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Porn decides the fate of the universe
Author: Wil HarrisPublished: 19th January 2007
Porn decides the fate of the free world. No doubt.
Rumblings began earlier this week when the founder of Digital Playground studios, a congenial chap called Joone, complained that he was having a hard time (snicker) getting his numerous releases (snicker) out on Blu-ray disc (snicker... oh wait.)
Mr Joone claimed that the Blu-ray Disc Association was refusing to allow adult material on the format at the behest of Sony, a move reminiscent of Sony's refusal to allow porn on Betamax, back in the VHS v Betamax days.
This, Joone pontificated, was leading him to adopt HD-DVD as his high-definition format of choice, leaving those expecting to enjoy the likes of Pirates, Island Fever and Jesse Jane: Sexual Freak on their PS3 thoroughly unsatisfied.
The problems are especially disappointing for the studio, given that previously announced its support for Blu-ray around this time last year.
However, the Blu-ray Disc Association has rolled out a spokesman to say it ain't so. Marty Gordon, Vice Chair of the Blu-ray Disc Association, reassured Gizmodo thus:
"There is not a prohibition against adult content,” said Gordon. “The BDA is an open organization that welcomes the participation of all companies interested in using and supporting the format, including those that represent the full spectrum of genres in the content industry.”
A bit of digging seems to reveal the problem. Whilst the BDA doesn't have a problem with adult content as such, Sony has a policy of not allowing adult content to be produced at disc duplication facilities that it controls. Given that most of the Blu-ray disc duplication facilities in the world, at this point, are controlled by Sony, this makes life rather awkward for anyone not in tune with Sony's policies, regardless of the theoretical rules of the BDA. We suspect that this situation will be alleviated in the coming year, as more and more Blu-ray creation facilities come on line.
Indeed, other adult filmmakers are not peturbed. Steve Hirsch, head honcho at Vivid Video, told DailyTech that he was continuing to back both Blu-ray and HD-DVD, in a bid, we suspect, to spread the love as widely as possible.
Much has been written in the technology press about the role of porn in the next-generation optical wars. We suspect that this is because porn is about the most exciting thing in the next-generation optical wars. Various theories have been postulated, the most popular being that whichever format porn adopts will end up being the high-def winner, given the industry's track record with Beta v VHS. There is also the theory that the next-gen optical war will decide the console war, given the PS3 + Blu-ray v Xbox + HD-DVD stand-off. I posited last year that this indirectly means that porn decides the console war, and today I will go further.
The console war will have a direct impact on the PC market, given that Microsoft is integrating Xbox with Windows gaming platforms, and Apple, Microsoft's main rival, is supporting Blu-ray and Sony. Further, the dominant gaming and OS architecture could decide the music wars of iPod v Zune, Microsoft v Apple, which could decide the fate of the music industry. The fate of the music industry, given the lobbying powers of the RIAA, could well have an impact on who receives the support of big business in the upcoming American Presidential election.
Given the power of America on the world stage, it's therefore fair to predict that the format you prefer to fap to could decide the fate of the free world.
We implore readers, therefore, to choose carefully. Think before you fap.
Thoughts, please, in the forums.
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Comments (19)Stats: 0.029 seconds
I'm sure most people do, check you have the essential "tools" and that any windows are closed and no-one can hear you moan...
Seriously though, Sony did the same thing for Betamax. And look how that turned out. Its exactly the same problems for each side.
But it should be fun either way. I'm still sitting out until the industry decides (and I really hope, for sanity's sake, that we don't have another DVD+R/DVD-R with dual-everything mucking things up), but I'm inclined to think that HD-DVD will be the winner, and certainly hope so.
Yeah but the internet wasnt like it is now. They needed VHS to get porn out there as it was cheap and there was only mags and pictures available before that. Now we have the internet which is mainstream now for porn in downloads and freely available worldwide at a click of a button and free if you know where to look :).
Porn will not have any effect on the format war right now as you can just as easily and cheaper buy a DVD or just download it. People still download and hunt for old grainy videos.
Option of paying more for a higher resolution picture for a 2 min handjob aint going to apeal to many and is not going to make it the choice of purchase. Picture quality does not matter in porn as nobody sits down to watch a 2 hour porn film like they do with a real film and want the same quality as a Holywood Movie.
HD-DVD'll win.
:D
I have to agree. 5.1 soundtrack on a porn film would be rather disturbing also.
thx Wil Harris!, I've been reading bit-tech for such a long time, This one required my reg-to-logon-to-post to the forums, just to say how much I do agree/see the big picture...
4give my english
Given the chance to spend ££ on a decent blu-ray or hd-dvd setup and knowing that one of them wouldn't support porn, then I'd go with the one that does.
Vote yes to some nice hi-def "in-out, in-out" ;)
i bet this will not affect the outcome (however much i want hd-dvd to win the battle)
I think 2 mins is an exaggeration - he probs means more like 1
From the recent crack in the HD-DVD format and the claims that Blu-Ray has an extra layer of security I can see a move to HD-DVD leading to even more porn torrents on the net sooner.
Ignoring the sarcastic tone of this statement, I would have to disagree with this assertion. The PC format has shown itself to be robust against hardware and format competition. I think that Microsoft has taken the same tactic with the Xbox 360. The only people that have something to loose are Sony and Apple. The PS3 has made itself a less flexible system with the inclusion of the blu-ray player. (and use of the cell processor) Apple on the other hand is such a closed eco-sytem that once they back a format and start including drives they will be hard pressed to switch.
Microsoft may not win but they will not lose either.
besides, i don't even like paying for porn. I never get to see the whole movie so why dish out more for less?
I agree! why couldn't they just do HD divx dvd's or something.
I like HD for my 360 gaming, but not ready to move away from my DVD and wont for a while. DVD's have not past there sale buy date yet and still have a long way to go
they should all sit down, have a good wank and decide afterwards