Playstation 3 Video DRM Only Allows One Download 316
Nom du Keyboard points out an Ars Technica report that the Sony Video Store on the Playstation Network is running some rather restrictive DRM. When purchasing movies, users are allowed just one download — even if they delete the movie to make space and want to download it again on the same machine. A Sony representative told Ars that users could be issued an extra download as a "one-time courtesy" with help from customer support. Quoting:
"When we're discussing a system that seems to release new hardware configurations every few months and a company that actively encourages you to swap hard drives yourself, it appears users are going to run into problems if they ever decide they want to switch out their hard drive or even upgrade into a larger system; the information on the back-up utility makes it clear that video content can't be moved over to new system, although new hard drives should be safe. Sony claims that the PS3 is operating on a 10-year timeline: is one extra download, which you need to contact customer service to apply for, good enough for the next decade?"
Apple do the same.. (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Apple do the same.. (Score:3, Informative)
Absolutely true.
But I can easily back up my music and video downloads to an external hard drive or DVD archive. When I want to restore them, I just load them back onto the machine.
For that matter, I can copy videos between my computers and still play them. It's true, those computers have to be "authorized" by Apple, up to a max of 5 computers (which I can reset/change each year). But I can still do it.
So Apple doesn't do *exactly* the same. It's DRM, and all DRM is bad. But Apple's doesn't leave quite the same taste in my mouth that Sony's does.
Re:Apple do the same.. (Score:3, Informative)
Couple that with the fact that iTunes doesn't officially support taking music off your iPod back onto iTunes and you've got a system that's a real pain in the arse.
Haven't installed iTunes 7 yet, huh?
Re:How is this surprising? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Apple do the same.. (Score:3, Informative)
The main difference is that it's trivially easy to back up your own iTunes library. Especially so if you own a recent Mac, where you can get an external hard drive and use Time Machine. Also, iTunes will allow you to copy your iTunes-purchased music from your iPod to your computer, but it will essentially replace your existing iTunes library. That in addition to being allowed to copy your iTunes purchased music/video to 5 different computers.
Don't get me wrong-- I'm generally anti-DRM and would very much like to see Apple drop their DRM entirely. On the other hand, Sony has really done a worse job here.
Yikes. Just this weekend I upgraded my PS3 drive. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:How is this surprising? (Score:3, Informative)
Steam and the 360 let you delete stuff you've bought and download it later.
So does the PS3.... For everything but Movies. Which according the the Xbox live website is the same way it works on the 360. For movies.
Although at least Microsoft is kind enough to market them strictly as rentals.
This is not DRM (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Their copyright should be toast (Score:3, Informative)
and often the video store ends up selling that off at discount.
.. We're not discussing that. We're discussing the fact that it *is* a rental, not the fact that the physical object get sold at a later point in time. Thanks for coming out, though.
Who cares! (Score:5, Informative)
Seriously, not to be flamebait, but I have a Wii, and I can download.. uh.. wait.. GAMES!! and, the beauty is, if I delete it, I can download it again, for free, anytime, as long as it is on my console only.
That's the type of DRM I can live with. I mean, sure I wish I could load up my SD card and bring it to my friend's place who also has a Wii, but hey, you know, let's face it, I understand Why Nintendo stops me from going on with my SD card from machine to machine, and it's ok.
Now I don't get to play movies on my Wii.. boo hoo.. like I care, that's why I have a DVD player anyways. Beside, if the Wii ever went defective and it was my sole means of watching a movie, I would be in effect pretty damn bored!
Now, The PS3 let's you download movies only 1 time. That's Gestapo like DRM for you uh? :)
But who would want to download a movie for the PS3 anyways? especially with that type of DRM?
Better off buying a program like AnyDVD-HD which also support Blue-Ray and simply rent a movie and make a copy if you wish it.
DRM makes people's life a living hell, it's why it's not working.
Re:Rental only (Score:2, Informative)
So Apple is conducting felony fraud, then? (Given that they do the exact same thing.)
Re:Courtosy download? (Score:4, Informative)
Why would anyone expect Sony to allow their bandwidth to be re-used for free?
Because a direct competitor (XBOX 360) allows me to download multiple times for anything I purchased. In fact, I have bought things, deleted them, and then when surfing the XBOX Live area and looking at those games it asks me if I want to download them AGAIN.
Re:How is this surprising? (Score:3, Informative)
It's unlimited downloads, but 5 PS3's can be authorized.
Misleading headline. (Score:3, Informative)
This seems to be just for video rentals and purchases. Movie rentals annoyingly stay on your HD, even after the rental period is over - you have to manually delete them. I am assuming though if you rent the movie again in the future, it will let you have another download, or just reactivate it on the HD if you already have it downloaded. Have not really tried - $4.50 for a 24 hour download just seemed really high, and I only tried it to see one movie that they have yet to release on Blu-Ray.
The article makes it clear that this is just for movie purchaces. I have yet to make any, as HD stuff is only available for rental.
Trailers and gameplay videos seem to allow you unlimited downloads.
I have had one PS3 brick on me with the 2.42 firmware, and the one they replaced it with is starting to go out, and it looks like I may be replacing it as well before too long. However, GAMES and add-ons I have purchased seem to have let me have more than 2 downloads, as I keep so much on my PS3 I delete whatever I am not playing at the time, and redownload when I want to play again. Has always worked quite well.
Re:Apple do the same.. (Score:3, Informative)
Amazon allows unlimited downloads of purchased music.
Amazon seems to disagree: [amazon.com]
Can I download another copy of my MP3 files after the initial purchase?
Your Amazon MP3 Music purchases can only be downloaded once. After you have successfully downloaded the file to your computer at the time of purchase, we recommend that you create a backup copy.
We are currently unable to replace any purchased files that you delete or lose due to a system or disk error. If you encounter a problem with an MP3 file immediately after purchase, please click the Customer Service button in the Contact Us box in the right-hand column of this page so we can determine how to help you.
If you've re-downloaded files from Amazon, was there an automated method or did you have to contact their customer service?
The iTunes Store will also let you re-download files — if you email customer service — but most people would prefer a more streamlined system.
Re:Apple do the same.. (Score:3, Informative)
Couple that with the fact that iTunes doesn't officially support taking music off your iPod back onto iTunes
For purchased music it does. If you hook up an iPod that belongs with your computer's library that contains purchased songs you don't have on your computer it will ask you if you want to move them to your computer from your iPod.
For PS3 Owners - Backed up movies (Score:2, Informative)
I recently upgraded my 60GB HD to a 350GB HD. Before I removed the 60GB, I performed a backup to a 500GB USB HD. The backup files were 4.5 GB each, perfect for spanning across DVDs. I had 3 movies and ~20 1 hour TV episodes, all in SD. The whole backup folder was about 30GB and the process took roughly 2 hours to complete. After install and format, the restore took about 1 hour and 45 minutes. At the end, all my movies, SingStar songs, and other DLC were perfectly restored.
YMMV, but movies are supposed to survive a successful backup and restore on the same system.