Macrovision RipGuard?????

[ssbianchi]

Okay, this might not be much, but here's the scenario:

Went to BestBuy yesterday, and bought a copy of The Incredibles. Promptly loaded it into my computer, and for some odd reason wanted to watch it before ripping it with DVD Decrypter (I have 13 nieces and nephews - most with sticky hands and destructive tendencies). That's when the problems happened...

The video skipped a little bit in the beginning menus (before the movie even played), but it eventually worked itself out. Decided to rip it with DVD Decrypter, and the thing just wouldn't work! Proceeded to download DVD Shrink - same problem. Any program I installed would just hang there. After much searching, noticed that this was a symptom of Macrovision's new RipGuard technology, where they claim that it prevents 97% of ripping programs from working. The movie still played using Nero Showtime, it just couldn't be copied. (I could be wrong, but this is what I think it is.)

After seven reformats, I came to the conclusion that the thing works just like the SunnComm CD3 protection scheme..at some point when the disc is first inserted, it writes a file (don't know what specifically) to your computer that will crash/freeze any program that is trying to copy a DVD - ANY DVD. I wanted to make sure that this was what really happened (hence the seven reformats) before posting. After giving up on The Incredibles during the first time this happened, I tried several others in my collection - Young Frankenstein, Old School, Gladiator...you name it. Same results.

However, the thing can be easily bypassed by turning off the AutoPlay feature in Windows XP, as well as NEVER PLAYING THE DVD ON YOUR COMPUTER. Right now, the only fix I know of (if you are one of the unlucky people who did this) is a complete reformat until someone much smarter than me finds out what the process/file is.

Does this fix actually work? Well, right now I'm making a copy of my Incredibles DVD with DVD Decrypter and Nero Recode...no problems whatsoever.

While this might be old news to some, during my searches on the web I couldn't find anything that mentioned this, so I thought I'd post it just in case...hope it helps someone.

[bazooka]

Try using either anydvd or dvd region + css free.

[frob1]

I have made a backup copy because I have little children around the house and I had no problems with it. Are you sure you didnt have a virus or something. I had no problems at all.

[spiderman2k1]

I to was backing up The Incredibles. With AnyDVD and dvdshrink, My PC cracked and had to reformat my hard drive. Installed a newer version of ANYDVD and CLoneDVD no problems.

I think the best programs to use now are ANYDVD CLONEDVD and DVD2ONE. That are made to get around this new copy protection.

[ssbianchi]

I will try DVD2ONE and CloneDVD. However, the issue is not being able to copy the disc, since DVDDecrypter did so last night, but that if you play the movie on your computer OR allow the movie to automatically start playing by having the autoplay feature on, IT WILL install something on your computer that crashes any program trying to copy DVD's. I haven't tried the ones mentioned above, but if I have the same problem again I will give them a go. If you don't play the movie on your computer? You'll never have this problem, and can copy your discs no problem.

Also, I did not have any viruses on my computer (once again, seven reformats). I would reformat the computer, install DVD Decrypter (and ONLY that) and see if it could read the VOB files. Answer is YES. Then, I play the movie for 1 minute. Try DVD Decrypter again - can it read the VOB files? Answer is NO.

So, something is going on with the movie...I still think it's RipGuard. In any event, it's pretty sneaky - just like the SUNNCOMM system that if you didn't know about it, it will just install things to your computer without your knowledge or consent.

Just my two cents...

[RMaddog]

Holding the shift key while loading into your drive will prevent autoplay.

[waheed]

Or just disable autoplay on your computer.

[smearbrick1]

Is this the brilliant protection scheme that Hollywood has been crowing about for the last couple months? Once again, they underestimate the intelligence of the consumer. Don't they realize that the last time they tried this type of copy protection (on audio cds) it was circumvented within days of its first appearance? Did the folks at Macrovision think we would forget all of the previous attempts at copy protection?

On a side note: Is it really legal for them to hijack your pc with malicious (I call it malicious) software that prevents certain programs from executing? What's next, spyware?

[bazooka]

I will try DVD2ONE and CloneDVD. However, the issue is not being able to copy the disc, since DVDDecrypter did so last night, but that if you play the movie on your computer OR allow the movie to automatically start playing by having the autoplay feature on, IT WILL install something on your computer that crashes any program trying to copy DVD's. I haven't tried the ones mentioned above, but if I have the same problem again I will give them a go. If you don't play the movie on your computer? You'll never have this problem, and can copy your discs no problem.

Also, I did not have any viruses on my computer (once again, seven reformats). I would reformat the computer, install DVD Decrypter (and ONLY that) and see if it could read the VOB files. Answer is YES. Then, I play the movie for 1 minute. Try DVD Decrypter again - can it read the VOB files? Answer is NO.

So, something is going on with the movie...I still think it's RipGuard. In any event, it's pretty sneaky - just like the SUNNCOMM system that if you didn't know about it, it will just install things to your computer without your knowledge or consent.

Just my two cents...

It is just you. With the latest anydvd and dvdshrink, I successfully backed up the Incredibles.

[Gurm]

Ok I figured I'd test this.

Region 1, NTSC, Retail DVD obtained on the 15th (came with a free basketball, pin, and lithograph - OOOOO!).

Step 1: Format computer (I had to do this anyway, don't think I'd do this just to test something for you!)

