DVD Copy Protection in 2008 at DVinfo.net

Jeff Emery · April 17th, 2008, 04:14 PM

I did a search and read postings from back in 2005 but I could not find anything recent. I don't know if things might have changed since then so I'll ask a new "old" question.

Is it now possible, through any cost-effective method, to copy-protect the content of a BURNED DVD?

There is a company National Tributes (dot) com that serves funeral homes by making video memorials. I'm not bent on knocking the company, but they claim to "BURN-LOCK DVD copy protection", and I'm wondering if this isn't some marketing ploy to make people think they are getting something that really doesn't exist.

As far as I can determine, there is no way to copy-protect any DVD content on a burned DVD. Virtually anyone that can turn on a computer, point their browser to google, and type dvd copy software, can find all kinds of programs to copy any DVD whether doing it legally or not.

So is NT kind of BS'ing clients with their so-called "BURN-LOCK"?

I think they are. But I might not be aware of some new way to protect DVD content that just came out.

Jeff

Allen Plowman · April 17th, 2008, 04:50 PM

If the newest Hollywood dvd on the market can be copied using easily obtained software, I have my doubts there is going to be anything that will slow down a determined person from copying a dvd-r anytime in the near future.
Just my opinion.

Daniel Browning · April 17th, 2008, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Emery

Virtually anyone that can turn on a computer, point their browser to google, and type dvd copy software, can find all kinds of programs to copy any DVD whether doing it legally or not.

So is NT kind of BS'ing clients with their so-called "BURN-LOCK"?

Just because something is easy to work around doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Do you think it's the same as if a dealer sold cars with a special "THEFT-LOCK" feature that were actually normal door locks that were easy to work around?

Jeff Emery · April 17th, 2008, 05:23 PM

Daniel,
With all due respect, I asked a question. Did you have an answer that might shed some light on this issue?

I'm sure you had a point but I could not find it in your posting.

Jeff

Mike Barber · April 17th, 2008, 05:45 PM

It sure sounds like BS (and unethical) to me. It is impossible, in so far as I know, to copy protect any burned DVD. Setting those bits must be done when making the glass master of the disc -- and even then is easy enough to circumvent with the most basic of software. Anything that can be read can be copied.

Sounds to me like they are preying on the technological ignorance of their clientele, which I think is just plain wrong.

Andy Wilkinson · April 18th, 2008, 02:41 AM

I've not used it but I believe in Vegas 7 (and I guess by default it'll be in Vegas 8) there are some options on copy protection when you make DVD's (it might be within the DVD Architect software, not sure.)

Maybe other mid-priced NLE's have this option (albeit an easily "crackable" one as mentioned above) and maybe someone reading this that actually uses this feature on their NLE can elaborate.

Main reason I've elected not to investigate it further is that I often want family and friends to be able to easily copy my discs if wanted. I've thought about putting it on discs I sell to Joe Public but I'm fully aware it would only be an annoying deterent and then easily circumvented by anyone with a mindset to do so .....so have not got any deeper into it.

Chris Davis · April 22nd, 2008, 11:40 AM

There is a new DVD-R copy protection tool available from Hexalock: http://hexalock.co.il/products/DVDRV/. Perhaps they're using that. There are also other methods, but those are easily broken.

Jeff Emery · April 22nd, 2008, 05:10 PM

Chris,

Thanks for that posting. I checked out the site (which doesn't appear to be fully functional). I also watched the tutorial.

It appeared in the tutorial that to protect one video is $300USD. Since the company I mentioned only charges $150 for a video plus $25 for the so called Burn-Lock, I don't think that's the program they are using.

I still believe the company is likely just using a marketing ploy. It is a good angle though. I would like to get a copy of one of their copy-protected discs. I'm pretty confident I could copy it. Not to infringe on any copyright, but to evaluate their claim subjectively.

Jeff

Les Wilson · April 23rd, 2008, 01:45 PM

I never tried it but I read once that there's a technique having something to do with not filling up the DVD and then scratching the underside of the unwritten portion up near the written part. THe claim was that with enough skill, it makes the DVD unreadable in a computer for ripping operations but not a DVD player for playback operations. It may be a myth. I just thought it was clever and tucked it away in my mind in the event I felt like trying it someday. YMMV.

Allen Plowman · April 23rd, 2008, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernest House

I never tried it but I read once that there's a technique having something to do with not filling up the DVD and then scratching the underside of the unwritten portion up near the written part. THe claim was that with enough skill, it makes the DVD unreadable in a computer for ripping operations but not a DVD player for playback operations. It may be a myth. I just thought it was clever and tucked it away in my mind in the event I felt like trying it someday. YMMV.

That would only prevent it from being ripped. it could still be copied by playing it from the dvd player into the computer, and recording it that way. Like i said earlier, if Hollwood with millions of dollars can not stop it from happening, how can a small user stop it?

Mike Barber · April 23rd, 2008, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Wilkinson

I've not used it but I believe in Vegas 7 (and I guess by default it'll be in Vegas 8) there are some options on copy protection when you make DVD's

That is only for when you are making DLTs or DDPs for a dup house. Flipping that bit will not do a thing if you are burning on DVD-Rs.

I don't know anything about Hexalock, but I am skeptical at best about anyone who claims to have a security system for DVD-Rs. Like I said before, anything that can be read can be copied.

