just curious about this latest copy protection

[Seeker47]

So, what is this particular one that is in use on current Paramount DVDs ? It sets up 30 or so VTS Vobs, most of which are tiny and total BS. There are also a lot of bogus cells or other anomalies. Recent Fab or AnyDVD seems to be required, if you intend to back them up. (Fab 7 keeps trying to read the DVD forever, never succeeding. No problem for Fab 8, though.)

[hech54]

That reminds me....need to download the latest AnyDVD update.

[jman98]

Interesting. In the past in my experience Paramount has not resorted to such trickery. Well it sounds like it's not Cinavia protection, so that's a good thing.

[deadrats]

So, what is this particular one that is in use on current Paramount DVDs ? It sets up 30 or so VTS Vobs, most of which are tiny and total BS. There are also a lot of bogus cells or other anomalies. Recent Fab or AnyDVD seems to be required, if you intend to back them up. (Fab 7 keeps trying to read the DVD forever, never succeeding. No problem for Fab 8, though.)

i'm actually shocked that anyone would bother to "backup" (i.e. pirate, fair use copy, blah blah blah) dvd's anymore or that anyone actually still rents or buys dvd's, i would have thought that given the choice they would be going the blu-ray route.

[jman98]

i'm actually shocked that anyone would bother to "backup" (i.e. pirate, fair use copy, blah blah blah) dvd's anymore or that anyone actually still rents or buys dvd's, i would have thought that given the choice they would be going the blu-ray route.

A random sampling of TV shows that I like...
No Star Trek TV shows except the original series are available on BluRay. A few random scattered episodes may be available but no complete seasons are available. These are all by Paramount.

The Office (US version) - first 3 seasons unavailable on BD despite always being broadcast in 1080i.

The Big Bang Theory - season 1 is unavailable on BD despite always being broadcast in 1080i.

The Simpsons - seasons 1-12 are unavailable on BD but were standard def broadcasts/productions.

The first 4 seasons of Futurama are not available on BD but they were all standard def broadcasts/productions.

Many non-US films are not available in BD but if you're a typical xenophobic American you've probably seen 1 or maybe 2 foreign films in your life "and you didn't like them" so you don't care.

[hech54]

I'm not the least bit interested in Blu Ray.

[TBoneit]

Many things are not out on BluRay. I do not want to spend the money for a BluRay player and HDMI switcher and cables. So it isn't strange to me.

[bendixG15]

echo

I'm not the least bit interested in Blu Ray.

[deadrats]

Many non-US films are not available in BD but if you're a typical xenophobic American you've probably seen 1 or maybe 2 foreign films in your life "and you didn't like them" so you don't care.

LOL!!! xenophobia has nothing to do with why americans don't care about foreign films, more likely it's because, wait for it, they don't understand the language. i speak greek and english, so i watch movies in both languages but i have no intention of watching a movie where i have to read subtitles in order to follow the movie. the only exemptions are those fabulous chinese martial arts movies and this french flick called irreversible.

as for your list, like i said, given the choice i can't see anyone choosing dvd over bd, if you can't get it on bd, then dvd is understandable, though being a simpsons, futurama and office fan myself if i would rather download them via hulu plus at 720p then buy the dvd.

as for the argument that they were SD broadcast/productions:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Simpsons-Season-One-Blu-ray/dp/B000Y5FGA0/ref=sr_1_6?s=dvd&i...9798037&sr=1-6

but to each his/her own.

[guns1inger]

You are right. It isn't always xenophobia - often it is just laziness.

[sum_guy]

I guess I'm a fluke, I love foriegn films, subtitles do help me get thru many of them, but there is a lot of good stuff out there.

As to BD, I don't think I'm going to adopt it. The overall expense of it doesn't bother me, but I'm streaming video like crazy in HD and that works just fine for me. Think about it, how many BD's or DVD's do you watch on a regular basis? Maybe when the Cable/Satellite goes out?

[Chopmeister]

Blu Ray doesn't really work for me. Pricing in this country is prohibitive and the release window is terrible, so I import a good proportion of the disks I buy from the US. Most of the rest are recorded off cable on a DVD recorder. My DVD players are all multi-zone, and handle anything I throw at them. I can't find an affordable quality multi-zone blu-ray player, and the cost of Blu Ray recorders is still a bit steep. Therefore, no real incentive for me to move from DVDs.

