I purchased "Sex and the City" (the movie) on DVD, because, frankly, I thought it was fucking great. I think the TV show was/is great too. Anyway, inside there is a little card telling you how you can download a digital copy of the movie. This is becoming more popular lately, including a portable version for iPod/PSP/computer so people would quit ripping movies and making digital copies themselves (which is technically illegal). I was thinking about doing this, just for kicks - never watched a movie on the iPod before.
Except this digital version ain't compatible with iPods, iTunes, or anything Mac at all. You have to have Windows Media Player. The reason? My guess is that there is some nasty DRM in the digital download that WMP supports. Mac lovers will have to pay probably a $5 premium for having DRM that a Mac can read.
Which is kinda ironic. Carrie Bradshaw, the main character in the show/movie was a diehard Apple user. Every single episode shows her using a computer with obvious Apple insignia. There's probably whole websites devoted to tracking which Powerbook she used in which episodes. Obviously HBO and Apple had a deal going, and it probably led to a lot more Apple sales among hip urban women than anyone realizes. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't seem to have that same kind of relationship with New Line Cinema or its parent company Warner Bros, who is providing the digital download.
So I guess I won't be getting a digital copy of this movie through legal channels. Actually, I was a little wary anyway - right next to the fine print about Macs, it says "Restrictions, limitations, and additional charges apply". Not may apply, mind you. This shit probably wasn't free at all. Or if it was, it was part of some subscription service. Thank god for shareware DVD rippers. Which I totally wouldn't know where to find or how to use, if anybody asks.
