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So, I am wondering if using MD2D, now that there is no lock in to VUDU only, is actually a viable service. Especially if you can take a DVD, upgrade it to HD wi

So, I am wondering if using MD2D, now that there is no lock in to VUDU only, is actually a viable service. Especially if you can take a DVD, upgrade it to HD with VUDU ($5), and then get it in 4k from iTunes (assuming that movie now has a 4k). And I mean to use this for movies I actually do own. However, I could see it being abused and locked down though.

hendersoon 9y ago
Yes, if that movie is from a studio that cooperates with Movies Anywhere and it's on iTunes, you'll get a 4k license from iTunes. Everybody thought iTunes Match would be shutdown really quickly too because it was so easily exploitable. That was the service where you could pay $25 and iTunes would essentially replace all your Kazaa/Napster-pirated music with real iTunes licenses. But those fears were never realized, it was not widely exploited and is still available today years later. My feeling is that if you have to pay and the only actual benefit is a legal license, pirates won't do it. Period. Money involved, and they stay away.
- ocdtrekkie 9y ago
  The general notion seems to be that when you implement a service like this, you know it will be exploited to some amount, but that the amount will be negligible compared to the percent of well-behaved users. The DMA/MA disconnect/reconnect method can actually be used to share movies permanently too, since each title remains on both sides when you disconnect, and a connection shares all your titles across both ways. Say you connect Vudu to MA today, and six months later, you can disconnect them, and use your MA account to share with another Vudu account, and your Vudu account to share with another MA account. Six months after that, each of those can split off and share with others... Add the fact that there's four retailers and this is extremely exponentially gameable. My hope/assumption is that Disney bothered to develop some sort of way to look out for abuse, but they might just be assuming it won't be commonly exploited.

hendersoon 9y ago

Yes, if that movie is from a studio that cooperates with Movies Anywhere and it's on iTunes, you'll get a 4k license from iTunes. Everybody thought iTunes Match would be shutdown really quickly too because it was so easily exploitable. That was the service where you could pay $25 and iTunes would essentially replace all your Kazaa/Napster-pirated music with real iTunes licenses. But those fears were never realized, it was not widely exploited and is still available today years later. My feeling is that if you have to pay and the only actual benefit is a legal license, pirates won't do it. Period. Money involved, and they stay away.

ocdtrekkie 9y ago
The general notion seems to be that when you implement a service like this, you know it will be exploited to some amount, but that the amount will be negligible compared to the percent of well-behaved users. The DMA/MA disconnect/reconnect method can actually be used to share movies permanently too, since each title remains on both sides when you disconnect, and a connection shares all your titles across both ways. Say you connect Vudu to MA today, and six months later, you can disconnect them, and use your MA account to share with another Vudu account, and your Vudu account to share with another MA account. Six months after that, each of those can split off and share with others... Add the fact that there's four retailers and this is extremely exponentially gameable. My hope/assumption is that Disney bothered to develop some sort of way to look out for abuse, but they might just be assuming it won't be commonly exploited.