Stupidity at TheStreet.com - The Case Against Sony Continues

Up for reading something appallingly stupid? Check out the following piece from thestreet.com:

Sony's Adult-Video Decision Stands Up
By Priya Ganapati
TheStreet.com Staff Reporter
1/25/2007 1:46 PM EST
URL: http://www.thestreet.com/newsanalysis/techgames/10334843.html

Here are some brilliant excerpts in this case favoring Sony's prudently prudish decision to cockblock the adult film industry:

Sony has received much recent flak for its decision to not work with adult-content producers. While it hasn't said it won't allow adult-entertainment content on the Blu-ray format, it has damned content producers by not cooperating.

...

But even if many of those producers move to HD DVD, here's why it won't really matter:

In the 1980s, tapes and the neighborhood video rental store were probably the only way to get to adult content. Now much of it is viewed online. The Internet has made it easy and anonymous to get access to movies that are too embarrassing to request in person.

While Blu-ray or HD DVD may offer greater clarity, the big question is, how much does the average viewer want to sacrifice Internet anonymity for the pleasure of walking into a seedy video store in person to rent a hi-def disc?

This argument right here is when the reader has indisputable confirmation that the author has no idea what she's writing about. The "seedy video store" jaunt is a lame straw-man. I'm not speaking from any recent experience, but back in the late 20th century, circa 1998 and very single, the Pig bought his first DVD player. Soon thereafter, after buying classics like The Philadelphia Story and The Great Escape, I purchased my first adult DVD over the internet.

The advent of Blu-Ray and HD DVD has not altered the consumer landscape--adult discs will mostly be bought over the internet. I'm not a Netflix subscriber, but I believe they do not rent out adult DVD's. No matter--a simple Google search will pop up adult rental providers like dvdempire.com.

Betamax tapes could record content for about 60 minutes, while VHS tapes were three hours long. While bulkier, VHS tapes were perfect for recording movies, and the industry took to them.

Um. Betamax tapes were originally 60 minutes long. Common VHS tapes were not three hours long. Someone's researching with Wikipedia, and not much else. T-120 VHS tapes were the standard, with SP recording times of two hours. VHS recording times eventually grew with the introduction of VCR's that recorded on slower speeds (LP and EP/SLP) as well as manufacturers devising thinner magnetic tape for T-160 and T-180 cassettes. I digress, but it's another example of the quality of this article.

"Sony is trying to demonstrate they care about the home environment and what type of content can be played on a PlayStation 3," says Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research. "Its kind of patronizing that they would do such a thing, but it will appeal to parents who worry about their kids playing video games and what kind of content is available to them."

The Jon Peddie quote is ridiculous. Will over-concerned parents favor buying a PS3 because it may not be able to show some sexy action in HD? I would bet these same parents will be just as concerned about intensely violent HD games PS3 first-person shooters. Won't these parents just buy the Wii, with its cute, kid-friendlier repertoire?

Another bit of stupid:

This way, Sony gets to have its cake and eat it too. Sony can continue to publicly not support Blu-ray but hope that the Blu-ray lobbying group can work out a better relationship with adult-content producers.

It's also worth remembering that what really won the day for VHS were cost, recording time and licensing issues with Sony.

This piece is supposed to be favorable to Sony. I'm just reading argument after argument bolstering the Case Against:

1. Lobbyists have to repair the relationship with the adult industry--while Blu-ray is in its infancy, in the middle of a format war, where the other format is as welcoming as Seka is to John Holmes.

2. If VHS won the day with cost, recording time and licensing issues with Sony, what is the constant in the VHS/Beta and Blu-ray/HD DVD format wars? Licensing issues with Sony.