Confused about copy protection

[RayF]

G'day,
Newbie question so please have patience.

Some DVDs advise 'this disk is copy protected'
Are they referring to the encryption or something else?
Reason for the question is Smart Ripper seems to cope with some of these disks and not others.
If it is the encryption, do manufacturers change this from time to time and so we have to wait for Rippers to catch up or is it something else that must be removed first before Ripping?

Or just try different rippers and eventually one will work?
Any advice would save some frustration.
cheers
Rayf

[garryheather]

It will be referring to CSS and / or Macrovision.

They can't change the content scrambling system now or they run the risk of making the discs incompatible with the millions of players out there, but I have heard of some discs that change keys half way through a VOB file that confuse some rippers, but I have never seen this myself. I believe I read somewhere that VOB keys should not change in any one unit, but it is possible to change them at cell ID points. I'd have to look into my docs to refresh my memory, but that sounds sort of right if my memory serves.

So far, I have not found a disc that Smartripper has not been able to resolve.

[Hardcoreruss]

Warner Home Video uses a process called RCE which stands for Region Coding Enhanced.

However as Gary Says smartripper appears to be able to get through anything.

[garryheather]

Good point ! I had forgotten about RCE (THAT's how much of a problem it is to me...).

It took a friend borrowing one of my (original) Region 1 discs and finding it wouldn't play on their chipped Region 2 player for me to realise I had actually bought one of these RCE discs and not known about it ! (Spiderman).

[RayF]

Thanks folks for such a quick response.

FYI one of the DVDs I'd like to backup but can't is called 'Mr. Deeds - Adam Sandler'. I'm in Region 4 so hardcoreruss may be onto something.

Any suggestions as to what to do if smartripper gives up the ghost?

Thanks again,
RayF

[DivXExpert]

DVDDecryptor. The best in my opinion.