Plus, Blu Ray strikes me as a hassle that simply isn't worth the benefit. Unlike DVD the cracking of the copy protection isn't mature (= no confidence I can reliably keep transfering disks I buy to my media players), and I see no reason to faff round with connecting a simple disk player to the internet and constant firmware updating etc. I suspect that I won't ever go Blu Ray - by the time I can buy the player I want, as well as import disks and use them the way I want, the format will probably be be obsolete and replaced with online delivery.

[yoda313]

given the choice i can't see anyone choosing dvd over bd,

For me its cost. Yes bluray is dropping in relative price to where its more economical but there are still 25.00 to 30.00 bluray releases when new. That pushes me to dvd for new releases if and when I buy new.

--edit-- fortunately they are also doing more and more bluray+dvd combo sets so that makes it more enticing and the digital copy. So the dvd lets you forgo the more laborious (on slower dual core pcs like mine) task of converting to other formats - just use the dvd included for ripping purposes that don't reguire the hd resolution.

Thankfully bds are dropping and you can get them new in package for 15.00 or lower now depending on the title and age since release.

------------------------

Regarding foreign films - I generally don't watch foreign films. Mostly ignorance. Its not that I'm against watching subtitled movies. Its just I wouldn't know what to look for.

------------------------

But I do watch some stuff with subtitles:

ANIME!

Yep guilty pleasure there......

[jman98]

LOL!!! xenophobia has nothing to do with why americans don't care about foreign films, more likely it's because, wait for it, they don't understand the language. i speak greek and english, so i watch movies in both languages but i have no intention of watching a movie where i have to read subtitles in order to follow the movie. the only exemptions are those fabulous chinese martial arts movies and this french flick called irreversible.

Yet oddly no one in the USA seems to think that reasoning applies to the rest of the world as a valid reason for not watching OUR movies.

as for the argument that they were SD broadcast/productions:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Simpsons-Season-One-Blu-ray/dp/B000Y5FGA0/ref=sr_1_6?s=dvd&i...9798037&sr=1-6

but to each his/her own.

That Amazon link is for a product that does not now exist and may not ever exist. You can just sign up to be notified IF it ever gets released. There's no promise that it will be. Amazon does this all the time. It proves nothing. And my point was not that SD broadcasts can't be put out in BD anyway. Season 13 of The Simpsons is in BD and it was only produced as a standard def show. That's why I said "Seasons 1-12" in my post.

[yoda313]

Yet oddly no one in the USA seems to think that reasoning applies to the rest of the world as a valid reason for not watching OUR movies.

Well as an American there are PLENTY of movies and tv shows I stay away from like the plague that we produce right here and I speak the language natively.

[Seeker47]

I guess I'm a fluke, I love foriegn films, subtitles do help me get thru many of them, but there is a lot of good stuff out there.

As to BD, I don't think I'm going to adopt it. The overall expense of it doesn't bother me, but I'm streaming video like crazy in HD and that works just fine for me. Think about it, how many BD's or DVD's do you watch on a regular basis? Maybe when the Cable/Satellite goes out?

I'm generally out-of-step with the majority -- for a great many things -- so I too watch a lot of foreign films. They are often far superior to ours artistically, ours being so hampered by formula and commercial considerations, as well as being hobbled by reticence, timidity, and immaturity in their handling of many subjects. (Some low budget domestic indies being the occasional exception.) Call it Art vs. Entertainment, if you like. You're just not going to see major studios here making anything like "The Secret in Their Eyes" (Argentina, 2009), or a long list of other titles I could mention. If they even tried, it would be a crappy and very dumbed-down Americanized remake. The market here is heavily tilted towards the greasy kid stuff, or films geared to adolescent-level minds of whatever age, because that's where the ticket sales (and rentals or cable views) are.

Subtitles don't bother me at all. The dubbing jobs that turn up on the foreign films shown on some cable channels are an abomination. A good example would be the version of the French film "The Class" shown on U.S. cable. Doesn't sound at all like the people onscreen in the original French language version, the dialog is clearly coming from somewhere else, and the translation completeness or accuracy is rather suspect. It's not even a good job of dubbing. No thanks -- give me decent subtitles every time.

