Filed under: Odds and ends, iTunes
Speed Racer DVD Digital Copy not iTunes-friendly
Sam, an avid TUAW reader, emailed us about a recent DVD purchase he made. You may ask, "what's so special about that?" Well, he bought a copy of Speed Racer that was supposed to contain an iTunes Digital Copy.
As you can see in the pictures he emailed us, the outside of the DVD box says it is PC/Mac compatible and works with iTunes. When he got home and opened it up, however, inside the box it says that it is "Not compatible with Apple Macintosh or iPod devices." He even tried it to see if it would work, but alas it didn't. Be sure to take a look at the pictures in the second half of the post, and you can get an eyeful of this strange decision that Warner Bros. made.
Do you think Sam should be able to get a refund for this mistake? We certainly do! Has this happened to you? Be sure to sound off in the comments!
Thanks for the tip and pictures, Sam!
As you can see in this picture, WB says "NOT compatible with Apple Macintosh and iPod devices."
On the outside of the box, WB lists the compatibility options for the Digital Copy. Note that it says, "Compatible with iTunes and Windows Media devices" and lists Mac requirements for compatibility.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Zews said 10:12AM on 9-19-2008
"As you can see in this picture, ..." I don't think so. The images are so small, the text cannot be read. Not even on a 24" screen.
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Kevin said 10:38AM on 9-19-2008
Yeah, what Zews said. That type is mighty small!
John said 10:56AM on 9-19-2008
I have a 24" screen and can read them and I don't even wear glasses :)
thassell said 11:29AM on 9-19-2008
actually the lower your resolution, the easier it would be to read..
im just sayin'
Eric said 10:14AM on 9-19-2008
Something seems a bit odd there...
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Ryan said 10:19AM on 9-19-2008
How about some larger pictures.
He should just stick it to the man, rip the dvd, then return it for this reason.
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Ted said 10:22AM on 9-19-2008
Um, okay. http://handbrake.fr/
Problem solved. Next ...
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Blu-Sam said 11:25AM on 9-19-2008
*thumb up*
martinkuhn said 10:30AM on 9-19-2008
I think having bought Speed Racer is punishment enough.
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Lewis_cooper@me.com said 5:59AM on 9-30-2008
Second that! My exact initial thoughts!
jonkpos said 10:30AM on 9-19-2008
The real question is why he bought a copy of Speed Racer
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Gordon Werner said 10:50AM on 9-19-2008
That's exactly what I was going to ask
Icepick said 10:33AM on 9-19-2008
Shouldn't an application like Handbrake be a plausible workaround? (The price is certainly right.) And would be completely legal, provided he keeps the original DVD as an archival copy.
Otherwise, he should be able to take it back to the retailer. I'd recommend taking some "legible" photos or screenshots as evidence just in case they balk on returning it.
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azuravian said 12:14PM on 9-19-2008
I could have sworn that (under US DMCA law anyway) it didn't matter whether you keep the DVD or not, the act of using software to purposely bypass the encryption on the DVD is illegal. Not that I agree with the law, but let's not pretend it doesn't exist.
lolgamoff said 5:56PM on 9-19-2008
screw the DMCA.
Simon Arch said 6:41PM on 9-19-2008
The DMCA might TECHNICALLY make it a crime to convert a DVD to an iPod-ready file, but that doesn't make it wrong or immoral. It just means the MPAA and RIAA paid enough senators enough money to get it passed, and that Bill Clinton isn't as interested in the rights and freedoms of the American people as he is in making and keeping his Hollywood friends.
JKT said 10:34AM on 9-19-2008
This is a textbook case of false advertising. The description on the box does not match the contents. No reseller has a single leg to stand on if they try to refuse a refund.
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Fred said 10:39AM on 9-19-2008
Ding Ding Ding! Just because there is a workaround doesn't negate the fact that it's a blatant lie on the outside of the package. That's the point. And he should get a refund. (insert snarky Speed Racer comment here)
alf said 12:35PM on 9-19-2008
you guys are completely misdirecting your anger here. refund or no refund, the retailer isn't the one to blame, it's the greedy bastard studios! this is so typical of them, and highly doubtful it's the exception and not the rule.
Luna Lovegood said 10:34AM on 9-19-2008
And the guy took pictures and everything.
Enjoy your 15 minutes, Sam, you avid TUAW reader, you!
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