Buying A Macbook?

[Guest Reimar]

Buying a MacBook? Beware of Copyright Protection

Manufacturers have always tried to gain the upper hand on consumers, especially when it comes to protecting their wares. True, there’s nothing wrong with this but when it comes at the cost of a customer, it’s unfair.

The most common scenario I can think of that fits this criteria is DRM. For me, DRM is nothing but a way to punish someone who purchases a song or video legally. There are other examples as well, most notably the Sony rootkit saga. Now, Apple is joining in the fun.

According to a news article on Wired, Apple has installed something called High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) on the external display ports of the new MacBook laptops that have been released last month. Guess what? They haven’t told customers this thing exists.

So what does this mean if you bought or are planning to buy a new MacBook? Well, you will not be able to view movies on an external display device (monitor, TV, projector) when you connect the device to the external display port. That’s right, even if you legally bought a movie from iTunes, you can only watch it on the Macbook’s little screen.

The idea behind HDCP is to stop pirates (does that mean every MacBook owner is one?) from copying movies to video recording devices. However, this has not sat well with people who purchased movies and then found that their viewing experience was ruined because they could not choose to watch a legally-purchased video on their TV. That’s because most TV’s and other devices are not HDCP-compliant.

Apple itself has yet to comment on the issue but so far it’s been determined that both the MacBook Air and Macbook Pro have HDCP enabled. One fallout of the saga is that if users can’t watch what they buy comfortably, there’s no need to buy the content anymore. In fact, a lot of disgruntled MacBook owners have decided not to buy movies from iTunes.

Are you planning to buy a MacBook? How would you deal with HDCP? What do you think of Apple’s tactics? Let me know.

SOURCE

[phazey]

external display ports of the new MacBook laptops that have been released last month

They've been out since October 2008.

And the issue has been resolved.

PS: I watch movies fine on display port connected to HDTV.

EOT.

[slackula]

Let me clarify to make sure I have this straight:

MSFT DRM=good

Anybody else DRM=not so good

Have I got it right?

[Guest Reimar]

Let me clarify to make sure I have this straight:

MSFT DRM=good

Anybody else DRM=not so good

Have I got it right?

NO, you don't get it right, same as you didn't get it right in YOUR windows 7 topic!

DRM at all is bad IMHO!

[slackula]

NO, you don't get it right, same as you didn't get it right in YOUR windows 7 topic!

Are you upset that I posted a W7 topic with slightly less than glowing info? I apologise for hurting your feelings again.

[donna]

Let me clarify to make sure I have this straight:

MSFT DRM=good

Anybody else DRM=not so good

Have I got it right?

NO, you don't get it right, same as you didn't get it right in YOUR windows 7 topic!

DRM at all is bad IMHO!

ok you guys. please try to keep this on topic.

reimar, your opinion is just that... your opinion. others have their opinions too.

[Guest Reimar]

Let me clarify to make sure I have this straight:

MSFT DRM=good

Anybody else DRM=not so good

Have I got it right?

NO, you don't get it right, same as you didn't get it right in YOUR windows 7 topic!

DRM at all is bad IMHO!

ok you guys. please try to keep this on topic.

reimar, your opinion is just that... your opinion. others have their opinions too.

As I wrote: IMHO!

Thanks

[nikster]

First, as phazey has pointed out this issue has been resolved.

So the original source posted this for one of three possible reasons:

1 - Human error.

2 - Trying to scare up some hits on their website

3 - FUD-spreading on Microsoft's behalf. This would be a paranoid assumption were it not for the long history of Microsoft's documented FUD (Fear, uncertainty, doubt) tactics against competitors over the last 20 years or so. Given this history, it's certainly a possibility.

As to why HDCP was in there in the first place, I assume it has to do with HDMI implementation requirements.

Edited February 5, 2009 by nikster

[Phil Conners]

I haven't considered buying anything Apple for other reasons, but if that wasn't enough this surely nails it.

I haven't bought a single Sony product since their rootkit stunt and intend to keep it that way!

Don't get me started on DRM. I've lost count of how much music I purchased first on vinyl, then on casette, then on CD - and now I have to pay for it again before I can download it, just because the old media has packed in. The idea with buying music is you buy a lifelong right to own that piece of music, the media is just supposed to be a container to hold it ... but try to get the DRM kings to agree with that...

