Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
Summary: Due to DRM concerns, owners of rooted Droid Charge phones won't be able to enjoy the Blockbuster app on the phone. Should Android users be concerned?
Life is starting to get a bit harder owners of rooted Android phones and tablets. 
What started with Android 3.1 and Google's recently-announced movie rental service is being contuined by the Droid Charge version of Blockbuster's Android app. According to users of rooted Droid Charge phones, attempting to watch movies on the Blockbuster app evokes the following message:
"Tamper detected: Device detected as rooted. This device will not be able to download or playback Wildevine encrypted content."
Wildevine is the DRM-management company Google purchased last December. The appearance of the message above comes not long after rooted Xoom owners realized that their tablets would not be comptable with Google's movie rental service. Both moves are especially unsettling for Android users, who buy Android devices with the impression that they will have complete control over them. Google, it seems, doesn't exactly agree.
[Via DroidLife]
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Talkback
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
HAHA! my jailbroken iphone has never had any issues with playback content on netflix or stuff from iTunes... word has it Steve Jobs actually likes jailbreaking since it draws more users and features to iOS but won't admit it publicly...
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
Jobs attempted to criminalize jailbreaking. Steve Jobs thinks you are a CRIMINAL. Seriously, do you get paid by Apple to put this stuff up or are you just an idiot?
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
"Jobs attempted to criminalize jailbreaking. Steve Jobs thinks you are a CRIMINAL. Seriously, do you get paid by Apple to put this stuff up or are you just an idiot?"
Do you? The frequency of your posting erroneous information and, lets face it, flat-out lies, certainly makes it clear that you are the latter.
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
And, it seems, no client of the Moto Xoom, or any other <b>shackled</b> Android device.
If I buy the device, <b>it is mine to do as I please</b>. Any DRM <i>infection</i> (aka 'restriction') you place on the device that hinders its operation makes that device unsuitable for me.
So, it's a case of: "Hey guys (Google, et al), for me it is <i>Money Talks, Bulls--- Walks</i>". BYE!
Content providers
Google, Netflix, Blockbuster etc. are just doing what they must as content distributors in order to keep their contracts with the content providers (the movie labels). Do you really think Google wants to be in the position of "the enforcer" here? Probably not but if it wants to be in the movie rental business that's going to be the cost.
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
First of all, this is something popping up in an app, but I think Google should definitely put their foot down. Requiring dependencies, like certain DRM packages, is one thing. An idiotic statement like, "We are denying you access to content because you could possibly, if you were both insane and a genius, setup your phone to transcode our content instead of doing it on a cheaper and more powerful PC. Obviously, you are doing this because YOU are ethically bankrupt, immoral, and compulsively criminal in your behavior."
I don't know how much should rub off on Google, but the message from Blockbuster and the movie production industry is exceedingly offensive.
Good old DRM
DRM must be declared illegal PERIO.
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
BS! You are not sold a license to the device. This is NOT a lease. If you purchase a device, it is yours, and the courts have so fare consistently RULED that you can do whatever you like with it!
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
This is true, but if want to take your ball and go home because the other kids won't just roll over and let you win every time, we all get to go on message boards and point our fingers and call you a whiney bitch.
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
Exactly! One of the main reasons I rooted my Thunderbolt was to get rid of crapware pre-installed by the carrier, and the only way to uninstall it is to root.
The other main reason is to improve the battery life. Getting rid of the Blockbuster app and it's attempts to sync content I don't subscribe to helps with that, too.
Good point!
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
Maybe this is a good time to jump ship, eh?
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
RE: Blockbuster continues assault on rooted Android devices
You paid at least $300 for a device and all you do is place phone calls on it? (If you think you paid less than $300, you clearly have no idea how the carrier's pricing structure works.)