MSNBC
The article is somewhat interesting, but one part in part in particular caught my eye.
Quote: 10. DVDs
The DVD was the most eagerly adopted electronic consumer gizmo in history, but I’d feel bad if I failed to complain about the evil of these things. First and worst, DVDs are unbearably frail. Any benefit one gets from “clearer pictures”—on what HDTV superscreen, exactly?—is quickly removed by the catastrophic effects of a single thumbprint or scratch. Plus, just like CDs, DVDs as physical objects will prove to warp and delaminate.
Most loathsome of all is the fiendish spam hard-burned into DVDs, which forces one to suffer through the commercials gratefully evaded by videotape fast-forwards. The Content Scrambling System copy protection scheme doesn’t work, and the payoff for pirating DVDs is massive, because unlike tapes, digital data don’t degrade with reproduction. So DVDs have the downside of piracy and organized crime, without the upside of free, simple distribution. Someday they will stand starkly revealed for what they really are: collateral damage to consumers in the entertainment industry’s miserable, endless war of attrition with digital media.
This guy obviously doesn't have a clue what he's talking about. First of all DVDs are no where near that fragile and they are actually a lot more durable than VHS tapes. Also, although pirating is prevalent, companies are making MILLIONS on DVD sales.
Anyway, I just thought people might want to read this article.
I think the article is supposed to be humorous. Or at least I hope so... :)
Either that guy is quite strange, or its a mix or serious and humor... I can't tell which.
That entire list is plain dumb. Coal power, prisons and the light bulb? IMHO the bottom line is the writer's a tard.
It's called ADVANCEMENT. I think it's a joke though. It's just too stupid otherwise, yet hilarious if it is. Best to assume what makes the most sense.
And manned space flight. Yeah, it's a bit dangerous, but colonies don't populate themselves.
Quote:light bulb
I found that one to be odd too. Incandecent bulbs and relatively cheap and last for several months.
That guy seems to over-exagerate a lot of the problems of some of the lesser technologies.
It is stupid because it mixes humorous-sounding ones like the incandescent lightbulb and the DVD with totally serious stuff like land mines.
Yeah... so it makes no sense. Is the guy serious about the rest of that stuff? If so, that's one disturbed person... :)
This guy is a complete moron. DVDs don't lose their quality after repeated viewing like VHS tapes do, and the quality is uncomparable. And they're more durable than most people think. Twenty thumb prints and even some scratches will not make a DVD look or sound any worse. That's not the way it works. Now if it were a CD then that would be a different story entirely, but DVDs are more durable. What an idiot.
Quote:10. DVDs
The DVD was the most eagerly adopted electronic consumer gizmo in history, but I’d feel bad if I failed to complain about the evil of these things. First and worst, DVDs are unbearably frail. Any benefit one gets from “clearer pictures”—on what HDTV superscreen, exactly?—is quickly removed by the catastrophic effects of a single thumbprint or scratch. Plus, just like CDs, DVDs as physical objects will prove to warp and delaminate.
Most loathsome of all is the fiendish spam hard-burned into DVDs, which forces one to suffer through the commercials gratefully evaded by videotape fast-forwards. The Content Scrambling System copy protection scheme doesn’t work, and the payoff for pirating DVDs is massive, because unlike tapes, digital data don’t degrade with reproduction. So DVDs have the downside of piracy and organized crime, without the upside of free, simple distribution. Someday they will stand starkly revealed for what they really are: collateral damage to consumers in the entertainment industry’s miserable, endless war of attrition with digital media.
1.Clearly this person forgets renting video tapes were the tape gets damaged by the machine of the previous renter(happens),
You will have horrible image and in some cases the tapes were damaged beyond repair. It may come as a surprise but the inside film of a cassete tape is extremly fragail so when it gets into the machine and it haisnt been properly cleaned and objects the usual dust and shit will jam the machine and harm the fragail tape.Even though more modern VHS players exist that are better protective of tapes alot of people still use older models so renting is still risky business for VHS especially older movies .
But in DvDs case since it uses a laser to scan the disk when used if dust and dirt gets in the machine it wont damage the disk as the laser doesnt even touch it to cause rip or pulling.
Scratching happens but usual do to careless use but even so dvds dont scar up like cds and minor thumb prints wont effect it unless you just sat there rubing it all over your body :D. Even then I am sure it will still work unless you decided to bite into it really hard.Also it takes alot of scratching before you notice anything.May I finally add on this arguement which would survive a dunk in water better? Do I even need to say....
2.You are clearly not well informed or familiar with dvds, Those anoying comericals can be removed instantly by pressing the skip button on your dvd remote instead of going through seconds or minutes of fast forwarding and then having too stop it before you go to far ahead then you wanted.Also most dvd have the scan option which works the same as fast forward or rewind on a VHS tape so you can do it the old fasion way for your liking.Finally alot of dvds dont force you to see ads at all they leave it as a extra option in bonus material. You are an idiot!ahahaha!
3.Pirating ,Long before time ago VHS tapes were pirated and even pirated VHS tapes were somtimes availible showing films still in threatres.People thanks to easy availibility of the recording option on all VHS players, Allowed people to steal movies directly from network tv which were commonly broadcast now I dont know about you but recordable dvd players are a small minority today, Also may I add some sneeks have also been abled to record entire movies they have just rented in the past and even though a new safety net is in place some people always find tricks to screw with the tape in order to steal it.
So with all this pirating history behind VHS why shout at dvds? I would be more concerned with entire movies downloaded in minutes off the internet just like music is file traded and then those stolen films can be displayed on the tv thanks to some special hooks ups availible now.So people can do it just as fast without even having dvds and alot of companies are adapting the way DVD retail films are manufactored to block out ilegal duplication.
Finally the dvd is now out selling the VHS by 30% and even blockbuster pulled back its VHS stock and exspanded the dvd to be equal with VHS recently many other movie shops have followed, Infact DVD format is gonna eventually replace VHS in the near future perhaps even by the next decade much like the cassete tape for music has been phased out by the cd . DVD is now more common then and ever and will be soon much the same as VHS is now in the majority of households.