3 ms·

The End of SDMI (1999)

22 points by ecliptik 4y ago

mproud 4y ago
When I first read this headline, I assumed it must be referring to a long lost specification called “Standard-Definition Multimedia Interface” that pre-dated HDMI.
- LeoPanthera 4y ago
  Well, Europeans called that "SCART". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART
Macha 4y ago
In a way though, the media companies eventually got their way. Many of the revocation mechanisms exist in e.g. HDCP, and higher qualities on streaming services, even ones that were primarily not producers themselves like early netflix, were requiring TPMs and other user-limiting mechanisms. The fact that you can still get DRM free mp3s/m4as is basically a historical artifact of the music industry going first and being shut down hard by the initial resistance. Movies and ebooks have exactly the sort of landscape that the music companies would have liked.
- unconed 4y ago
  Ebooks are a joke to this day as a result. Complex layout, formulas, navigation, ... the bar is set low at being a poor imitation of a paper book. Movies and TV have turned into subscription fatigue and content so bland they are now turning video games into tv as opposed to the other way around.
- mschuster91 4y ago
  > In a way though, the media companies eventually got their way. Many of the revocation mechanisms exist in e.g. HDCP, and higher qualities on streaming services, even ones that were primarily not producers themselves like early netflix, were requiring TPMs and other user-limiting mechanisms. Yeah, but in practice I can buy HDCP strippers from Amazon for like 20€ - officially they're sold as "splitters" with side effects. Copy protection of BluRay disks doesn't matter either thanks to AnyDVD HD. And in case of doubt one of the large streaming providers will have whatever you want in a flatrate package. They may have gotten their way, but they also completely lost as all the security theatre has gotten pointless - literal kids can bypass every modern "protection" there is with COTS hard- and software.
lacoolj 4y ago
broken link?
- codetrotter 4y ago
  The archive.org link works for me. Don’t know if it was pointing to archive.org when you tried or if it was changed since.
rektide 4y ago
Remarkable article. It's such a noble premise. Tech standing up to awful insider gatekeeping industry. Now tech is the gatekeeper. 20 years, and it feels like tech's who reason & purpose is enshittification[1], making a good product then selling it out to non-users. Becoming a shitty tyrant like the RIAA, chuffed up on awful lawyers being litiguous. [1] https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/ https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/ https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34480479 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34480479

22 points by ecliptik 4y ago

When I first read this headline, I assumed it must be referring to a long lost specification called “Standard-Definition Multimedia Interface” that pre-dated HDMI.

LeoPanthera 4y ago
Well, Europeans called that "SCART". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART

Macha 4y ago

In a way though, the media companies eventually got their way. Many of the revocation mechanisms exist in e.g. HDCP, and higher qualities on streaming services, even ones that were primarily not producers themselves like early netflix, were requiring TPMs and other user-limiting mechanisms. The fact that you can still get DRM free mp3s/m4as is basically a historical artifact of the music industry going first and being shut down hard by the initial resistance. Movies and ebooks have exactly the sort of landscape that the music companies would have liked.

unconed 4y ago
Ebooks are a joke to this day as a result. Complex layout, formulas, navigation, ... the bar is set low at being a poor imitation of a paper book. Movies and TV have turned into subscription fatigue and content so bland they are now turning video games into tv as opposed to the other way around.
mschuster91 4y ago
> In a way though, the media companies eventually got their way. Many of the revocation mechanisms exist in e.g. HDCP, and higher qualities on streaming services, even ones that were primarily not producers themselves like early netflix, were requiring TPMs and other user-limiting mechanisms. Yeah, but in practice I can buy HDCP strippers from Amazon for like 20€ - officially they're sold as "splitters" with side effects. Copy protection of BluRay disks doesn't matter either thanks to AnyDVD HD. And in case of doubt one of the large streaming providers will have whatever you want in a flatrate package. They may have gotten their way, but they also completely lost as all the security theatre has gotten pointless - literal kids can bypass every modern "protection" there is with COTS hard- and software.

lacoolj 4y ago

broken link?

codetrotter 4y ago
The archive.org link works for me. Don’t know if it was pointing to archive.org when you tried or if it was changed since.

rektide 4y ago

Remarkable article. It's such a noble premise. Tech standing up to awful insider gatekeeping industry. Now tech is the gatekeeper. 20 years, and it feels like tech's who reason & purpose is enshittification[1], making a good product then selling it out to non-users. Becoming a shitty tyrant like the RIAA, chuffed up on awful lawyers being litiguous. [1] https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/ https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/ https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34480479 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34480479