Encrypting a DVD

[FT Shark]

How would I go about encrypting my homemade DVD's? Is there an authoring program that will allow this?

[bugster]

AFAIK, the only way to encrypt DVD's (and still have them play on a standalone DVD player) is to go through a proper mastering and pressing process, as well as paying a huge CSS license fee.

[SLK001]

If the DVD is homemade, then it is not possible. If you want it encrypted, pay the $25,000 per year for the CSS license, plus about $0.25 per disc to get it professionally stamped (that's for the CSS key only).

Just remember that even after you have spent all that money to "safeguard" you disc, I can crack your disc in the amount of time it takes to copy it to my hard drive.

Scenarist and DVDMaestro will allow you to create DVD's that can be encrypted. They are both extremely expensive, but you are going to spend $25,000+ just for the disc, so I imagine that money is no object for you.

What are you doing that is so important that you need it encrypted?

[andydd]

A couple of points ?.

1) Why would uou want to encrypt your disk ?

2) Why would you want to encrypt your disc with CSS when everyone knows its utterly useless and even your gran knows how to rip a DVD to her hard drive and remove CSS.

[FT Shark]

It would be for my small business. I was pretty sure of what the responses would be, but it was worth a try.

By the way the people I would be selling the videos to more than likely wouldn't have a clue or have the intiative to copy it if it was encrypted. And this is why the major producers of movies encrypt theirs.

[mkelley]

Actually, I don't think the Hollywood producers even think that straight -- they are mostly interested in detering pirates, not mom and pop. Heck, let's back that up -- prior to about a year ago most people couldn't even burn a DVD if they wanted to, since burners were prohibitively expensive.

Why commerical DVDs continue to be encrypted is probably more due to momentum than any actual conscious choice on the part of the disk producers. Indeed, I notice that more and more disks are not not even bothering with encryption.

But back to you -- since you really can't afford encryption, you should take solace in the fact that it's kind of a situation in where you can't lose. If your stuff is so valuable that people want to copy it, then you are producing material which people are buying and are therefore successful. In that case I wouldn't even worry about what small sales you might lose from those people who will copy it.

OTOH, if you aren't selling anything, no one will want to copy it and once again, you don't have to worry about it. Believe me, we went through this with our educational tapes and in the end decided against macrovision and the ilk and our sales were just fine. Were we hurt by people copying? Perhaps -- but we also made boatloads of money and I didn't mind losing some sales. I'd have minded far more if I had gone through all the trouble of putting copy protection on our stuff and then not sold any <g>.

[SLK001]

Your biggest threat is from corporations who buy only one copy, then create 100+ "backups" that they distribute within the company. To counter this, add a screen in addition to the FBI warning that offers a monetary reward (say $10,000 US) for information leading to the conviction of individuals or corporations violating the copyright/license agreements. Also add a screen that is essentially an "End User Agreement", spelling out what you will and will not allow. If they click "I Agree" then continue... if they click "I Do Not Agree", then exit.

Use disgruntled employees as your "paid" informants. Believe me, it works!