Philips looks to build 'huge' video database for video ID service

When Philips Research fell out of the audio fingerprinting business in 2005, it obviously left something of a scar, with the business sold for an unspecified amount, but since it was just as the buyer, audio database specialist Gracenote, had just raised $10.9m, that was taken to be the amount. But talking to Alex Terpstra, the …

[Anonymous Coward]

...copies made with a camcorder at home...

"...copies made with a camcorder at home are suddenly a real danger,..."

To whom? Surely any mass-producing pirate is going to be able to rip the video stream, DRM-free straight to high capacity DVD, and camcorders will become irrelevant.

[Bruce Leyden]

"Pro-active"

There is no use for the so-called word 'proactive' where 'active' would not suffice, except as a reliable indicator that bullshit repellent may be required.

I really, really hate that word.

</rant>

[Morely Dotes]

The MPAA isn't smart enough to figure that out.

"any mass-producing pirate is going to be able to rip the video stream, DRM-free straight to high capacity DVD"

With less trouble than making a tossed salad.

[Anonymous Coward]

Title

/pedantry on

The 'so called' word proactive has been in mainstream use since 1933 and according to Merriam Webster, NOT Wikepedia, is defined as:

"acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes"

Whereas 'active' is defined as:

"characterized by action rather than by contemplation or speculation"

So, one could be active yet not proactive.

/pedantry off

[frank denton]

Proactive

<explanatory>

The word 'proactive' does seem to annoy a few people I know. As the anonymous 'Title' writer said, it's been in mainstream use since 1933, which is a lot longer than many of the words that can be found in Reg articles and Comments.

Think of it as a useful contrast to 'reactive', (meaning 'acting in response to problems, needs or changes but lacking prior anticipatory action).

</explanatory >