John, re: ADPT, AMP ('tech' rather than 'stock' related)
Considering the lack of real info available at the time, I can only make guesses so this is only worth a wooden nickel (I've worked with various ECD formats since '94 when the first proposals were being kicked around).
It's hard to establish a "new" format as a standard, and the final ECD spec required a large combined effort which included Sony and AAPL. If, however, you accept the challenge of a proprietary effort, then you could modify existing ones. There's no law against it, only the risk that it won't be accepted. ADPT could "marry" ECD format into DVD. Fest is a brilliant enough engineer to do it.
ECD was a way of providing a CD you could play in your car or home stereo without the multimedia data messing up your system (raw computer data through speakers or headphones has damaging repercussions). Data is hidden in one of two possible places on the CD (there are two different ECD methodologies). The computer can access the hidden areas as well as the audio; stereos only the latter. Music albums, of course aren't distributed on DVD discs right now, so either ECD will be used in a manner much different from the original intent, or the press has the ECD angle completely wrong.
With the expanded capacity of DVD, you have a lot of options. Suppose you just watched "The Big Chill", really liked the music, and want to own the soundtrack. The full album could be on the disc, too, but "locked". Over the net (AMP is apparently a DVD/internet box), you would purchase an access code to "unlock" the soundtrack. This is an unorthodox use of both DVD and ECD concepts, and only one guess at many of the permutations. You could easily hide and lock other material, too, like video interviews, or have the box retrieve a web page of the artists' favorite soup recipes. The second ECD I worked on (Prestige Studios of the World; 1996) had a similar idea of internet integration, but other technicalities kept that aspect from being substantially useful at the time.
But whatever the purpose, AAPL doesn't have the same level of in-house engineering expertise in the area of format mechanics like Fest has, so it makes sense to get it from ADPT for a license fee. If the box sells zillions, then it could indirectly put money your pocket. If not, it still enhances the image of ADPT as a technical pioneer which has advantages when securing other deals. I find the whole thing rather dull from a stock price point of view, but exciting for other personal reasons.
-MrB |
