MacTheRipper 1.5.6: New Version, RCE & Region Removal

[WiseWeasel]

Try launching MTR, selecting a save location, quitting the app normally, and then launching it again. Does it still not display a save location? If not, try trashing the prefs file 'com.geezerbuttz.mtr.plist', located in your home/library/preferences folder, and then following those instructions.

[alexliz]

Just ripped a chapter out of Black Adder 3rd, Region 1, and DVD Player won't play anything. VLC plays intermittent sound and black screen for video and reports a mutlitude of

"main: decoder is leaking pictures, resetting the heap
main: decoder is leaking pictures, resetting the heap
main: decoder is leaking pictures, resetting the heap..."

Any ideas? Other DVD's seem to rip and playback alright.

PS Another funny thing is that on the computer I see subtitles on regardless of the setting for this DVD. The box though, doesn't mention subtitles, and when you watch it on a normal DVD player on TV there is no way to see the subtitles. Amazon is full of comments to this effect!?!

[WiseWeasel]

The subtitles thing is bizarre; no idea what's going on there, other than to say that DVDs are full of mystery and voodoo. The chapter playback thing is normal. You'd only extract chapters if you want to be converting them to another format or mastering your own DVD. They're not supposed to work in DVD players as they are ripped, until you import them into a DVD mastering software and make a new DVD. The other modes make playable DVD folders.

[Badwisdom]

Ive already made MTR aware of the following problems, just wondering if anyone else out there has ecnountered these, and if any solution has been found.

I own a Powrbook 12' Aluminium 1Ghz w/ Superdrive and 10.3.3 installed. The Apple DVD player is set to Region 1, with 4 modifications left.

Problem #1 :

When i insert a Region 1 DVD, i can rip it with Mac The Ripper no problem. I have also tried 0sex, yadex and DVDbackup, and all of them wotk on most of my discs. So far so good. Now i want to try to rip Region 2 DVDs, so i use 0sex and Mac the ripper which theoritically enables me to avoid authenticating the key using Apple DVD player, and thus allowing me to rip any DVD, whatever region. Well, none of them work. 0sex quits, yadex quits, and Mac The Ripper gives me a "Error reading Vob Menu file". Ive tried over 10 Region 2 DVDs. None of the protected region 2 DVDs work, with any of the rippers. However all of the Region 1s i can rip.

Funny thing is ive switched region to Region 2, and all of the Region 2 that failed previously now can be ripped. However i cant rip the Region 1 DVDs anymore.

This suggests to me that for some reason i am unable to bypass the Apple DVD player authentication, or/and that the Region settings on my Powerbook are no longer bypassable. Either way, im stuck.

Problem #2 specific to mac the Ripper

When i successfully rip a protected DVD, for some unknown reason, the files on my HD still seem protected somehow as DVDoneX refuses to open the Video_TS files. Its not the RCE as this happens also on non RCE disks. 0sex successfully removes the protection, yet MTR doesnt. Ive tried on 10 region 1s and 10 region 2s and none work. 0sex and Yadex works though. Strange... The MTR ripped files i can play with VLC, yet cant with the Apple DVD player (i get no picture and skipping sound, then full stop after 15 secs playing).. could this indicate a particular problem ?

Anyone out there with any idea on these two problems ?

Cheers
Bad

[ricephoto]

Do you have your DVD/CD preferences set to "Ignore" when inserting a movie DVD? Could be the answer to #1

[jaytbird]

Could this be a similar issue? https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=211162
It seems as if it might be.
I'll attempt to use newest version and re-rip the movies that don't work and get back to this thread.

[Badwisdom]

No, Apple DVD Player doesnt give me any error message. It actually opens the VIDEO_TS, but plays badly : no video, only skipping sound, then after 15 secs it just stops.

Upon inserting a DVD, MacOSX is set to ignore it. HOWEVER, the DVD is mounted on the desktop. Could this be the reason ? Is it because the DVD is mounted ? Is it possible to NOT mount the DVD ?

Cheers
Bad

[WiseWeasel]

No, you want to be mounting the DVD, or else MTR can't read it. Just make sure DVD Player doesn't launch and make you switch regions. That's not your problem. That error you're having seems to be rather common for PowerBook owners for some unexplainable reason. I'd say to try to locate a desktop Mac with a DVD drive, and seeing if the problem discs work there.

[Badwisdom]

That sure could explain the problems im having with the region, my #1.

Doesnt explain problem #2, why Mactheripper doesnt remove protection on any of the DVDs, while 0sex does.

Cheers
Bad

[WiseWeasel]

That's bizarre. Again, it seems to be a problem with certain powerbook drives, and doesn't happen on most Macs. What are you powerbook specs and dvd drive model number? Do you have access to another Mac with a DVD drive to test those same DVDs on?

[thoughton]

Hi,

I had a weird problem with MTR and Gattaca. I was trying to record parts of it onto VHS tape for a school project my wife is teaching but when I tried to record from my old 0sex backup the tape would flicker between black&white and colour, and every few seconds the picture and sound would be very distorted. I assumed this was macrovision in action so I tried to re-rip the original with MTR. Unfortunately I had the same problem with that rip too.

Is my problem macrovision? And is MTR failing to remove it?

(I eventually fudged round it by converting the chunks I wanted into divx).

