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Walmart Entertainment’s Disc-to-Digital Service Powered by VUDU

40K views 325 replies 52 participants last post by  dochsale 
#1 ·
Walmart Entertainment's Disc-to-Digital Service Powered by VUDU: How it Works

The process to convert previously-purchased DVD/Blu-ray movies to digital copies is quick and simple:


Bring your movie collections from the participating studio partners - Paramount, Sony, Fox, Universal and Warner Bros. - to your local Walmart Photo Center.

A Walmart associate will help you create a free VUDU account.

Tell the associate how you'd like your movies converted:

◦Convert a standard DVD or Blu-ray movie for $2; or,

◦Upgrade a standard DVD to an HD digital copy for $5.

Walmart will authorize the digital copies and place them in your VUDU account. No upload is necessary, and you get to keep your physical discs.

Log onto VUDU.com from more than 300 Internet-connected devices to view movies any time, any place.


Walmart Entertainment supports UltraViolet, the movie industry's initiative currently in its beta phase that allows consumers to put their purchased movies into a cloud-based digital library and keep track of them safely and securely. Walmart is able to offer customers the ability to watch and purchase UltraViolet-enabled titles directly from VUDU.


Press Release:
http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/news/10824.aspx


Video Press Release:
http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/10835.aspx
 
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#52 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jinjuku /forum/post/21786623


Not entirely accurate. The streaming copy is/should be technically a format shifted sameness of the original purchase. The inability to stream from a DVD is simply a technical shortcoming of the format given today's technologies.


It shouldn't matter if my Pepsi comes in a mug, a glass, a ziploc bag. Now if I paid one price for Pepsi but wanted the Pepsi with double the caffeine that is another matter entirely.

By your logic, since you bought a particular movie on VHS 30 years ago, you are entitled to free DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Copy, 35mm release prints, and 4K theatrical hard drives all delivered to your door free of charge in perpetuity.

Quote:
I have made very few repurchases of titles I already own in BR vs DVD. Most aren't worth the extra expense IMO but some are.

No offense, but your personal buying habits have no bearing on this discussion.
 
#53 ·
I am going to laugh my ARS off when Walmart stops providing that service in a few months due to lack of interest.
Call me negative, but the way modern business is going, if a company is not making money on a service, they cancel that service. I still think this is crazy that Walmart wants me to spend an aditional $2 on a movie I spent $20-$30 on. HAHAHAHAHA!!! This is the typical sucker trap that companies try to get people to get trapped into. I will never do this. NEVER!!!
 
#54 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeBlow74 /forum/post/0


I am going to laugh my ARS off when Walmart stops providing that service in a few months due to lack of interest.
Call me negative, but the way modern business is going, if a company is not making money on a service, they cancel that service. I still think this is crazy that Walmart wants me to spend an aditional $2 on a movie I spent $20-$30 on. HAHAHAHAHA!!! This is the typical sucker trap that companies try to get people to get trapped into. I will never do this. NEVER!!!

Even if they stop the service, the titles will still be on my VUDU account. I still have titles on my account from years ago that I purchased. And it sounds like the $2 fee you pay will have the titles show on my account the same as the ones I got four years ago on VUDU.
 
#55 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronwt /forum/post/21787604


Even if they stop the service, the titles will still be on my VUDU account. I still have titles on my account from years ago that I purchased. And it sounds like the $2 fee you pay will have the titles show on my account the same as the ones I got four years ago on VUDU.


Go ahead and watch your compressed, crappy sounding movie that you paid good money for. I prefer disk over streaming movies any day. DTS Master Audio HD baby!!
 
#56 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeBlow74 /forum/post/21787565


I am going to laugh my ARS off when Walmart stops providing that service in a few months due to lack of interest.
Call me negative, but the way modern business is going, if a company is not making money on a service, they cancel that service. I still think this is crazy that Walmart wants me to spend an aditional $2 on a movie I spent $20-$30 on. HAHAHAHAHA!!! This is the typical sucker trap that companies try to get people to get trapped into. I will never do this. NEVER!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeBlow74 /forum/post/21787698


Go ahead and watch your compressed, crappy sounding movie that you paid good money for. I prefer disk over streaming movies any day. DTS Master Audio HD baby!!