Edited February 5, 2009 by Phil Conners

[Crushdepth]

you buy a lifelong right to own that piece of music

I recently discovered that recordings ripped years ago from some of my older CDs (late 80s!) now somehow require a license to play them in Vista. Somewhere, somehow, someone keeps track of how many computers I have played these songs on and there is some kind of limit, which will presumably stop me playing them when I hit it. I can't actually play the songs without downloading a plugin for WMP and messing about.

Very annoying (and also ineffective, since I can just play them on a different device that doesn't have stupid DRM installed).

[Gregory Morozov]

If your HDMI port does not support HDCP, you won't be able to show anything on modern Plasmas and LCD TVs at high resolution.

All modern NVidia PC Video cards with HDMI output support HDCP.

[tjo o tjim]

While the whole HDCP issue sucks, it has absolutely nothing to do with Apple. Buyers would be more pissed off if they get a fancy computer that can't talk to their expensive HD TV at full 1080p.

Microsoft is actually more to blame than Apple on this one; it is Longhorn that made all of the modern copy protection possible by integrating it in.

Ultimately, DRM just doesn't make any sense. Hopefully one of these days the "content providers" catch on that screwing over your customers isn't a path to success.

[b19bry]

Buying a MacBook? Beware of Copyright Protection

Manufacturers have always tried to gain the upper hand on consumers, especially when it comes to protecting their wares. True, there's nothing wrong with this but when it comes at the cost of a customer, it's unfair.

The most common scenario I can think of that fits this criteria is DRM. For me, DRM is nothing but a way to punish someone who purchases a song or video legally. There are other examples as well, most notably the Sony rootkit saga. Now, Apple is joining in the fun.

According to a news article on Wired, Apple has installed something called High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) on the external display ports of the new MacBook laptops that have been released last month. Guess what? They haven't told customers this thing exists.

So what does this mean if you bought or are planning to buy a new MacBook? Well, you will not be able to view movies on an external display device (monitor, TV, projector) when you connect the device to the external display port. That's right, even if you legally bought a movie from iTunes, you can only watch it on the Macbook's little screen.

The idea behind HDCP is to stop pirates (does that mean every MacBook owner is one?) from copying movies to video recording devices. However, this has not sat well with people who purchased movies and then found that their viewing experience was ruined because they could not choose to watch a legally-purchased video on their TV. That's because most TV's and other devices are not HDCP-compliant.

Apple itself has yet to comment on the issue but so far it's been determined that both the MacBook Air and Macbook Pro have HDCP enabled. One fallout of the saga is that if users can't watch what they buy comfortably, there's no need to buy the content anymore. In fact, a lot of disgruntled MacBook owners have decided not to buy movies from iTunes.

Are you planning to buy a MacBook? How would you deal with HDCP? What do you think of Apple's tactics? Let me know.

SOURCE

We think you're obsessed with attempting to trash Apple to the benefit of MS at every opportunity

[Guest Reimar]

We think you're obsessed with attempting to trash Apple to the benefit of MS at every opportunity

I think you go a bit to far: WE think? How YOU can tell what other members thinking?

Just for the record:

I have nothing against Mac's/Apple as I didn't have something against the PC's or the Mainframe's or whatsoever as long as it work as it should and didn't limit me in what I've paid for!

I also didn't have something against the OS of Mac's/Apple or the OS's of PC's as long as they work as they should and this applies for OS-X and for MS OS's as well!

Your judgement is a bit out of line my dear friend because you didn't know me or who am I or whatsoever.

[b19bry]

We think you're obsessed with attempting to trash Apple to the benefit of MS at every opportunity

I think you go a bit to far: WE think? How YOU can tell what other members thinking?

Just for the record:

I have nothing against Mac's/Apple as I didn't have something against the PC's or the Mainframe's or whatsoever as long as it work as it should and didn't limit me in what I've paid for!

I also didn't have something against the OS of Mac's/Apple or the OS's of PC's as long as they work as they should and this applies for OS-X and for MS OS's as well!

Your judgement is a bit out of line my dear friend because you didn't know me or who am I or whatsoever.

Chill out Reimar you need to develop a sense of humour. It was a light hearted comment/observation and in that vein I was using the 'We' as in the royal 'we' sense !

In fairness it was you yourself that asked for feedback ?

Edited February 6, 2009 by b19bry

[Guest Reimar]

Chill out Reimar you need to develop a sense of humour. It was a light hearted comment/observation and in that vein I was using the 'We' as in the royal 'we' sense !

