Comments on: Why you should not buy a Zune player

By: Movie studios vs. their customers Part 2 » gHacks tech news

Movie studios vs. their customers Part 2 » gHacks tech news — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 20:03:40 +0000

[...] Just a few weeks ago I was reporting that Universal Studios is receiving it’s share from every Zune player sold and asked my readers to consider this before buying a Zune player because it could very well be the precedent of something that Universal, and other movie studios, wanted: A share of every media player that is being sold. Apparently they were quick to act. [...]

By: Martin

Martin — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 05:58:35 +0000

Oliver most users prefer small over big.. unless they are women and talking about sex :)

By: Oliver Alexander

Oliver Alexander — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 05:54:15 +0000

Get yourselves a reasonably powerful CD walkman that can play from DVDs and supports formats like mp3 and preferably also Ogg. It might not be quite as posh and hip, but saves a bundle and works about as well!

I do not see any point to be forced to d/load everything from a prescribed source to boot!

Progress exists in many forms. Simplicity is alway the greatest progress!

By: brian t

brian t — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 13:55:01 +0000

That “50% going to the artists” will be subject to all manner of withholdings, such as printing and breakage charges (on a non-physical product), and costs of recording, promotion and management (even if no such services are being provided to that artists).

In short: the artists will get very little, if anything, if they are locked in to standard recording contracts. They pay all the record company costs, for the privilege of signing away all rights to the music that they PAID to create. Hey, that brass ring is pretty and shiny…

References:
http://www.thebaffler.com/albiniexcerpt.html
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/06/14/love/

By: Matt Emery

Matt Emery — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 11:23:49 +0000

I think they may have us by the short and curlies here, I mean, how many of us are going to boycott this device for altruistic reasons. If we really want a Zune we’ll swallow our pride and buy one… life sucks.

By: chris

chris — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:43:31 +0000

sorry Martin; as much as i’d like to agree, but that Zune looks pretty :D – the black one especially. Nice quality screen too. If its better than the ipod video next generation i will buy one :D £130 is a nice figure for 30gb flash drive/linux capable, colour screen, high def music playing device ;)

By: Martin

Martin — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 06:26:57 +0000

Thanks RG fixed the typo.

Jason please tell me why the Recording Companies should receive money for nothing ? This would be the same if I would charge everyone for visiting my site because they could copy my articles..

Why would someone who would only play videos on his Zune pay the Recording Companies ? Why someone who would only buy legal mp3 files ?

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 23:00:13 +0000

$1 for every $250 Zune goes to the Recording Companies who will share %50 of that with the Artists.

Personally, I’m in favor of it. Think about it. $1 of your money toward a hardware purchase so that eventually all MP3’s (software) will be free?

By: kurt wismer

kurt wismer — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 20:46:39 +0000

it was my understanding that it was actually JUST the record companies (not the artists) getting a slice of the zune pie…

also, the fact that zune is going to add it’s own (so-called viral) DRM to files (even your own or creative commons licensed music, thereby violating the cc license) sucks pretty hard too…

By: RG

RG — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 20:01:31 +0000

Never owned an IPod, not going to buy a Zune either. It would be nice if an artist is compensated properly for their songs but players or no players its not always happening.
btw Martin, typo in the title :)

By: Martin

Martin — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 19:42:58 +0000

I think the Zune is the first to do this..

By: Nhoc Quay

Nhoc Quay — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 19:35:12 +0000

What about the IPod and all the previous mp3 players?