Don't you pay for Hulu Plus? Vudu is better than Hulu Plus with a digital copy with 1080p and 5.1 sound? Is their a thread for bashing Hulu Plus because I don't think it's worth $8 a month.


How much refund is Hulu Plus gonna give ya if they go belly up? You spending $96 a year to watch free TV episodes and some really lame azz movies.



Let me see you select a movie of your choice, either own or not on Hulu Plus. No On-Demand there.
 
#57 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh Z /forum/post/21787441


By your logic, since you bought a particular movie on VHS 30 years ago, you are entitled to free DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Copy, 35mm release prints, and 4K theatrical hard drives all delivered to your door free of charge in perpetuity.

Where did I say that? You are entitled to the same resolution and aspect ratio.


If I purchased a VHS copy 30 years ago I am entitled to backup that copy and within the boundaries of fair use, first sale doctrine, and copyright enjoy that.


I didn't say, I didn't infer that since you own a VHS that you are entitled to a work that went back through the mastering and restoration process to become a BR title. You do have to pay for that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh Z /forum/post/21787441


No offense, but your personal buying habits have no bearing on this discussion.

Josh, how could you post the first part of your response in light of my posting my purchase habits? Where I explicitly state that I have re-purchased same title on BR that I already own on DVD? Slow down and read in the entirety and it won't look like you are going off half-cocked.
 
#58 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh Z /forum/post/21786401


If you own a movie on DVD, does that give you a right to a free Blu-ray copy too? Of course not. You have to pay again to get the higher quality Blu-ray copy. Likewise, you'll have to pay again if you want a streaming copy.

This is not like you are purchasing a different content. What this amounts to currently is collusion. It's collusion, it's price fixing.


If I can't take my DVD/BR collection to another like, competitive service that either may offer me a lower price for same utility, or offer me same price for more utility (within the bounds of legality) then this is tantamount to megacorp collusion.


If you as a studio sue K-Scape, sue Real Networks for a product that allow end users to do this and months later roll out a pay service where you are part of the revenue stream.


Do the lines have to be drawn between the dots?
 
#59 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by E55 KEV /forum/post/21787746


Don't you pay for Hulu Plus? Vudu is better than Hulu Plus with a digital copy with 1080p and 5.1 sound?

True but it's apples and oranges, VOD vs PPV.

Quote:
Is their a thread for bashing Hulu Plus because I don't think it's worth $8 a month.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1399539

Quote:
How much refund is Hulu Plus gonna give ya if they go belly up? You spending $96 a year to watch free TV episodes and some really lame azz movies.

Again apples and oranges, it's buffet style VOD not PPV. I do agree their movie selection sucks.


Now some of the cons of buying digital movies:

They can terminate your account at anytime.

They can pull content whenever they feel like it.

If you cancel your account you will lose all your content.

VUDU can change the terms at anytime.


http://www.vudu.com/termsofservice.html
 
#60 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by E55 KEV /forum/post/21787746


Don't you pay for Hulu Plus? Vudu is better than Hulu Plus with a digital copy with 1080p and 5.1 sound? Is their a thread for bashing Hulu Plus because I don't think it's worth $8 a month.


How much refund is Hulu Plus gonna give ya if they go belly up? You spending $96 a year to watch free TV episodes and some really lame azz movies.



Let me see you select a movie of your choice, either own or not on Hulu Plus. No On-Demand there.



First off, I do not pay for cable or satelite. I have OTA antenna and pick up all local stations.

Second, yes I will pay for HULU+ because they have a great amount of TV sitcoms I like to watch.

Third, I pay for Netflix and rent Blu-ray disk movies to play on my $15,000 home theater.

Fourth, there is a difference between sitcoms and movies. I was talking about movies with DTS Master Audio HD and Dolby TrueHD uncompressed audio.

