wm9 on all DVD's?

No kidding... why do I get a strong feeling of doom when I read that article? I think this is going to turn out to be a VBT (Very Bad Thing)...

I don't think I've ever seen the terms "Microsoft" and "industry standards" in the same sentence without words like "has no," "doesn't follow," etc.
 
Well, let's keep _ourselves_ open here. Why's it a very bad thing? (And off-topic, why do you have to capitalise this?) ...

Because MS will make more money? Grant you that one. But that's only bad for MS-haters. It's great for shareholders.

Because MS will take over the movie industry? Kidding.

Because consumers won't have choice? They don't have one now.

Because MS will make HD-DVDs incompatible with Macs/Linux? Microsoft is not in charge.

Also, the way I read this, it's not as if the producers of HD-DVDs would even be forced to use the technology. MPEG-2 is still in. We'll see how this plays out... But I just don't see the 'very bad thing' about it, unless you mean the first thing I mentioned...
 
Fryke, there's an old English adage; given them an inch and they'll take yard.

Microsoft do not have any egalitarian or altruistic ambitions. They are commercial predators who seize any opportunity that avails itself to them and then use it to beat down the competition.

They are now _way_ too big to allow such indifferent shoulder-shrugging responses to their highly duplicitous and agenda-driven maneuvering...
 
But what do you expect? The US was given the chance to slash Microsoft into pieces - but the US actually (that's the only way I can interpret how the antitrust case came out) appreciate Microsoft and its behaviour. Radical capitalism is one of the most important things in that country. And what else does Microsoft stand for?

I'm all for slashing Microsoft - and I do hope that Europe will give them some headaches (I don't see how they can _really_ harm MS). However, this example, DVD forum adopting a Microsoft technology, just doesn't seem like a very bad thing. The MPEG adopted QuickTime technologies some time ago and implemented some of it into MPEG-4. Do you see Apple controlling MPEG now? No. The DVD forum adopting an MS technology actually forces MS to open the format. So one could also say: This could be a Very Good Thing. As I've said: We'll see.
 
fryke said:
... I do hope that Europe will give them some headaches.
Click to expand...

You're kidding? Looks like all of the sabre-rattling has turned into limp handshakes and false smiles.

They'll be just as toothless as the American DoJ. It'll be like being gummed by a old-aged pensioner...
 
I do not see why M$ needs to be broken up or restricted. I have no problem with them bundling their software or charging whatever they want for it. I have no problem with their relationships with pc manufacturers. I can still buy a windows box and put another browser and media player on it. The only limit on me is the amount of trouble I want to go to. I still have choices even on a windows box. My mac's all came with bundled Apple apps (which are better yes). Should we stop Apple from doing this too? Please no!
M$ has so much money for a variety of reasons.
1. Because most users do not like change and stick with what they have. They pay M$ a premium for not having to learn something new. Switching is only painless if your computer is a toy for websurfing.
2. Because M$ aggressively contracts with multiple vendors to supply their product.
3. Because their shareholders have always been happy for the stock price to appreciate in leu of dividends. Just last year they paid their first meager dividend.

On the dvd standard. If M$ has the best HD-DVD standard we should use it. However the market will pick the standard in the end. Remember Betamax was higher quality than VHS. There is also blue ray form sony,hp,etc.. Just my two cents worth.
 
speedfreak said:
On the dvd standard. If M$ has the best HD-DVD standard we should use it. However the market will pick the standard in the end. Remember Betamax was higher quality than VHS. There is also blue ray form sony,hp,etc.. Just my two cents worth.
Click to expand...

But this is the whole problem, Windows Media isn't the best video standard, and even if it was, it gives Microsoft an overwhelming position of strength that no one commercial company should be allowed to have.

Microsoft open up wm9 for the HD-DVD standard, everyone thinks this is a new, caring-sharing Microsoft .. wrong!

Some way, some how, they will use this foothold to break into new markets, create new revenue streams, kill off more superior alternatives, lower innovation and generally lessen the whole qualitative feel of computing even further.

Microsoft have no interest in quality or the pursuit thereof, they desire only dominance...
 
I agree. In light of the recent anti-trust violations, it is amazing that companies are willing to allow M$ this kind of opportunity. Their only punishment has been to capitalize on it. I also feel that we are getting M$ Office apps for Macintosh because they can say they also support alternatives to Windows. I remember reading an article were the MACBU was complaining of the sales of M$ X. Now they have promised another version, after this release later this summer.
I think the security issues that M$ has is going to hurt them the most.
 
I imagine that Sony learned its lesson from the betamax days and will not repeat it with blue ray. They have partners with clout also. I really doubt M$ will be the markets choice. QT MPEG-4 is far superior to WM9 . I'd be happy with a player which plays multiple formats. My current DVD player plays MPG2 dvd's MP3 cd's video cd's regular cd's and decodes several versions of dolby. I expect the HD players to do the same.
M$ not only has to convince the content provider but the hardware manufacturers. They are not likely to get the hardware producers to make a WM9 only player. I just not see how they could dominate this market. They may be a player in the HD DVD market but not the dominator. Anyway by the time these devices become mass produced they will be up to WM12 and MPEG7 encoding. I think my MPEG2 dvd's look great on my HDTV. Why bother upgrading till the player dies?
 
What most of you don't get is that WM9 is only _one_ format that _can_ be used on HD DVDs. MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 are in also, for example. And even _if_, say, Sony Pictures would decide to release their flix on HD-DVD in WM9, it wouldn't be much of a problem, because you _will_ be able to play those movies. Why wouldn't you? Microsoft won't be in control of the content or the DRM. It's not as if the whole industry had said "let MS take control over it". But some of you seem to think so. Strange... Read the articles, I'd say.
 
fryke said:
What most of you don't get is that WM9 is only _one_ format that _can_ be used on HD DVDs...
Click to expand...

Fryke, we're all conversant with the details of the article. No one has misread or otherwise misinterpreted it.

As I said earlier in the thread, give Microsoft an inch and they'll take a mile, never mind about a yard.

Microsoft simply would not be doing this unless they had their sights firmly set on dislodging the other formats and becoming pre-eminent...
 
Then you've nothing to worry about, have you?

Only, you might want to put another title to that page: Microsoft Blue-Chip client list...
 
I never said that this is a Very Bad Thing (why the capitals? Because. ;)), I said I get the feeling it will turn out to be such. Sure, it may look well and good to us now, but it's still a Microsoft product... those have a tendency to take wrong turns.
 
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