Final year project idea (Pirate DVD detector)

[witchfinder]

Hello,
I am just looking for some advice on this project idea for my final year at uni. Basically it’s to create a program which can determine the difference between an original DVD and an illegal copy. What I'm wanting to know is would this be possible by looking at the DVD’s Anchor Volume Descriptor Pointer (AVDP) and find whether it is a pirate copy by:

1. If the disc is written by studio or corporate level DVD burning software which would imply it is more likely to be original.

2. In the header information if it is an originally pressed DVD ("Media code/Manufacturer ID N/A Pressed DVD"). Maybe that information is passed on when it is copied, I'm not sure yet.

Thanks.

[mpack]

I vaguely recall that something like this exists already, and one problem is that it assumes that any non-pressed DVD is a pirated retail DVD - when it could for example be the owners camcorder home movies.

I can't remember where this discussion came up previously though.

[killerhex]

or you could just have it identify the dvds PGC that has the FBI warnings some pirated dvds have it removed

[minidv2dvd]

i would think it only takes 2 checks to see if it's a copied movie.
1) does the disc contain a copywrited movie?
2) it the disc css protected?

you might need to look up "fair use" copying also, depending on what country it is in.

[jman98]

Foreign DVDs won't have an FBI warning.

As far as minidv2dvd's post goes, how do you know it's copywritten? Home made discs (ie. home movies transferred to DVD) would not be CSS protected and thus would be flagged as being a "pirate" disc.

My feeling is that if this was easy to do and do reliably that Hollywood would probably force DVD manufacturers to support it so that "pirated" DVDs would not play. Given how it seems that even Philips has caved in to pressure and made their newer DVD players difficult to impossible to put into multi-region mode, I don't think this is an unfounded fear.

My question to those of you who responded is should we REALLY be helping someone to do something like this when, if successful, it could have negative repercussions for many of us? Many people make backups of purchased DVDs so young children can play them without fear of the original disc being destroyed for example, so I'm not suggesting that only thieves will be harmed by this. Should we really be helping an industry that views all of its consumers as potential thieves?

[deadrats]

Hello,
I am just looking for some advice on this project idea for my final year at uni. Basically it’s to create a program which can determine the difference between an original DVD and an illegal copy. What I'm wanting to know is would this be possible by looking at the DVD’s Anchor Volume Descriptor Pointer (AVDP) and find whether it is a pirate copy by:

1. If the disc is written by studio or corporate level DVD burning software which would imply it is more likely to be original.

2. In the header information if it is an originally pressed DVD ("Media code/Manufacturer ID N/A Pressed DVD"). Maybe that information is passed on when it is copied, I'm not sure yet.

Thanks.

the question that comes to mind is this: why would you want to do something like this? let's not discuss for the moment that such a desire comes across as looking a bit "suck-up-ish", as in you are trying to be a suck up, let's ignore that and pretend i didn't say it, it leave us with the following reality:

1) how would this program be used? under what circumstances? and by whom?

2) if someone really wants to pirate dvd's, the wouldn't be done via the use of consumer grade dvd copying software, it would be done either with a dedicated dvd copier (you can buy one for about $500, just pop in a dvd you want copied and a blank dvd and out pops a bit for bit copy of the original, including all copy protection still intact. alternatively, i use use a linux pc with a half dozen cheap dvd burners (you can buy a cheap burner for about $50), and write a simple script that uses dd copy to create bit for bit copies of the original dvd, 6 copies at a time.

the fact of the matter is that dvd piracy is eventually going to take care of itself, primarily because dvd's are going to be less and less relevant as blu-ray gets more and more prevalent.

[mpack]

the question that comes to mind is this: why would you want to do something like this?

Give the guy a break - he said why he wanted to do it, he needs a project for his final year at uni. It doesn't matter that the project doesn't produce a practical result (not exactly the first time that would be true of an academic exercise). It only matters that the report is a reasonably complete examination of the idea. The report could even conclude that it isn't possible, as that too would be a valid result.

My own feeling is that even if you found something about a DVD that was a good indicator of it being pirated, DVD ripping software would eliminate that indicator as soon as the authors found out what it was. The copyright flag isn't it, because eg. I've been known the set the copyright flag in my own authored DVDs that I do for work - but these are on DVD-R, not pressed.

[VegasBud]

witchfinder,

I am just looking for some advice on this project idea for my final year at uni.

If your intent is a practical implementation, and assuming you want to get a good grade, my advice would be to come up with a different idea for your project.

If, as mpack suggests, your intent is "...a reasonably complete examination of the idea", you could discuss the sole function of the Anchor Volume Descriptor Pointer structure being to specify the Main Volume Descriptor Sequence Extent and the Reserve Volume Descriptor Sequence Extent (if it exists), with either of the Volume Descriptor Sequence Extent sub-structures merely providing the extent location and length. As such, the AVDP would provide no useful information.

You could also mention that perfectly "legitimate" dvd-video disks can be replicated or duplicated (determined mainly by the scale of distribution), and there is no "official" software that must be used for the production of all dvd-videos. Combined with other possible legitimate variations, reliable and comprehensive "Pirate DVD detector" software becomes impractical.

I see this was your first post here, so welcome to VideoHelp.

[Supreme2k]

To answer the OP:

No.
1. No.
2. No.

Now run along and do your project.