Fifth, I save about $150 per month on HULU and Netflix and I still get all the sitcoms and movies I need.


 
#61 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by E55 KEV /forum/post/21787746


Don't you pay for Hulu Plus? Vudu is better than Hulu Plus with a digital copy with 1080p and 5.1 sound? Is their a thread for bashing Hulu Plus because I don't think it's worth $8 a month.


How much refund is Hulu Plus gonna give ya if they go belly up? You spending $96 a year to watch free TV episodes and some really lame azz movies.



Let me see you select a movie of your choice, either own or not on Hulu Plus. No On-Demand there.



I was trying to make a point that you will never get as good quality of video and audio streaming from any of the on-line services compared to disk based content. With every internet service provider throtling bandwidth and employing their network management systems, you will never get a high resolution audio or video. The more people pay for these streaming services to watch "MOVIES" the less people are going to care about high quality sound and video. Sad really. I don't think many people realize the value of disk based high def content and how it can make a person view their content in a different way.


Sitcoms are crap audio and video anyways, so they can stream those all day long in my opinion. Most sitcoms are nothing but talking and 60hz NTSC video, so who cares. This is why I will pay HULU for my sitcom needs.
 
#62 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeBlow74 /forum/post/0



Go ahead and watch your compressed, crappy sounding movie that you paid good money for. I prefer disk over streaming movies any day. DTS Master Audio HD baby!!

For me Vudu is about convienence. I still have 1200+ BD/HD DVD ISOs on my servers to watch with excellent HD audio and HD video quality. But I don't need every title in BD quality. Sometimes Vudu is the cheapest option as well as the quickest when I have a title I want to watch. If I wait to get the rental, then I might not be in the mood to watch it so it sits around and I return it unwatched because I was only in the mood to watch it that day.
 
#63 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronwt /forum/post/21788420


For me Vudu is about convienence.

I feel the same way. VUDU isn't my primary movie outlet, but sometimes I want to watch something right away, or Redbox doesn't have it (or only has the DVD, like J. Edgar.) Or I'm in the mood for something and Redbox's weekly offerings don't cut it for me (like this week's.) Forget about Blockbuster or the mom and pop stores. They're all virtually gone. Netflix... eh, they have their upside and downside.


Plus, the 99 cent daily movie is now under Redbox's prices. Sure, it's not always something I want to watch, but they're diverse enough that something interesting comes around.
 
#64 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21786904


The studio is a party to it, though, as is any "purchase" of any copyrighted material for your personal use. If you break the copyright law, remuneration goes to the studio through civil means. That's the same as any other licensing issue.

That is the entire point: As a consumer I shouldn't need a studio to be party to me format shifting or transcoding my copy.


The entire point is the DMCA is now a tool for Studios and Walmart to now line their pockets 'again'.


Why do you keep bringing up 'infringing uses'? Not sure where you are pulling that from given the posts in this thread. I certainly haven't mentioned a use that infringes copyright


Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21786904


It's the same thing as buying a book. You're purchasing an unlimited license to view that book. You're not allowed to photocopy that book and redistribute it to anyone you please. It's not spelled out in an EULA, but that doesn't mean it isn't a license. And regardless of whether you call it one or not, it's treated the exact same way.

What is up with the 'infringing use' straw man you keep bringing up? Even in your own example you wouldn't be in court over breach of license or contract. It would be a Copyright offense. Not that it has one iota to do with what is being discussed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21786904


It's the reason why copying to a personal device is considered "unauthorized." You didn't give notice to the studio you were going to do so, so while it falls under fair use (and therefore legal), it's not an officially recognized authorized copy.

Unauthorized is just a term to sow Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt by a copyright holder. It holds no water. Under Copyright, Fair Use, and Doctrine of First Sale there is no 'Unauthorized.


To give an example: The reason why selling your DVD on the used market is "unauthorized" is you failed to give notice to the studios that you are selling your copy.


