WMP 9 and distribution rights?
 

Anyone know if we have to pay royalty fees if we make a WMP9 movie and release it in a couple years on DVD when there are more WMP 9 computers/dvd players around.

Currently, there is no fee for distributing WM9 content. See:

Windows Media 9 info


Supposedly there IS a fee for distributing MPEG-2 content! I had no idea that that was even the case. Maybe it is, maybe it's not. But anyway, apparently Microsoft is getting its money from decoders, not from content producers - a smart move IMO!

There is now a decoder version for OS X!

Download Windows Media 9 for Apple OS X!

heath

MPeg2 and 4 have royalties attached. So does Dolby and DTS, at up to 4 dollars per DVD (if you are using mpeg2, dolby and dts).
DVD with wmv as far as I know doesn't have any additional royalties.

$4?! What about those of us who are making movies and compressing via Apple's compressor? Do we have to pay $4, too?

heath

I don't know about apple compressor, just heard about when you make a comercial dvd(using mpeg2, dolby digital and/or dts) there are lots of royalties involved. Large mdia companies don't pay that though.
dvd data with a quicktime or wmv file wouldn't come under the same issues.

Hmm...er, hmph...

Why not just put a flat rate in the software, like $20 extra... I wonder if the price goes to that, maybe more people will buy.

heath

That is good to hear WMP9 doesn't have any royalties attached.

Mpeg2 fees are very minor. We've produced standard DVD videos before and what usually happens is that when you have them authored and replicated by a company, they have already bought the rights to use those formats and when they pass them on to the customer, they are very minor. (assuming you are buying several thousand DVDs). It will come down to the customers cost of somewhere under $2 / DVD. (again assuming you are buying in the thousands of DVDs).

Heath, that's $.04 = 4 CENTS, not 4 dollars. :) $4 is only for manufacturers of decoders, and it's per unit (DVD player, etc.)

And yes those fees are usually built into the cost of replication by the replication house.