Step 2: Install PowerDVD and DVD Decrypter

Step 3: Insert Incredibles Disc 1, WHILE HOLDING SHIFT.

Step 4: Attempt to rip with DVD Decrypter 3.5.2.0... SUCCESS!

Step 5: Eject disc, put it back in but let autoplay run...

Step 5.1: Autoplay says "what would you like to do?" and I choose "play disc with PowerDVD".

Step 5.2: Watch interminable menus (remember, I don't have AnyDVD installed, so I can't skip the PUO stuff).

Step 5.3: Watch 5 minutes of the movie.

Step 6: Shut down PowerDVD and try to rip the disc again... SUCCESS!

Step 7: Eject disc, try to rip several other discs... SUCCESS, SUCCESS, SUCCESS.

Conclusion: Either you're in a different region or you're high from sniffing the "new DVD smell" from the inside of the Incredibles DVD case. Either way, this DVD doesn't even have Arccos, nevermind Ripguard.

[Gurm]

Ok I humored myself. It even rips fine with DVD Shrink.

Then I analyzed the DVD structure - there's NOTHING ON THERE except for the video files.

My conclusion? Your hardware is degenerate. This is similar to the people that HAVE to play a movie for a minute or two before they can rip - bad hardware or drivers.

[Gurm]

And just so we're clear here - because this DID spill over into the DVD->DVDR forum - what you are describing CANNOT HAPPEN.

A DVD with NO PC PROGRAMS on it (there is nothing to "autoplay" because there is no autorun.inf file on the disc!) cannot, during the course of playback by PowerDVD or ripping by DVD Shrink, corrupt your system files rendering your computer unbootable - NOR can it render your ripping software unusable, NOR can it render your DVD reader somehow unusable.

Common sense, folks. To autorun a disc, it needs to have autorun code on it!

[RottenFoxBreath]

this made me laugh,this thread.
heres to a thousand,xxxfilm nuked my pc.
"new dvd protection killed my dell."
what a lot of BS.
theres a lot more people than you have ripped this disc,and none of the symptoms that you have,hence the need not to reformat 7 times.
by the way,just what does your hardware consist of.

[Tidy]

Thank goodness someone said something I was sitting here laughing loudly while I read it. This goes along with the whole "forward this e-mail and Bill Gates will give you 400 quadrilion dollars and build you a space station on the planet kobos thing".

[Noahtuck]

Well, i did both flight of the phoenix & the incredibles, both full disc and just movie, no problems what so ever

1: Ripped both with DVD Decrypter,
2: shrank with DVD Shrink
3: burned with Nero

no other programs at all, no problems at all!!!!!

[Poppa_Meth]

Hey someone did a backup of my arccos protected avatar with dvd decrypter. Is nothing sacred!!!

[Noahtuck]

Hey someone did a backup of my arccos protected avatar with dvd decrypter. Is nothing sacred!!!

KILL THEM!!!!!! KILL THEM!!!!!! how dare they?!?!?!?

[GabeB]

Just thought I'd rub my 2 cents in.

5 years and going now and never had a movie that wouldn't allow me to back it up. Never found one that even gave me problems.

DVD Decryptor
DVD Shrink (insert favorite transcoder)
Nero - Only when needed
Decent Media

[Noahtuck]

Just thought I'd rub my 2 cents in.

5 years and going now and never had a movie that wouldn't allow me to back it up. Never found one that even gave me problems.

DVD Decryptor
DVD Shrink (insert favorite transcoder)
Nero - Only when needed
Decent Media

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you stated exactly what i have stated in this thread and others......
never had a disc i could not back up and play fine!!!!!!!!!!

with the same programs except the one i used as stated! (have used VobBlanker about all of 3 times)

[GabeB]

OK, so on the Matrix the menu has problems but that was DVD Shrink's fault. Everthing else has been fine.

DVDxCopy gave me problems. It was a waste of money and time.

[ssbianchi]

After being out of town for 2 days, came back and read the replies in this forum. Most are pretty brutal. Some even deserved. However, to Gurm who wrote that my hardware was degenerate, I submit the following:

AMD Athlon 64 3200+
Epox 9NDA3+
1.5 GB Kingmax PC3500 Memory
LeadTek Geforce5700 Ultra
Western Digital 200GB SATA Drive
Soundblaster Audigy2
Liteon 1673S Dual Layer DVD Burner
All in a nice Antec Performance II case with Antec 430W TruPower Supply

So my hardware is not inferior or degenerate. However, in retrospect it could be another piece of software. I had to install codecs and a video player as well to get the thing to play on my computer, so I used the K-Lite Standard Codec Pack (downloaded from Edskes) and Nero Showtime (Lastest version, 3.1.0.0 from the website). Any of these files could be corrupted.

Didn't post this message to start a mud-slinging war...just wanted to warn people in case they came across the same scenario.

I am currently reformatting another family member's computer, and I will test it out on that one as well after it is complete. Although, after reading everything I'm sure it's something with my system only. Still unsure what is causing it, though.

[Gurm]

By degenerate I do not in any way mean to say it's inferior.

You might simply have a bad BIOS version on the board or one of the drives, a bad driver, or as you said a bad piece of software.

As a first step, get rid of that codec pack. It might be tough to do at this point, but codec packs usually break more than they fix.

And the guy with the REALLY degenerate system was the one who said that during ripping his machine went SNAP and turned off, and then wouldn't boot and he had to reformat the partition. THAT is degenerate.