Events videographers and Blu-ray licensing

Sebaz wrote on 12/2/2008, 6:38 PM
I was wondering if anyone here is an event videographer (weddings, school plays, small concerts, etc) and is delivering in Blu-Ray as an option and in that case, if you're encountering problems as it relates to Blu-Ray licensing, among other things, the inclusion of the Blu-Ray logo on the cover and disc label.

I just got a Blu-Ray burner and I want to start a side business as a small event videographer, and pushing HD as much as I can. For what I've been reading without going in too deep, the Blu-Ray licensing system is a colossal mess and very inconvenient for small producers, such as having to pay $3000 a year to the Blu-Ray association to be able to sell BDs.

Now, since I haven't had time to research this fully I may be worried about something that doesn't concern me. So basically my question to producers here that are delivering material in BD is, do I have to pay that association a fee to include a BD in the same box as the DVD of a wedding, school play, etc, and to include the Blu-Ray official logo as opposed to just typing Blu-Ray on the cover and the label for the disc?

Comments

rs170a wrote on 12/2/2008, 7:12 PM
Check out the recent Blu-Ray Licensing Question thread as it answers at least some of your questions.

Mike
CLWaldroff wrote on 12/3/2008, 8:42 PM
I'm an event/wedding videographer and thinking about putting some of my projects on blueray. I read the above thread but I'm confused . . . I don't understand the AACS title key that unlocks the disc so it can play? How does authoring a blueray work with Vegas? If I go out and buy a blueray burner then I can't produce something that's going to play on my blueray player without paying zillions of dollars in licensing fees? I would only be able to burn data files?
TheHappyFriar wrote on 12/3/2008, 8:52 PM
that's only if discs are replicated @ a replication house, not burning on your comp.

at least that's what I've gathered from reading that article. And people on the forum say ones they burn work on players.
CLWaldroff wrote on 12/3/2008, 8:57 PM
Ya, stupid question, I kind of figured that out after doing some more searching. The locking thing in the article had me worried. I assume that's just a way for the licensing cops to make sure the big publishers have paid their license fees.
TheHappyFriar wrote on 12/3/2008, 9:24 PM
it would be wildly ironic if unlike DVD's where people wanted to trick player that a burned disc was a pressed disc (bit type setting), someone figures out how to tell a BD player that it's a burned disc even if it's pressed. Like a bit type setting. That would throw those fees out the window (until the next firmware update that would block all burned discs too! Eeek!)
Coursedesign wrote on 12/4/2008, 8:43 AM
Well, it seems like they are determined to do everything they can to prevent the use of Blu-Ray outside the studio system.

Could it be that we are not profitable enough? That would be a valid reason.

But I cannot believe that would be the case. I think it is just sales prevention at work, and many different manufacturers are losing out on substantial profits from BD.

Perhaps the pressures of the world economy can help clean out their executive ranks? I don't know if the problem is caused by the Peter Principle in action or not, but I wouldn't rule it out.

[Wikipedia: "[Employees] are promoted so long as they work competently. Sooner or later they are promoted to a position at which they are no longer competent (their "level of incompetence"), and there they remain.

Peter's Corollary states that "in time, every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out his duties" and adds that "work is accomplished by those employees who have not yet reached their level of incompetence".

LeslieD wrote on 12/4/2008, 12:40 PM
it would be wildly ironic if unlike DVD's where people wanted to trick player that a burned disc was a pressed disc (bit type setting)
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Is there a way to trick DVD players into thinking a burned regular DVD is a pressed one?
Coursedesign wrote on 12/4/2008, 12:46 PM
You can use Nero etc. to change the book type of the DVD you're burning.

("Book" refers to the specification for replicated or duplicated disks.)