I watch either DVD or Blu-Ray, in different rooms, on good quality players. The Blu-Ray is as slow as an old arthritic dog, and they've removed some of the best, user-friendly features that were common in good DVD players. Yes, the PQ on the Blu-Ray can be a little better, but this is not necessarily such a good trade-off. The newest tech does not always leave us in a better situation.

[Cornucopia]

Many non-US films are not available in BD but if you're a typical xenophobic American you've probably seen 1 or maybe 2 foreign films in your life "and you didn't like them" so you don't care.

LOL!!! xenophobia has nothing to do with why americans don't care about foreign films, more likely it's because, wait for it, they don't understand the language. i speak greek and english, so i watch movies in both languages but i have no intention of watching a movie where i have to read subtitles in order to follow the movie. the only exemptions are those fabulous chinese martial arts movies and this french flick called irreversible.

as for your list, like i said, given the choice i can't see anyone choosing dvd over bd, if you can't get it on bd, then dvd is understandable, though being a simpsons, futurama and office fan myself if i would rather download them via hulu plus at 720p then buy the dvd.

as for the argument that they were SD broadcast/productions:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Simpsons-Season-One-Blu-ray/dp/B000Y5FGA0/ref=sr_1_6?s=dvd&i...9798037&sr=1-6

but to each his/her own.

Aww, you guys are missing out! There is some GREAT foreign cinema out there: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Brazilian... Let me know what genres you like, and I bet I can find a number of great foreign titles to watch. It's refreshing.
So what, subtitles - it's just like if you were watching closed captioning on a muted show in a pub. Takes maybe a little bit extra mental processing power, but you can easily get used to it. Same with dubbing in English (though I prefer subtitles, so you can get the natural emotions better).


AFA Blu-Ray?
I have about 8, compared to many hundreds of DVDs. After investing that much, I'm not about to start all over right away. I pick and choose. Now, I'll usually get a combo pak so I can watch the DVD on a player in another room if the BR player or PS3 are otherwise occupied (by the kids). Plus, it's a "premium" format, DVD is often "good enough".

Sorry for getting OT, I haven't had any difficulties with any disc yet, as I keep my AnyDVD/HD and DVDFab HDDecrypter updated, and I also usually just rip the movie only so it ignores all that other crap.

Scott

[yoda313]

Let me know what genres you like, and I bet I can find a number of great foreign titles to watch. It's refreshing.

Got a database online for such a search? - is there a foreign type version of hulu for such a thing?

I have been intrigued by some Japanese dramas I've seen on youtube. Some of the more unusual ones that is.

Also I probably would prefer subtitle to dubs too. I know after being a fan of Godzilla movies some dubs can be horrible beyond belief - the early 60s ones and stuff.

[fritzi93]

Subtitles don't bother me, they're preferable to the usual dreadful English dub, especially for Chinese movies.

Ever experienced the English dub for the Chinese movie "Hero"? Man that's bad. I really liked the English subs on the Hong Kong DVD release; it was elegant, literate English as opposed to the subs on the U.S. release. (The dub was good as well, but I'd rather have the original language and subs). I find excessively informal, American English to be inappropriate in most cases, whether in the dub or the subs. What the hell is with those studio bastards? They really must have contempt for the intelligence of their audience.

Yeah, I started over with Blu-Ray, and there are many things I had on DVD that I won't bother getting on BD, even if they come available. I've had very little trouble with decrypting BD discs.

[Seeker47]

it was elegant, literate English as opposed to the subs on the U.S. release. (The dub was good as well, but I'd rather have the original language and subs). I find excessively informal, American English to be inappropriate in most cases, whether in the dub or the subs. What the hell is with those studio bastards? They really must have contempt for the intelligence of their audience.

Everything is done to a budget, and either by people who care, or people who don't. A good dub job is possible, but then you'd have to hire the right voice actors, have a good translation, time and record it right so that dialog seems to come from the individual speakers. It can be done, but rarely is. Same thing with subs. On occasion you might find a careful translation and those really nice yellow subs, instead of the pale or transparent white ones that are washed out.

[Marquitos306]

i'm actually shocked that anyone would bother to "backup" (i.e. pirate, fair use copy, blah blah blah) dvd's anymore or that anyone actually still rents or buys dvd's, i would have thought that given the choice they would be going the blu-ray route.