BTW, I'm using a powerbook and 10.3.3 and MTR 1.5.5a

Cheers,

[WiseWeasel]

You know, that's a good question. I'm not positive that macrovision does get removed. We'll have to look into that. However, what you described are not the symptoms of macrovision, as I understand it. All macrovision is supposed to do is make wavy lines if you don't hook the DVD player up through a modulator. I've never heard of it making the video go to B&W. Is it always in the exact same spots? Does DVDBackup work on that DVD? Does it have the same problem? Don't they have DVD players at that school? Maybe it's time someone from the community donated them a $50 player if not.

[thoughton]

The b/w and distortion seems to occur in roughly the same spots (every 5 - 10 seconds). It happened if I played a DVD or if I played the ripped dvd folder off my HD. The playback was powerbook to VCR to TV. If the VCR wasnt recording the TV picture was fine. As soon I pressed record this stuff would start. Once I switched to playing a divx from pb - vcr - tv it recorded fine.

I havent tried DVDBackup because it stopped working for me after I upgraded to panther. I didn't try yadex, maybe I should give that a whirl.

Yeah the school has no DVD players. Don't ask me why hehe, it's quite a good school as well. I guess teachers often record stuff to show their kids so they stick with vcrs. Or they're just cheap :P

[deadsierra]

Why not rip Gattica using Handbrake? That should remove the macrovision, allow nice playback for the VCR, and because its going straight to VCR, I don't suppose you really care whether its a straight rip or a conversion to MPEG4, right?

[thoughton]

I already did that (the fudge I mentioned above). I was just wondering about the macrovision for future reference.

[deadsierra]

I already did that (the fudge I mentioned above). I was just wondering about the macrovision for future reference.

Oh, okay, I figured you meant you experimented with other files that were already in DivX. And Handbrake doesn't do DivX files, but whatever.

[thoughton]

Ok if you want to be pedantic grin I outputted an xvid, not a divx, and played that back through the VCR. I tend to refer to all the mpeg4 variants as divx, sorry :P.

Also you need the divx codec to play back handbrake avi files. That's not far off from being a divx, if you ask me!

[WiseWeasel]

OK, the next version will hopefully have Macrovision removal, along with the enabling of UOPs (user operations), so that unskippable parts of DVDs will become skippable. Geezerbuttz has also been able to rework some of the underlying software to change the CSS key recovery methods, so that MTR should hopefully work on those computers where it was having problems with DVDs from other regions than the drive (only powerbooks seem to be affected by this problem). Also, the interface has gotten some spiffy updates. Here's a teaser:

P.S. note the new eject button too, which I find quite convenient.

[thoughton]

Great news abouot macrovision and UOP! Thanks for all the god work guys

The new interface looks great too. I love the display window!

[plasticman]

ok dude - work harder! work faster! sleep?? who needs it?! Just crack out that update! Do it now!! Put down that pop tart! Get coding!


But seriously - i have a Powerbook, and now i realize where all those errors were coming from. So i can't wait!!

AWESOME app!!

[geezerbuttz]

ok dude... pay me pay me pay me pay me pay me!!!!!!!!!!1

[galactica]

ok dude... pay me pay me pay me pay me pay me!!!!!!!!!!1

strange how most people overlook the fact that someone, somewhere has to sit down and work on this!

[deadsierra]

ok dude... pay me pay me pay me pay me pay me!!!!!!!!!!1

You know, I actually would pay you, but Paypal scares the hell out of me, so I'd need to use it with a Credit Card, and the banks think I'm a risk, so they won't give me one, but luckily for me, I get student benefits next year. Gogo poor college students with CREDIT CARDS! WOO! Yes, so in addition to running up a debt that will require me to flee the country to avoid creditors, I will throw something your way, september like. Assuming MtR is still going then.

Wow, that made no sense. I wonder if I need more caffeine.

Actually, to be serious, I think most of us (by which I mean me, exclusively) have been spoiled by sourceforge people who do incredible amounts of work for no apparent gain.

[geezerbuttz]

Hey Dudes..... here is a thought, if the breaking of an encyption code is considerd illegal ( based on the MPAA argument ) maybe the Germans should drag all of us into court for the breaking of the Enigma cipher..... its a thought........ (joke......joke.....joke..)

[WiseWeasel]

You don't have to tell us about the stupidity of the DMCA... We're fully aware of its idiocy. Too bad this country is run by a bunch of corrupt thieves (as opposed to us ideological thieves :P ).

[geezerbuttz]

Hey... if its legal to crack heavy encyption code during Conflict , maybe we should all declare war on the MPAA!!!

Makes it legal!

( morejokes)

[deadsierra]

Hey... if its legal to crack heavy encyption code during Conflict , maybe we should all declare war on the MPAA!!!

Makes it legal!

( morejokes)

And it looks like Canada won't be safe from the madness much longer. Maybe I'll move to France.

[plasticman]

hehe dude - don't worry i wasn't entirely serious. You can finish that pop tart....
Then you gotta start coding 24/7

No but seriously, you guys are doing a great job, and people like me are really not forgetting that all this effort is for free.
i just got over-excited is all.
And i love that the mac finally has some of the cool stuff that Windozers have had for a long while now.

Feel the love dude!!

[alkaline]

And it looks like Canada won't be safe from the madness much longer. Maybe I'll move to France.

Huuum..; I'm affraid it will be the same in France soon

[deadsierra]

And it looks like Canada won't be safe from the madness much longer. Maybe I'll move to France.

Huuum..; I'm affraid it will be the same in France soon

How about Germany? They don't take crap from people there.