About Bloody time - cheap DVD Authoring with copy protection

[Peter Jefferson]

http://www.ulead.com/dws/compare.htm

macrovision and CSS Encryption...

it wont stop the rippers, but it will slow most of em down..

[Peter Moore]

You still need to use a replicator that supports CSS (not sure about how macrovision works). So that's still going to be expensive. I beleive DVD-Rs have their disk/player keys pre-burned so you wouldn't be able to use CSS with duplicated disks (pretty dumb if you ask me).

[Jeff Donald]

The software only sets a flag on the DLT, so the replicator knows to turn on the Macrovision and CSS when he replicates your master. Most DVD authoring software has this feature.

[Edward Troxel]

This was a HUGE topic of conversation recently on the DVD Architect forums. I was always under the impression that the flags would only work on replicated DVDs. However, it "appears" that the Macrovision flag *may* work with burned DVDs. Even if it DOES work, not sure what the costs involved to be legal would be.


http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.co...ssageID=245841

[Jeff Donald]

It could work with burned discs if the replicator burns discs rather than pressing them. The final format doesn't make a difference. But it's not something that can be applied via software at home. Macrovision and other protection methods are applied by the replictor on a per disc fee basis.

[Edward Troxel]

I thought the same thing. But one of the people in that thread seems to indicate that when they turned on the flag that THEIR burned DVD activated the Macrovision. However, I have no first hand experience with attempts to set the flag.

[Jeff Donald]

That's incorrect. Similar things have been reported on Apple's DVD SP list and reps from Macrovision etc. posted that, that simply was not the case. It can only be applied by those replicators that are licensed by Macrovision etc.

[Edward Troxel]

Thanks for the info. That's what I've always thought.

[Rob Lohman]

I'm afraid this thread has some miss information in it. The
MacroVision is just a bit in the header of each MPEG2 block.
The DVD players is the device actually outputting the Macrovision.

The "problem" is that you need to pay a licensing fee for
Macrovision use. That's why the replication factories are the
only ones who can "do" Macrovision. On every DVD ripper out
there you can disable region codes, macrovision and CSS. It
would be quite easy to reverse the process to add it (with the
exception of CSS). Region coding are just some flags in de IFO
files.

CSS encoding is a different animal. It uses a different sector
size (and therefor you will need a special authoring burner
plus authoring discs to burn a CSS encrypted disc). You also
need to obtain a title key and ofcourse pay licensing fees again.

Macrovision, region or CSS protection will only help in protecting
copying from people who do not know there are tools on a
computer to copy the discs. A couple of weeks ago I spoke to
a friend of a friend who knows absolutely nothing about DVD's
or computers and he just read in some magazine where to get
the tools to copy a disc. And yes, it worked perfectly for him.

So I'm not sure if you wan't to invest money in such "solutions".

And to people asking why there aren't any tools available to add
Macrovision (as far as I know) I would have to answer because
no-one really wants to do to it not helping much and actually
degrading the picture (which is a very bad thing in my mind).

[Peter Moore]

Macrovision on analog VHS is, in a way, harder to circumvent than CSS on DVDs. I realized this when considering how to transfer analog copies of Star Wars to DVD. You need a special box or something. But for DVDs it's worthless - who's gonna make an analog copy of a DVD??

[Rob Lohman]

That's true. There are analog macrovision boxes. I'm blessed with
a Macrovision less DVD player. Not for the copying but I for the
signal quality that hits my TV.

[Haasim Mahanaim]

'About Bloody time?'

I can understand why studios would waste money developing this technology, but why would anyone on dvinfo need such protection for their DVDs?




Sidenote: I think region encoding (along with other copy protection measures) is just about the dumbest idea the idea developed by the movie industry. Why create the ability for multiple language tracks and then prevent the film from being played in a foreign country? There are many foreign films that I would like to own, but I can't because they're only for sale in Europe or Asia and I only have a standalone DVD player that enforces region codes.

[John Locke]

I agree, Haasim. What a ridiculous concept the region-coding is.

Hacked or multi-region DVD players are the norm in Asia, and pirated copies can be found everywhere. All the region encoding has done is eliminate the chances of honest people, especially tourists, from purchasing DVDs.

I've always wondered what portion of annual sales in the U.S. of audio CDs can be attributed to tourists. From my own travel experiences, the first thing many travelers do when abroad is head to the local music store and load up on "local music" to bring home. Also, lots of people order music from other countries, just to have something that you can't find at home. DVD region encoding pretty much only blocks those types of sales. Pretty stupid.

But that's "regional encoding." "Copy protection" is warranted, though. Ask Dylan Couper about having your work illegally duplicated and distributed.

[Adrian Douglas]

I've noticed a few CDs here in Japan that are now carrying a form of copy protection that prevents them from being played in anything other than a stereo system or personal CD player. The discs will not play in a computer drive. Here in Japan just about everyone has an MD/MP3 player and copies their music to listen to on the train, riding their bike, walking around town etc. If this new protection system becomes widespread then it will kill the personal player industry unless you purchase music from places like WindowsMedia.com or ITunes.

[Rob Lohman]

Adrian: there have been numerous Audio CD copy protections.
I've seen at least 4 here in Holland. One of my discs has those
as well.

I've had major troubles copying that disc. Why did I want to
copy it? Because I want to play it in my car and don't have the
original CD in there (in case someone wants to steal something
from my car). There are currently special tools for this sector as
well that allows copying of any known CD protection (probably
yours as well). A lot of games (for the PC) use similar protections
as well these days (usually they employ creating false defects
on a disc that a normal burner / copy program will choke on).