Disposable DVDs Rise From The Dead

It wasn’t a good idea in 1999 when we buried Circuit City-backed Digital Video Express (Divx). It wasn’t a good idea in 2006 when MovieKlub failed to launch. And it’s not a good idea now:

DVD-D Germany Ltd’s ‘Einmal’ (German for ‘once’) – discs incorporate a self-destruct chemical coating to render them unreadable after a pre-set time. The process begins as soon as the discs are removed from vacuum-sealed packaging. After 48 hours (or longer, depending on the price) […]

In an era of DVD kiosks and expanding cable/sat VOD options plus evolving Internet download and web streaming options (at least in the US…), I just don’t see a market for this “technology.” (via CrunchGear)

7 thoughts on “Disposable DVDs Rise From The Dead”

  1. Ahhh that K-Tel/Ronco Vacuum Sealer will make a comeback!! – Watch movie – vacuum seal it back…lol

  2. Pile this in with that earlier post about how everyone wants their own, dedicated STB in your living room. While you are at it, throw it in [ the same garabge can ] with the RIAA’s Federally enforced “Music Tax”. I expect a few more spasms and ticks before rigor mortise sets in.

    What would be a good category name or slang term for this? I am thinking something borrowed from Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’…

    …if stuff like this new attempt at self destructing physical media didn’t inflict so much misery in the regular end user, I might just categorize it as “humor”.

  3. Todd–I like it. Its like “The Evolution of Business”. In CAPS. With drop shadows. Somebody could do a book. Things not to do if you want to survive. Things like:

    – Don’t tell your customers they’re criminals
    – Don’t make it difficult for people to do what they wanted when they paid you for something

    I’m sure there’s some slang term associated with the Darwin Awards that would work here. Perhaps “gasping” or “scarfing” which are apparently slang terms for auto-erotic asphyxiation. Basically would mean doing something in business that is such an obviously bad idea you might go out of business because of it.

    Example: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/15/virgin_media_net_neutrality/

  4. That is just funny. I can see the aspect of not having to return the DVD’s though. What a waste. How does this chemical fair in DVD players though?

  5. Much less what does this chemical do to our already burdgening land fills?? So lets see create a product that you have to throw away?? Arent they trying to get rid of plastic grocery bags so you dont have to throw them away??
    At least you can re-use a grocery bag… lol

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