See how that works? You don't need, nor are required, to seek the studios permission to format shift or transcode content. That copy of the movie is YOUR copy. Not a studios. Pixar/Disney doesn't own my copy of 'The Incredibles' any more than they own my house, my car, or my stereo system.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21786904


Again, that's another licensing issue. So buying a DVD is considered buying the unlimited viewing license to the material, as opposed to buying the content itself (which you could do if you had enough money) and buying the copyright along with it.

I am purchasing a copy of a movie that is granted specificity in the social and commercial framework that is Copyright. I am granted usage under the law. I have not entered into a license with Sony/Fox/TW etc. There is no Jurisdiction clause, there is no mediation clause, there is no contractual remedy clause, there is no implied warranty clause. There is none of that.


I'm a software developer. I am well aware of how this works. Even have taken two companies to court over Copyright infringement to the tune of $62K in attorney fees. Note to companies: if you are going to take the license we sell you and install it at other locations: Don't have them calling us up for technical support


Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21786904


That's not the same thing, though, as Pepsi is considered a "consumable." The act of using Pepsi for its intended purpose (drinking) uses it up. DVDs/streaming are not consumables.

The analogy stands on the face that I am purchasing "Pepsi". The can is just a necessary evil. If Pepsi Co. could save the cost of the can and beam their product directly to my gullet they would.


I purchased a movie. The shiny plastic disc is just a delivery mechanism. I purchased something that I can watch format shifted and transcoded.


This is a consumer issue. It's a mess. If I decide to pick up an cloud storage with a provider that has a big fat pipe like Single Hope or BroHost to store my media on the cloud. IMO I shouldn't have to grease palms that I have already.


Not saying that this is a bad service. I am saying that suing other providers that didn't include you in an additional revenue stream outside of the one you already have bears some legal scrutiny.
 
#65 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jinjuku /forum/post/21789367


That is the entire point: As a consumer I shouldn't need a studio to be party to me format shifting or transcoding my copy....

Again, it seems to be a semantics issue. The "license" to a DVD/CD/book/whatever is when you buy a copy, you're given the unlimited license to view the work. The unauthorized part is when you copy it without notifying the copyright holder. It's not a gotcha that will land you in legal hot water or fearmongering. It is what it is, and defining things like that the right way is an important part of establishing what you can and cannot do, and would go a long way into enabling Joe Average to understand these legalities. You can copy copyrighted stuff for your personal use as much as you wish. The licensing legal part only kicks in when you start to distribute it.


You can call it "violation of copyright" if you want. I know software uses a specific EULA in regards to copying, but copyright serves the same purpose.


As for streaming/cloud/ultraviolet, your Pepsi analogy does not hold up:

Quote:
The analogy stands on the face that I am purchasing "Pepsi". The can is just a necessary evil. If Pepsi Co. could save the cost of the can and beam their product directly to my gullet they would.

Yes, but you're not entitled to get that Pepsi beamed to your gullet for free just because you bought a can of Pepsi in the past. Pepsi would certainly charge you for the privilege, just as the studios would.


And Pepsi is a consumable. Once you've drank it and peed it out, it's gone. The DVD and the stream both stick around for as long as you use it. You've bought more than one can of Pepsi in your life, right?
 
#66 ·
In my case, I think I will have some of my DVD's converted to VUDU's HDX format.....However, one needs to be aware that not all titles are available, only what is available on VUDU can be converted....I.E. you won't find Star Wars or Jurassic Park, etc.....Also, films like the Lord of the Rings trilogy(theatrical and extended versions) are in SD only....So you have to see what is on VUDU before you trot down to your friendly, neighborhood Walmart....


Another must for me is the ability to download my purchased films to my NAS....If this happens, THEN it will be the ultimate service, IMO....I do not wish to view films on anything other than my scope HT system, movies have too much artistic value to view on a tiny screen.....


Supposedly this will be possible with Ultraviolet too....One can download their films to local storage, but still have them available in the cloud to download again if there is an issue with your storage......
 
