No More Returns, No More Late Fees

Scott Hardie | November 28, 2002
Maybe you've heard: Hollywood is considering a new kind of DVD that self-destructs in 36 hours. (article here) When exposed to air, the disc begins a chemical breakdown, and its data cannot be read after about a day and a half. The purpose of the technology is to free customers from having to return rented DVDs to the store, and to prevent late fees at the same time. What a smart idea, right?

You know, I liked this idea a lot better when it was called DIVX, before morons protested it to death because they misunderstood the purpose of it. DIVX was even smarter than this new chemical-breakdown technology, which forces you to go back to the store if you want to see the movie again. DIVX discs could be bought for about $5 and watched for a couple of days, then the system wouldn't play them any more. If you wanted to watch them again, you entered your credit card number into the machine, and via modem, it charged you a few more dollars for a couple more days. It was essentially a permanent rental, and you just paid again if you wanted to watch it again. But a lot of people turned against it because they got it confused with a purchased item, and they didn't like having to pay over and over again to watch a movie that they thought they owned, so the clever technology died an ugly death. I swear, if I see one of the DIVX-haters I knew a few years back embracing this new chemical-breakdown technology, they're gonna get it.

Matthew Preston | November 30, 2002
YEAH! I gotta find these people and bring 'em to you. I want to see them get it.

Anna Gregoline | December 1, 2002
Does it have a set number of times guaranteed, or is it all based on time limit? I'd hate to think I could MAYBE watch this movie again tonight with a friend, IF it still works.

Scott Hardie | December 1, 2002
If you mean the new discs that chemically breakdown, it sounds like they have a 36-hour time limit, starting when you open the package and expose them to air. The data disintegrates and around the 36-hour mark starts becoming unreadable.