In fairness it was you yourself that asked for feedback ?

I don't think so that I asked for feedback! I just posted an article for to let others know what;s they maybe until then!

And I do like Feedback on the other hand as long as they didn't get personal! Constructive and fundamental critic is fine at all times!

And it has not any thing to do with humor to admit that someone is how you think he is! If you asked for that, it would different. If the article in question was written by me, you may could admit what you did. But nothing of that was a fact.

[b19bry]

Chill out Reimar you need to develop a sense of humour. It was a light hearted comment/observation and in that vein I was using the 'We' as in the royal 'we' sense !

In fairness it was you yourself that asked for feedback ?

I don't think so that I asked for feedback! I just posted an article for to let others know what;s they maybe until then!

And I do like Feedback on the other hand as long as they didn't get personal! Constructive and fundamental critic is fine at all times!

And it has not any thing to do with humor to admit that someone is how you think he is! If you asked for that, it would different. If the article in question was written by me, you may could admit what you did. But nothing of that was a fact.

Can you translate the last line of this post into English, I don't understand

[slackula]

We think you're obsessed with attempting to trash Apple to the benefit of MS at every opportunity

I think you go a bit to far: WE think? How YOU can tell what other members thinking?

I agree with b19bry. Him/her + me =we

Good enough for ya?

[stoffel]

We think you're obsessed with attempting to trash Apple to the benefit of MS at every opportunity

I think you go a bit to far: WE think? How YOU can tell what other members thinking?

I agree with b19bry. Him/her + me =we

Good enough for ya?

Hey, are you english? Because I ask about your way of writing which looks more bad than I had learn in my shool in Denmark!

[b19bry]

We think you're obsessed with attempting to trash Apple to the benefit of MS at every opportunity

I think you go a bit to far: WE think? How YOU can tell what other members thinking?

I agree with b19bry. Him/her + me =we

Good enough for ya?

Hey, are you english? Because I ask about your way of writing which looks more bad than I had learn in my shool in Denmark!

Hey, if the English teachers taught you to write sentences like that, is there any chance you can get your money back ?

[sniffdog]

We think you're obsessed with attempting to trash Apple to the benefit of MS at every opportunity

I think you go a bit to far: WE think? How YOU can tell what other members thinking?

I agree with b19bry. Him/her + me =we

Good enough for ya?

Hey, are you english? Because I ask about your way of writing which looks more bad than I had learn in my shool in Denmark!

In your shool? 555!

Sometimes I get so fed up with these Apple-Windows discussions .... remember, there is no right, there is no wrong. If you don't like HDCP or DRM, ....... (deleted)

Edited February 7, 2009 by Reimar
deleted some words which out of line

[nikster]

Ultimately, DRM just doesn't make any sense. Hopefully one of these days the "content providers" catch on that screwing over your customers isn't a path to success.

Screwing customers? They have even tried suing customers! It's completely insane.

I think it bears repeating: Macs do not have this problem anymore. This is a simple FUD piece on Apple. Nuff said.

[nullx8]

i dont think this is a serious issue ...

seriously .. who use the macbook to watch a movie ??

way too much hassle to do so.

for me the ibook/macbook is the most important tool i have fo my job and live ... i would never flood it with entertainemnt things ..

the apple TV does the job well and do not have this kind of hardware installed.

plain statistics .. almost 90% of the peopels using a notebook to see movies ..

are not getting them legally.

better invest 10k in a apple TV without DVD drive

instead of 70K for a macbook as dvd player to play dvd's not even on DVD medias ;-)

[nikster]

As I said, the issue has been corrected.

Now, nobody seems to listen. And that is exactly why FUD articles work. You release wrong information - and some of it sticks. Similar to mud-slinging. Some of it is going to stick, and that's exactly the point.

[NHJ]

apple is simply fixing a mistake , all graphic cards and monitors must be DHCP otherwise no High definition on DRM movies.

before this fix from apple you were stuck with only Standard Definition on your monitor with a DRM movie.

nothing to complain, apple is just following the industry.

[phazey]

I just want to add, things happen sometimes that are not what's intended. I'll give an example straight from Apple.

I was gutted after getting my unibody macbook that i could no longer jailbreak my iphone - just would not work. After scouring the forums, indeed, this was a bona-fide problem. The solution? Well, this problem was caused by the USB port driver. Using a USB hub , and connecting the iphone to that and everything was peachy......