#67 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21789566


Again, it seems to be a semantics issue. The "license" to a DVD/CD/book/whatever is when you buy a copy, you're given the unlimited license to view the work. The unauthorized part is when you copy it without notifying the copyright holder.

Can you provide me any case law that backs up your position? I don't think you are correct.


Even that FBI warning at the beginning of a movie is for 'un-authorized' usage as it relates to copyright. It is a copyright notice. Not a EULA that I entered into with a studio.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21789566


It's not a gotcha that will land you in legal hot water or fearmongering. It is what it is, and defining things like that the right way is an important part of establishing what you can and cannot do, and would go a long way into enabling Joe Average to understand these legalities. You can copy copyrighted stuff for your personal use as much as you wish. The licensing legal part only kicks in when you start to distribute it.

1. The jury is still out on making a non-infringing copy as it regards to circumvention of DRM.


2. WHY do you keep bringing up these straw men arguments about 'distribution'?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21789566


You can call it "violation of copyright" if you want. I know software uses a specific EULA in regards to copying, but copyright serves the same purpose.

We have the protections of copyright regardless of if we made the user click through acceptance of a EULA. The customer has fair use in the boundaries of copyright regardless of what our EULA says. See how it works now? Copyright supersedes us as a company or the end user.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21789566


As for streaming/cloud/ultraviolet, your Pepsi analogy does not hold up:


Yes, but you're not entitled to get that Pepsi beamed to your gullet for free just because you bought a can of Pepsi in the past. Pepsi would certainly charge you for the privilege, just as the studios would.

Your comprehension of what I typed is falling short. I'm not going try explaining again. What I said is in English even.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21789566


And Pepsi is a consumable. Once you've drank it and peed it out, it's gone. The DVD and the stream both stick around for as long as you use it. You've bought more than one can of Pepsi in your life, right?

What does any of that have to do with the price of tea in China? If you can't separate the fact that the can or the shiny plastic disc is simply a delivery mechanism and that the content is the ACTUAL product then we can't have a rational conversation. It doesn't matter if the content is a one shot deal or not.
 
#68 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jinjuku /forum/post/21790964


Your comprehension of what I typed is falling short. I'm not going try explaining again. What I said is in English even.

Thanks for the insult instead of addressing my issue. It appears you're unwilling to conduct this conversation as an adult, which also explains a lot of your misunderstanding of this issue.


Welcome to my ignore list. I don't waste my time with people like you. And no, it's not that I can't answer your questions (though in your mind you'll rationalize that it is), it's that you're unable to continue this conversation without ad hominem attacks. Bye.
 
#69 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by donthetech /forum/post/21790463


In my case, I think I will have some of my DVD's converted to VUDU's HDX format....

I'd actually wait until someone else has done the upgrade. In reading the press releases, some have interpreted the upgrade to only be their "HD" quality, i.e., 720p. Someone emailed VUDU and they seemed to confirm it, though we don't know if that person knew for sure.
 
#70 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21791331


I'd actually wait until someone else has done the upgrade. In reading the press releases, some have interpreted the upgrade to only be their "HD" quality, i.e., 720p. Someone emailed VUDU and they seemed to confirm it, though we don't know if that person knew for sure.

On the VUDU forums they mentioned that is was HDX. Of course if a title is only available in HD or SD, then there would be no way to get an HDX version.


http://forum.vudu.com/showthread.php?t=82421
 
#71 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/21791273


Thanks for the insult instead of addressing my issue. It appears you're unwilling to conduct this conversation as an adult, which also explains a lot of your misunderstanding of this issue.


Welcome to my ignore list. I don't waste my time with people like you. And no, it's not that I can't answer your questions (though in your mind you'll rationalize that it is), it's that you're unable to continue this conversation without ad hominem attacks. Bye.

You're the one that doesn't want to address the fact that you are buying content, not a shiny plastic disc.


Unfortunately I always feel I am wasting my time with people like you.
 
