Is there a program that will add copy protection to V-DVD's that I have created?

[PC Freak]

I have created V-dvd's and wish to add some type of anti-copy protection / watermark to it so my clients can't easily make their own copies?

 

[DaveSimmons]

You could add a watermark frame-by-frame, sure, but it won't "become visible" once the disc is copied like with photcopying a check. The watermark would be identical in the copy.

game copy protection requires a combination of:
(a) intentional errors in the disc master that burners correct / skip over
(b) the game using a software library to look for the errors in (a) and refuse to run if they are not present.

Since you don't control the person's player software and you probably are burning DVD-R discs instead of having your videos replicated, I don't see how you can do (a) or (b) let alone both.

 

[43st]

Let the movie industry know when you figure it out. I'm sure they'd pay you quite well for your time.

 

[zsouthboy]

i think he means like macrovision and CSS protection....

 

[Nothinman]

I believe you need to pay a large fee for a CSS or Macrovision license, not that both of them aren't easily defeated anyway.

 

[stevewm]

The only way to protect something from being copied is to not release it in the first place.

If it can be viewed it can be copied.


The movie and recording industries have been trying since they where formed to impliment a copy protection system that works. They have all failed and will continue to do so. For one reason, if you want to view the material it obviously has to be read off the media. And if it can be read then there will always be some way to copy it.


All of the "copy protection" schemes DVD players currently support require a very large liscensing fee. And all of these can be bypassed by simply sticking the disc in a DVD-ROM and loading a simple piece of software. Doesn't seem worth the money to me.....

 

[duhh]

Originally posted by: stevewm
The only way to protect something from being copied is to not release it in the first place.

If it can be viewed it can be copied.


The movie and recording industries have been trying since they where formed to impliment a copy protection system that works. They have all failed and will continue to do so. For one reason, if you want to view the material it obviously has to be read off the media. And if it can be read then there will always be some way to copy it.


All of the "copy protection" schemes DVD players currently support require a very large liscensing fee. And all of these can be bypassed by simply sticking the disc in a DVD-ROM and loading a simple piece of software. Doesn't seem worth the money to me.....

gotta give it to gamecube.... granted we arent talking video dvd, but they got their system under good control still

 

[Nothinman]

gotta give it to gamecube.... granted we arent talking video dvd, but they got their system under good control still

Yes but you can't even play DVDs on gamecube. All they did was make a new disc that nothing else can read and noone has been motivated enough to reverse engineer it. In the same way that ROMs from cartridge systems are available easily for PCs to play those older games I'm sure gamecube disc images will be available sooner or later, unless there's not enough good games to warrant it =)

 

[Gage8]

I guess the answer is no

 

[PC Freak]

I'm not looking for a program that's a be-all end-all to keeping these DVDs from being copied.
I'm just looking for something that would be more of a deterrent.

 

[Nothinman]

Take a look at doom9.net and see how readily available DVD copying software is.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: PC_Freak
I'm not looking for a program that's a be-all end-all to keeping these DVDs from being copied.
I'm just looking for something that would be more of a deterrent.

Well, licensing CSS would keep the really clueless people (who haven't bought DVD X-Copy) from copying, but other than that you are out of luck unless you use a custom video format and a player that supports some form of copy protection.

 

[LethalWolfe]

PC_Freak. AFAIK you cannot add copy protection to general purpose DVD blanks. You have to use Authoring Blanks, which require DVD-burners that can burn Authoring media and those still cost close to one grand. And you also need DVD authoring software that can create macrovision and CSS (DVD Studio Pro for example). Or, if you don't have access to software that can create copy protection you can take you finished DVD, on either DLT or burned Authoring DVD (some places will take general purpose DVD-/+R media but not very many) to a duplication facility and they can press DVDs that have copy protection. Of course usually those places have a minimum run of around 1000 DVDs.

And if your clients are computer geeks, like those here at AT, then copy protection is probably a waste of time. But if your clients are normal people then copy protection will keep yer work safe unless they really, really want to copy it. Once again the regulars here assume we represent an accurate cross section of society when in reality we represent a very, very small fraction.

The watermark idea is probably the only option unless you are planning to mass produce these DVDs. But, like another person mentioned, that watermark will be visible on all copies of the DVD. No way, AFAIK, to make it just appear on copied versions and not the original.


Lethal

 

[Nothinman]

But if your clients are normal people then copy protection will keep yer work safe unless they really, really want to copy it. Once again the regulars here assume we represent an accurate cross section of society when in reality we represent a very, very small fraction.

But the reality is that if someone wants to copy it they will, if that person doesn't know how they almost undoubtly know someone who does. "Copy protection" is an oxymoron.

 

[LethalWolfe]

And the reality is that is someone wants all the home electronics you own they will steal them. But I seriously doubt you leave all your doors and windows unlocked and open 24/7.

Copy protection does what it's suppose to do. It deters your average consumer from casuallying copying the material. If someone really wants something they will do what it takes to get it. But people still locks their car, their house, put sensitive documents into safes, put up fences, invest in alarm sytems, keep passwords secret, use firewalls, etc.. Why? Because those things are deterents.

If DVDs didn't have macrovision I'd probably have more than a few VHS copies of movies that I would like to own but can't afford to buy right now. But they do so I don't. And I don't want the movies bad enough to spend the time it would take to copy the DVDs. This is the type of situation copy protection safeguards against. Of course companies are going to market copy protection as bullet proof, even though it isn't, because if the average consumer believes it is bullet proof then that is even another added layer of deterence (power precieved is power achieved).


Lethal

 

[Nothinman]

And the reality is that is someone wants all the home electronics you own they will steal them. But I seriously doubt you leave all your doors and windows unlocked and open 24/7.

I do lock my doors, there's no reason not to. But I have all my windows cracked, I have to otherwise it gets way too hot in here :/

I understand what you're saying, but it all comes down to who his clients are. Without knowing them it's imposisble to make a good decision on how well any sort of copy protection will work.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

And the reality is that is someone wants all the home electronics you own they will steal them. But I seriously doubt you leave all your doors and windows unlocked and open 24/7.

I do lock my doors, there's no reason not to. But I have all my windows cracked, I have to otherwise it gets way too hot in here :/

I understand what you're saying, but it all comes down to who his clients are. Without knowing them it's imposisble to make a good decision on how well any sort of copy protection will work.

I'm completely agree. Like I said in my first post: If his clients are more on the tech savy side (like people who frequent AT) then adding copy protection could be a waste of time and/or $$$. But if his clients are like many of my clients, end users who probaly have issuses programming their VCRs, then copy protection is... well.. still might be a waste of money 'cause I'm sure most of my clients would have a hard time running a DVD player into a VCR in the first place.


Lethal