A random sampling of TV shows that I like...
No Star Trek TV shows except the original series are available on BluRay. A few random scattered episodes may be available but no complete seasons are available. These are all by Paramount.

The Office (US version) - first 3 seasons unavailable on BD despite always being broadcast in 1080i.

The Big Bang Theory - season 1 is unavailable on BD despite always being broadcast in 1080i.

The Simpsons - seasons 1-12 are unavailable on BD but were standard def broadcasts/productions.

The first 4 seasons of Futurama are not available on BD but they were all standard def broadcasts/productions.

Many non-US films are not available in BD but if you're a typical xenophobic American you've probably seen 1 or maybe 2 foreign films in your life "and you didn't like them" so you don't care.

Love to watch foreign films, most of my collection is foreign movies. Good acting and drama.

[ricardouk]

Plus, Blu Ray strikes me as a hassle that simply isn't worth the benefit. Unlike DVD the cracking of the copy protection isn't mature (= no confidence I can reliably keep transfering disks I buy to my media players), and I see no reason to faff round with connecting a simple disk player to the internet and constant firmware updating etc. I suspect that I won't ever go Blu Ray - by the time I can buy the player I want, as well as import disks and use them the way I want, the format will probably be be obsolete and replaced with online delivery.

+1

[rayden54]

i would have thought that given the choice they would be going the blu-ray route.

If it were as simple as picking up one disc or the other, most people probably would prefer Blu-ray-if only because they're supposed to be more scratch resistant than DVDs.

The problem is, it's not nearly that simple. Not only are the discs themselves more expensive (both blank and movies), the players themselves are nowhere near as common. As far as I know I'm the only person in my entire family with a Blu-ray player which that means that I buy a movie on Blu-ray, and want to watch it anywhere else that I not only have to carry the disc around (which is fine) I've got to drag the stinkin' player around with me too. Add in the fact that if my player dies, I'd have to shell out $70 for a new player (compared to around $20 for a new DVD player) and that until I do my discs are about as useful as a frisbee, and I'm extremely reluctant to spend money on a Blu-ray.

I'm also one of the people that is perfectly happy with SD quality video (I don't have an HDTV and I'm near-sighted either way) so I really don't need Blu-rays. I have a Blu-ray player because it came as part of my PS3.

[Marquitos306]

I guess I'm a fluke, I love foriegn films, subtitles do help me get thru many of them, but there is a lot of good stuff out there.

As to BD, I don't think I'm going to adopt it. The overall expense of it doesn't bother me, but I'm streaming video like crazy in HD and that works just fine for me. Think about it, how many BD's or DVD's do you watch on a regular basis? Maybe when the Cable/Satellite goes out?

I'm generally out-of-step with the majority -- for a great many things -- so I too watch a lot of foreign films. They are often far superior to ours artistically, ours being so hampered by formula and commercial considerations, as well as being hobbled by reticence, timidity, and immaturity in their handling of many subjects. (Some low budget domestic indies being the occasional exception.) Call it Art vs. Entertainment, if you like. You're just not going to see major studios here making anything like "The Secret in Their Eyes" (Argentina, 2009), or a long list of other titles I could mention. If they even tried, it would be a crappy and very dumbed-down Americanized remake. The market here is heavily tilted towards the greasy kid stuff, or films geared to adolescent-level minds of whatever age, because that's where the ticket sales (and rentals or cable views) are.

Subtitles don't bother me at all. The dubbing jobs that turn up on the foreign films shown on some cable channels are an abomination. A good example would be the version of the French film "The Class" shown on U.S. cable. Doesn't sound at all like the people onscreen in the original French language version, the dialog is clearly coming from somewhere else, and the translation completeness or accuracy is rather suspect. It's not even a good job of dubbing. No thanks -- give me decent subtitles every time.

I watch either DVD or Blu-Ray, in different rooms, on good quality players. The Blu-Ray is as slow as an old arthritic dog, and they've removed some of the best, user-friendly features that were common in good DVD players. Yes, the PQ on the Blu-Ray can be a little better, but this is not necessarily such a good trade-off. The newest tech does not always leave us in a better situation.

I agree with you, I love foreign films. Subtitle is not a problem, I own a big collection of those films that I been recorded from IFC, Sundance and Netflix.