uk
Sat Jul 10 15:31:04 UTC 2010


Brian Wood wrote:

>  > Is there any "test suite" available that we could run against a disk
>>  to verify it conforms to the rule book for DVDs ? If so, then run
>>  that, and if it's non-compliant I'd also complain to Trading
>>  Standards that the supposed DVDs are not "as described" - a key
>>  requirement in UK consumer law.
>>
>>  The key thing is that "just not buying them" won't hurt anyone
>>  because the volumes we'd not buy wouldn't even be a rounding error in
>>  the statistics. But returns cost the whole chain dear, and if we
>>  could get just one prosecution under consumer protection law for
>>  mislabelled "DVD"s then it would raise the profile of what's going
>>  on. Especially if there was a concerted effort to target one large
>>  chain (such as Walmart in the US) such that they decided it wasn't
>>  profitable to stock the output from one studio - now that would get
>>  the studio's attention.
>
>A problem with some of these recent "protection" schemes is that 
>they have significant "collateral damage", many
>"legitimate" DVD players won't play the new disks. They count on the 
>fact that most people won't figure out what's
>happening, and perhaps blame their "old" player.
>
>If people started to return players to the store, complaining that 
>they won't play certain disks, that might get
>"Walmart's" attention even more than disk returns.
>
>But handling a return on a disk that has a profit margin of pennies 
>is a losing proposition for a retailer, a great "stone
>in the shoe". Good idea.

Anyone know if there's a compliance test suite of any kind ? It would 
be very useful if there was.

-- 
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.


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