Chips on DVDs...

[prowler1971]

...could prevent theft

I read the title wrong the first time too.

A chip smaller than the head of a pin is placed onto a DVD along with a thin coating that blocks a DVD player from reading critical information on the disc. At the register, the chip is activated and sends an electrical pulse through the coating, turning it clear and making the disc playable.

I happen to think this is kind of neat. However, I don't think it will thwart theft for long, but it may stop the kiddie shoplifters, except for the one who are doing it just for the sake of doing it.

And what about when one is returned unopened?

Comments

[prowler1971.livejournal.com]

The cost of theft is already passed on to us, the consumers. So that should be (in theory) a wash. But the cost of DVD production will probably go up so that part might hit us.

Store employees are generally not authorized to stop shoplifters in major chains. They have specific loss prevention employees for that and for insurance reasons, everyone else needs to stay out of their way. At least that's how it was when I was working retail BACK IN THEM OLDEN TIMES!

Most chain store theft is from within. So paying the people enough so they don't steal might help. But on the flip side, they want cheap labor because they know people aren't going to stay anyway.