New copy-proof DVDs on the way?

news.com.com ^ | February 14, 2005, 9:00 PM PST | John Borland

[RicocheT]

Macrovision is expected to release a new DVD copy-protection technology Tuesday in hopes of substantially broadening its role in Hollywood's antipiracy effort.

The content-protection company is pointing to the failure of the copy-proofing on today's DVDs, which was broken in 1999. Courts have ordered that DVD-copying tools be taken off the market, but variations of the software remain widely available online.

[oceanview]

see post #56 - Jack Valente will flash your unit shortly.

[JenB]

FMA has to be watched in the original Japanese. It is the deepest shonen series I've seen. It takes twists you won't believe until you see them, demands heart and soul, and gives you an experience you won't forget. It has become my favorite anime, period. I can't wait for the movie (released there this summer. Here? Who knows)

You don't mind the talking as much in the Japanese version because the seiyuu are so good. Especially Paku Romi, the actress who does Ed.

[Paul C. Jesup]

there have? has there been a simple ruling that allows fair use to be applied to DVD copying?

Not yet, but of course none of the RIAA/MPAA file-trading lawsuits have gone to court either so that is still up in the air, but the Betamax ruling does lead any ruling on backing-up/copying DVDs from PERSONAL use to favor the individual.

Also, there was a court ruling a couple of months ago on DMCA violating 'due process' in that the court ruled that the RIAA and MPAA have to go to court and get permission from a judge before that can sue someone using DMCA; currently I think it is making it's way to the appeals court.

[RicocheT]

"The DMCA is living on borrowed time"

Yeah, that's what we said about Campaign Finance "Reform" and the Supremes let that stand. Want to bet commercial free speach/copyright will be called a different animal (ie, the Hollywood money will put the fix in)?

[Paul C. Jesup]

Cartoon Network has really come strong with their Toonami block. Big-O, Ghost in the shell, Inuyasha, but I’ve been disappointed by Fullmetal Alchemist. It’s a bit too talking for my tastes.

Those shows come on Adult Swim, Toonami titles include Megas XLR, Justice League Unlimited, Teen Titans, YYH, DBZ/GT, RK.

And from the record FMA is much more mature than I expected, it is fairly dark, but very good.

[Paul C. Jesup]

Yeah, that's what we said about Campaign Finance "Reform" and the Supremes let that stand.

Five of the Nine Supreme Court judges that oversaw that ruling are both over 70 years old and and have cancer.

You do the math.

[oceanview]

the music swapping stuff, I am ambivalent on that because its easier to make the case for outright theft there.

but making backups or second copies of my own DVDs, or when I buy a PPV movie or subscribe to HBO, and they make it impossible to record the program or put some "self destruct" timer in it - that is getting out of hand. Hell, I am paying for this stuff, just let me use it.

[JenB]

I don't get Cartoon Network and I really don't watch dubbed anime, but I'm impressed that they're showing FMA, seemingly uncut. It's dark and bloody, but not offensive, and the story it tells is a very good one.

Do they use the opening song for the ending, as well? FMA has four great opening songs, one wonderful closing song, and three lousy closes, but I assume on Cartoon Network they'd have cut it down to just one...

Trust me, I've seen all 51 episodes and it gets better. Episode 50 has the most evil cliffhanger I've ever seen.

[Paul C. Jesup]

A lot of anime shown on Cartoon Network is VERY good, the dub are solid (Cowboy Bebop dub quality) and the content quality is very good.

GitS:SAT, IY, Big O, YYH, RK and FMA are great.

Also, some of the cartoons, like JLU and this current season of TT are GREAT and worth watching.

But the one show you have to check out is Megas XLR, it is one excellent show that parodies everything (AND I MEAN EVERYTHING) from anime to "Blue Brothers". Plus Steven Blum (voices Jamie, though you might not realize it on Megas XLR, Spike from CB, Roger from Big O) and Wendee Lee (voices Kiva on Megas XLR, Faye from CB and Angel from Big O) are two of the three main voice cast in the Megas XLR show.

Coop (from Megas XLR) is one of my all time favorite fiction characters/heroes.

The one boneheaded move they are going to make is showing WB's "The Batman" (which is not very good at all) on Toonami in March, thought I do not think it will last long there considering it comes on right behind JLU. It would be like serving fans a t-bone steak for one course and the next course would be serving dogfood.

[Paul C. Jesup]

but making backups or second copies of my own DVDs, or when I buy a PPV movie or subscribe to HBO, and they make it impossible to record the program or put some "self destruct" timer in it - that is getting out of hand. Hell, I am paying for this stuff, just let me use it.