Chris Davis · September 22nd, 2008, 11:40 AM

One of my employees just brought in a DVD that appears to have been created with the National Tributes software and using the "burn-lock" protection.

It really does stop a computer from ripping and duplicating the disc. I don't know how it does it, but you can see a line across the track on the DVD. It is not something "scratched" into the disk, but rather a line about 1mm wide that appears to have no information.

However, I was able to easily copy the VIDEO_TS folder and make a DVD.

Yes, "burn-lock" stopped my first couple attempts to copy the disk, but didn't completely prevent it.

April 17th, 2008, 04:14 PM	#1
Jeff Emery Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 222	DVD Copy Protection in 2008 I did a search and read postings from back in 2005 but I could not find anything recent. I don't know if things might have changed since then so I'll ask a new "old" question. Is it now possible, through any cost-effective method, to copy-protect the content of a BURNED DVD? There is a company National Tributes (dot) com that serves funeral homes by making video memorials. I'm not bent on knocking the company, but they claim to "BURN-LOCK DVD copy protection", and I'm wondering if this isn't some marketing ploy to make people think they are getting something that really doesn't exist. As far as I can determine, there is no way to copy-protect any DVD content on a burned DVD. Virtually anyone that can turn on a computer, point their browser to google, and type dvd copy software, can find all kinds of programs to copy any DVD whether doing it legally or not. So is NT kind of BS'ing clients with their so-called "BURN-LOCK"? I think they are. But I might not be aware of some new way to protect DVD content that just came out. Jeff

April 17th, 2008, 04:50 PM	#2
Allen Plowman Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Paradise, california Posts: 353	If the newest Hollywood dvd on the market can be copied using easily obtained software, I have my doubts there is going to be anything that will slow down a determined person from copying a dvd-r anytime in the near future. Just my opinion. __________________ "What I need is an exact list of specific unknown problems we might encounter."

April 17th, 2008, 05:45 PM	#5
Mike Barber Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: Toronto ON Canada Posts: 731	It sure sounds like BS (and unethical) to me. It is impossible, in so far as I know, to copy protect any burned DVD. Setting those bits must be done when making the glass master of the disc -- and even then is easy enough to circumvent with the most basic of software. Anything that can be read can be copied. Sounds to me like they are preying on the technological ignorance of their clientele, which I think is just plain wrong. __________________ Mike Barber "I'm laughing to stop myself from screaming."

April 18th, 2008, 02:41 AM	#6
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	I've not used it but I believe in Vegas 7 (and I guess by default it'll be in Vegas 8) there are some options on copy protection when you make DVD's (it might be within the DVD Architect software, not sure.) Maybe other mid-priced NLE's have this option (albeit an easily "crackable" one as mentioned above) and maybe someone reading this that actually uses this feature on their NLE can elaborate. Main reason I've elected not to investigate it further is that I often want family and friends to be able to easily copy my discs if wanted. I've thought about putting it on discs I sell to Joe Public but I'm fully aware it would only be an annoying deterent and then easily circumvented by anyone with a mindset to do so .....so have not got any deeper into it. __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production

April 22nd, 2008, 05:10 PM	#8
Jeff Emery Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 222	Chris, Thanks for that posting. I checked out the site (which doesn't appear to be fully functional). I also watched the tutorial. It appeared in the tutorial that to protect one video is $300USD. Since the company I mentioned only charges $150 for a video plus $25 for the so called Burn-Lock, I don't think that's the program they are using. I still believe the company is likely just using a marketing ploy. It is a good angle though. I would like to get a copy of one of their copy-protected discs. I'm pretty confident I could copy it. Not to infringe on any copyright, but to evaluate their claim subjectively. Jeff Last edited by Jeff Emery; April 23rd, 2008 at 12:00 PM.

April 17th, 2008, 05:23 PM	#4
Jeff Emery Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 222	Daniel, With all due respect, I asked a question. Did you have an answer that might shed some light on this issue? I'm sure you had a point but I could not find it in your posting. Jeff

April 22nd, 2008, 11:40 AM	#7
Chris Davis Trustee Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Willmar, MN Posts: 1,400	There is a new DVD-R copy protection tool available from Hexalock: http://hexalock.co.il/products/DVDRV/. Perhaps they're using that. There are also other methods, but those are easily broken.

April 23rd, 2008, 01:45 PM	#9
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	I never tried it but I read once that there's a technique having something to do with not filling up the DVD and then scratching the underside of the unwritten portion up near the written part. THe claim was that with enough skill, it makes the DVD unreadable in a computer for ripping operations but not a DVD player for playback operations. It may be a myth. I just thought it was clever and tucked it away in my mind in the event I felt like trying it someday. YMMV.

September 22nd, 2008, 11:40 AM	#12
Chris Davis Trustee Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Willmar, MN Posts: 1,400	One of my employees just brought in a DVD that appears to have been created with the National Tributes software and using the "burn-lock" protection. It really does stop a computer from ripping and duplicating the disc. I don't know how it does it, but you can see a line across the track on the DVD. It is not something "scratched" into the disk, but rather a line about 1mm wide that appears to have no information. However, I was able to easily copy the VIDEO_TS folder and make a DVD. Yes, "burn-lock" stopped my first couple attempts to copy the disk, but didn't completely prevent it.