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Adam Kalsey

This is the blog of Adam Kalsey. Unusual depth and complexity. Rich, full body with a hint of nutty earthiness.

Business & Strategy

DVD-Bomb

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This blog post is over 21 years old. It's possible that the information you read below isn't current and the links no longer work.

27 Nov 2002

Now you see it, now you don’t! Self-destructing DVDs: "Technology that makes DVDs self-destruct in a few hours or days has already been developed, raising the prospect of a world without late fees." Didn’t we already have a similar concept called Divx that consumers rejected? Granted, these discs don’t need specialized hardware to play them, but the premise is the same.

The article goes on to say, "but to reach consumers more broadly, any promising technology needs to make sound business sense." It also needs to make sense to the consumers, and I simply don’t see a huge demand for time-limited discs.

Is driving back to Blockbuster after watching the movie really that big of a concern in the consumer’s lives? It seems that this is another case of technology trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.

Comments

Gavin
December 10, 2002 6:33 AM

The thing is, Blockbuster want you to drive back and return it! Not only do they win by charging you late fees (I rarely remember to return stuff on time) but while you're there you're tempted to pick up something to continue the cycle. We really don't need to be filling our landfills with more crap. Technology should be reducing waste, not striving to create more.

This discussion has been closed.

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