Beware of Fullmetal Alchemist OST!

[miki-chan]

...I purchased a copy the other day only to get it home and find that the dreaded Sony copy protection software is on it.
Not only that, but if you were fool enough to try and register the CD online, you'd get a message that you have to be a resident of Japan to do so.
Nowhere on the CD cover does it note that it's a Sony product (I see a mention of the K-O Records LTD.).
Needless to say, I'll be returning this CD to the shop where I purchased it shortly.
Teh 3vil!

[Lightice]

Copy protection in anime OSTs? Ouch...

But didn't Sony BGM pull out all it's CDs with that notorious copy protection and agreed to refund all those who bought it? In Europe, at least, they stopped putting in copy protections, alltogether, to the new releases, at least until the heat goes down. If it's a Sony copy protection, you should be able to get refund from Sony, itself - but remember that Sony BGM is not the only company in the market with nasty DRM.

[miki-chan]

But didn't Sony BGM pull out all it's CDs with that notorious copy protection and agreed to refund all those who bought it?

I think they did, Lightice, but this shop may not have heard of it. And I'm not sure that this is the infamous copy protection, not having personally experienced it myself. But I can't for the life of me understand why the record companies involved would agree to export such a product to a country where the product can't be used!
And of course, they're the whole issue of why the record company can't put a label on the CD that it's copy protected and you can only play it on a computer if you meet certain system and/or residency requirements...grrr!

[Jeni Nielsen]

this reminds me of the HD-DVD scandal that's going around the internet. It's also a Sony thing.

Your TV and player and graphics card all have to be synched to play Sony's new Bluetooth DVD software, so anyone who has already purchased a HD TV probably will not have the ability to play HD-DVDs in the future. Also the difference between the cheaper PS3 and the more expensive one basically amounts to not being able to play DVDs further down the line.


Sony just seems to be taking things way too seriously. Sheesh.

[Lightice]

this reminds me of the HD-DVD scandal that's going around the internet. It's also a Sony thing.

Your TV and player and graphics card all have to be synched to play Sony's new Bluetooth DVD software, so anyone who has already purchased a HD TV probably will not have the ability to play HD-DVDs in the future. Also the difference between the cheaper PS3 and the more expensive one basically amounts to not being able to play DVDs further down the line.

Your terminology is a bit screwed. Sony famous for not following HD-DVD-standard - that's Microsoft's thing that at least awhile ago was the underdog in the current format war, but it's getting to stores earlier than Sony's, so it might still win. Sony is using the Blue Ray-format. They have more or less identical copy protections (high), but Blue Ray is more customizable, in that respect. Any HD TV that has the HD-Ready mark is capable of playing both HD-DVD and Blue Ray just like it should. They all follow the HDCP copy protection standard (got to love those HD-abbreviations ). On the other hand, most PC screens don't, despite of being technically capable of showing HD content. That's a big bummer, especially when Windows Vista comes out with it's HD properties.

The cheaper PS3 lacks the HDMI-port, which means that it's no use at all, for watching high definition movies.

[Jeni Nielsen]

this reminds me of the HD-DVD scandal that's going around the internet. It's also a Sony thing.

Your TV and player and graphics card all have to be synched to play Sony's new Bluetooth DVD software, so anyone who has already purchased a HD TV probably will not have the ability to play HD-DVDs in the future. Also the difference between the cheaper PS3 and the more expensive one basically amounts to not being able to play DVDs further down the line.

Your terminology is a bit screwed. Sony famous for not following HD-DVD-standard - that's Microsoft's thing that at least awhile ago was the underdog in the current format war, but it's getting to stores earlier than Sony's, so it might still win. Sony is using the Blue Ray-format. They have more or less identical copy protections (high), but Blue Ray is more customizable, in that respect. Any HD TV that has the HD-Ready mark is capable of playing both HD-DVD and Blue Ray just like it should. They all follow the HDCP copy protection standard (got to love those HD-abbreviations ). On the other hand, most PC screens don't, despite of being technically capable of showing HD content. That's a big bummer, especially when Windows Vista comes out with it's HD properties.

The cheaper PS3 lacks the HDMI-port, which means that it's no use at all, for watching high definition movies.

Heh the article had a lot of jargon. I understood it when it was being thrown at me, but that doesn't mean I can regurgitate it under pressure.

The thing is though, it still means that anyone who bought an early version HD TV will not have the HD-Ready system and be screwed in the end right? At least that's what I thought the article was saying.

[Lightice]

Heh the article had a lot of jargon. I understood it when it was being thrown at me, but that doesn't mean I can regurgitate it under pressure.

Well, I've propably been keeping my eye on this stuff more that most consumers - mainly because I'm pretty excited by the new technology, but unwilling to pay for the current costs.

The thing is though, it still means that anyone who bought an early version HD TV will not have the HD-Ready system and be screwed in the end right? At least that's what I thought the article was saying.

Well, I haven't read the article, but it's more accurate to say, that not all flat-panel TVs are automatically HD-ready, although almost all are, by now. All TVs with the HD-Ready mark on them are fully HD-ready and those without them are most likely worth squat, due the lack of support for HDCP.

It's a bigger matter for those, who use their computer to watch movies. Like I said, there are only a few HD-Ready computer screens, out there, even though technically almost all computer screens would be quite capable of playing at least 720p HD-image. Also, you need to have a HD-Ready graphics card and those are just coming to the market, mainly aimed for those, who use PC as the center of their home theatre - if you are a gamer, those cards aren't all that good, or so I've been told.

[H-street]

the deal with the new DRM by blue ray and even HD-DVD is the fact that if your HD-TV (even if it says HD-Ready) doesn't have an HDMI input, you may not be able to play full HD content..

this has been relaxed for now (both formats will give a 2 year leeway before they start to impliment the HDMI only for HD content)..

but only time will tell, but i can tell you i won't be upgraded my HD-TV for a while and will just stick with ED-DVD's until then.

although for the entrepreneur type, if you want to make a bit of money a simple HDMi->DVI or HDMi->Component converter would probably makea bit of money if if they do go HDMI only. (and then sold it for something like 50$)

[Lightice]

the deal with the new DRM by blue ray and even HD-DVD is the fact that if your HD-TV (even if it says HD-Ready) doesn't have an HDMI input, you may not be able to play full HD content..

There are HD-Ready DVI-inputs and they aren't worse than HDMI in playing HD content, except that they need a separate wire for sound. Not all DVI-ports are HD-Ready, though. Once again, you need to check out for HD-Ready tag. If it's there, you have no problems. Depending on what device you're using, you might need a HDMI-DVI-converter wire, though.

If it's got HD-Ready tag, then it's capable of playing HDCP-protected content, that is the standard copy protection for HD content, no matter whether it has HDMI or DVI inputs.

[Jeni Nielsen]

...I purchased a copy the other day only to get it home and find that the dreaded Sony copy protection software is on it.
Not only that, but if you were fool enough to try and register the CD online, you'd get a message that you have to be a resident of Japan to do so.
Nowhere on the CD cover does it note that it's a Sony product (I see a mention of the K-O Records LTD.).
Needless to say, I'll be returning this CD to the shop where I purchased it shortly.
Teh 3vil!

to get the topic back on track...

was this the Tofu records version or the original japanese? I'm curious.