#72 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronwt /forum/post/21791493


On the VUDU forums they mentioned that is was HDX. Of course if a title is only available in HD or SD, then there would be no way to get an HDX version.


http://forum.vudu.com/showthread.php?t=82421

Yea, that sounds reasonable. In the DVD forum, they were wondering which it would be. HD only (as opposed to HDX) would be a deal breaker for a lot of people.
 
#73 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jinjuku /forum/post/21792394


You're the one that doesn't want to address the fact that you are buying content, not a shiny plastic disc.

I would wager that you have purchased a physical disc that includes a license to view the content it contains in a home setting. Most movie disc that I have viewed exclude commercial use (public viewing). Sell or transfer the ownership of that disc and you no longer have a right to the content on that disc.


Below is an excerpt from one of the first license that popped up in Google search:

Quote:
VideoMovingSystem grants to Licensee the non-exclusive and non-transferable right to use the content of the VMS VISUALS DVD for private and commercial purposes. For the purpose of this agreement commercial Purposes is exclusively the public playback of the content of the VMS VISUALS DVD by LICENSEE at live events.


VideoMovingSystem reserves the right to use and sell the hereby licensed VMS VISUALS DVD and to grant further licenses.


LICENSEE is prohibited from any transfer of the VMS VISUALS DVD and the rights granted to him by this license agreement. In particular, LICENSEE is prohibited from leasing, granting licenses or sublicenses, using the VMS VISUALS DVD or its content for purposes of advertising for third parties and from exploiting and using the content of the VMS VISUALS DVD in publicly accessible media (including the Internet).

As I see it UV is the managed copy that was talked about for Blu-ray. From the outset it was known the studios could charge a fee for managed copy. Does not matter to me because it is unlikely any of the UV titles will have bit rates that average 30 mbps and above + lossless 7.1 audio. Have had that for sometime now with Blu-ray titles.
 
#74 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland /forum/post/21793946


I would wager that you have purchased a physical disc that includes a license to view the content it contains in a home setting. Most movie disc that I have viewed exclude commercial use (public viewing). Sell or transfer the ownership of that disc and you no longer have a right to the content on that disc.

The bulk of my purchases are as you described. The covenant is still one of copyright. Not an explicit license agreement between me and a Studio.


Look, if people want to harp on the fact that copyright infringement is not theft then I can reasonably argue that I am not in an explicit license agreement with a studio on my DVD's. My uses are legal since I use inside the confines of copyright, fair use, first sale.


BTW I have purchased public use licenses (that was an explicit agreement). $600 a pop.


I still haven't mentioned a single use that falls outside of the home/personal viewing setting.


The part that should be upsetting just about anyone is the presumption that I need the permission of a studio to store my copy in a Cloud somewhere. When comparing what Wal.mart is doing vs K-Scape and Real Networks.


That two companies were sued and one company was not. That the only real difference is in one case Studios have money going into their pockets AGAIN. That this stifles a truly competitive free market system (which is all corporations can talk about until it doesn't serve their interest any longer). That I somehow need Papal dispensation to put my copy of The Incredibles on my own private cloud, for my own personal viewing.


The entire notion is absurd.
 
#75 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jinjuku /forum/post/21794231


The entire notion is absurd.

Look, we both know that illegal copying of all kinds is rampant and on a worldwide basics. That is the real concern of the studios. IMO, if you want to rip your own disc for your personal use that is your business. But we both know folks rip rented, borrowed, purchased (then sold) disc which is not OK.


As a point of reference Kaleidescape has been in litigation > 7 years and the matter is still not settled. So I doubt we will settle anything in a thread, on a BBS somewhere on the internet
.
 
#76 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bt12483 /forum/post/21786173


Guess you won't be using the service then:


http://www.my9tv.com/dpp/money/Walma...rvice_20120313


So Walmart will give you a digital copy of your bluray that is less than bluray quality AND put a blemish on your disc all for $2. Sounds like a deal...

I can see some enterprising kid making hundreds of clear, temporary stick-on rings for the center of the disc. Walmart will stamp it and the disc owner will remove the stick-on ring
 
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