It will reach a point where consumers will reject it like they did "Divx rental DVDs" back in the late 90's.

[Paul C. Jesup]

Do they use the opening song for the ending, as well?

Yes they use both the openings and the endings.

And Cartoon Network is one of the few reasons I have cable TV.

[Politicalmom]

Yep. We got in on that before they killed it. I have four children. Making back ups of our DVDs is NECESSARY.

[CORedneck]

Leave it to marketers to screw up something good.....

Region cracks are as common as dirt.

There are even hacks and codes for cracking region blocks on DVD players.

Region blocking was a bone head effort.

[CORedneck]

I have one at home. Macrovision is disabled.

BTW, on the legality of region free players, I guess it is a gray area. One place I use to work at was a 24x5 facility at an Air Force Base (unnamed). The contract called for the facility to be manned 24x5. We were on rotating shifts and most of the time, no one wanted to use the facility after 10 or 11 pm at night so whoever was working night shift were pretty well free to do what they wanted. We had a DVD player to watch movies. It was similar in other parts of the building as well.

However, there was a rule put out by the commander, region free DVD players were banned. Kind of stupid but there quite a few people who bring in import DVD's such as Japanese Anime and those could play on the region free players before the ban went into effect. The basis the commander used was the region free players violated the rules set by Hollywood. Somehow, the commander got word (probably a brown noser who wants to move up quickly) about people playing imports.

Code free DVD Players. This is no scam. Order now before they get shut down by some overeager regulatory body.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the Link

Gonna throw this on the pile:

****************************************************

Region  Codes:
Most  DVDs include codes that can be used to prevent playback of certain discs in certain geographical regions. Each player is given a code for the region in which it's sold. The player will refuse to play discs that are not coded for its region. This means that discs bought in one country may not play on players bought in another country. 

Regional codes are entirely optional for the maker of a disc. Discs without region locks will play on any player in any country. It's not an encryption system, it's just one byte of information on the disc that the player checks. Region codes are a permanent part of the disc, they won't "unlock" after a period of time. 

There are 8 regions. Players and discs are often identified by the region number superimposed on a world globe. If a disc plays in more than one region it will have more than one number on the globe.

So, if you have a region 1 player you will only be able to play code 1 or 0 DVDs.
 

Code	Region
1	U.S., Canada, U.S. Territories
2	Japan, Europe, South Africa, and Middle East (including Egypt)
3	Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong)
4	Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South   America, and the Caribbean
5	Eastern Europe (Former Soviet Union), Indian subcontinent, Africa, North   Korea, and Mongolia
6	China
7	Reserved
8	Special international venues (airplanes, cruise ships, outer space.)
0	Region Free. Playable on any system.

NTSC & PAL
In addition to region codes, there are also differences in discs for NTSC and PAL TV systems 
The MPEG video on DVD is stored in digital format, but it's formatted for one of two mutually incompatible television systems: NTSC or PAL/SECAM. Therefore, there are two kinds of DVDs: NTSC DVDs and PAL DVDs. Some players only play NTSC discs, others play PAL and NTSC discs. 

All DVD players sold in PAL countries play both kinds of discs. These multi-standard players convert NTSC to PAL . 
Most NTSC players can't play PAL discs. A very small number of NTSC players (such as Apex and SMC) can convert PAL to NTSC. 

So, if you have an NTSC only DVD player you will NOT be able to play a PAL disc unless you use a standards converter box.

[JenB]

Inuyasha doesn't appeal to me. I'll see SAT when I can get the dvds... YYH is Bleach, only not cool. I admit they introduced me to Rurouni Kenshin, even if that dub has some really horrible failures.

I don't get any tv at all - not that I miss it, with hot anime from Japan available on bittorrent - so I'll have to give Megas XLR a miss.

[Paul C. Jesup]

I don't get any tv at all - not that I miss it, with hot anime from Japan available on bittorrent - so I'll have to give Megas XLR a miss.

I ask you to reconsider, at least check out what the series is about: http://www.tvtome.com/MegasXLR/index.html

Also, Season 1 (first 13 episodes) of Megas XLR will be released on DVD Boxset this fall.

[JenB]

Box sets are possible, especially when I've got friends who might buy such a thing. TV is not to be reconsidered - I spend the $40 a month it would cost to get anything beyond basic cable on books and anime. But it does look kind of cool. Though it's not subtitled, so I'm not sure I could watch it ;-)