Weird (new?) copy protection...

[Baba]

Something to share:

When I was backing up two German DVDs (children's Augsburger Puppenstube) I recently had some major problems: the DVDs played just fine but could not be ripped by ANY program although unencrypted. A closer inspection showed a clear ring on the DVDs just like I've seen on some gameing CD-ROMs and/or audio CDs. The actual content of title 1 started at chapter 2. Chapter 1 was skipped during normal playback but of course not during copying.

Solution: I copied the individual chapters and re-authored the DVDs using Sizzle (original data was <4GB). They work fine now.

Anyway, it was a (major) hassle. Up until now I have always successfully used MTR/0sex > DVD2OneX > Toast. I guess this kind of copy protection can only be used on single layer disks. Hopefully.

[WiseWeasel]

Well that's a bitch. Thanks for sharing the info and solution. We'll have to keep our eyes open for this new development. I must say it's a pretty weak attempt, though requiring remastering does slow the process down a bit, so I guess less people will bother. If they do figure out a way to do it on a dual-layered DVD, you can always try to find which chapter needs to be skipped on the second layer, and not rip that one either. Then, once you master a new DVD, you could use DVD2OneX on the output to shrink it down to DVD-R size.

[Baba]

Using DVD2OneX after re-authoring would probably work. It's just an extra step that is needed and which - of course - takes time and quite a lot of user intervention. Well, maybe I'm just too lazy...

[AntnyMD]

If it was unencrypted and 4.4gb or less, wouldnt Finder handle this without a problem with a simple drag-and-drop?

[Baba]

Finder copying didn't work due to the mentioned "ring". Imagine this ring as a blank part of the DVD w/o data. When trying to read parts of it, the drive will make all kinds of funny noises and bail out. You need to skip over it, in order to read the rest. Physically it's part of the first VOB of title 1. Hence, just reading the whole VOB will not work. As said above, the protection is not too hard to overcome - you just need to remember that something like it exists.

[AntnyMD]

Did this disc play in Apple DVD Player?

[pixeljammedia]

If it mounted on the desktop could you have made a diskcopy or a Toast image?

I know the last time I had a ring around my Puppenstube I had to get it checked... ;P

[Baba]

Yes, it did play in Apple DVD Player.

No, I could not simply make an image or do a simple file copy.

[JoachimS]

Also got a title from Augsburger Puppenkiste: Gut gebrüllt, Löwe (Well roared, Lion).

It took a long time for MacTheRipper 2.6.3 to extract the DVD (Full Disc ARccOS Mode). Lots of Read Errors due to that fine little ring.

And it is a DVD9! Now they can do it on DL DVDs.

DVD2One is currently compressing the DVD, not just the main feature.

Interesting details:
Playing a VOB of the main feature (VLC) shows a test screen with color bars for a few minutes, then black before the main feature starts. They must be doing a lot of cell skipping.

Cheers,

JoachimS

[Mark V]

I think it was Sega Dreamcast that used that type of disc that was seperated with a ring on the writing surface.

Mark V

[geezerbuttz]

Joachim.. can you get send to me the disc that you have to study ?

I need to see how the IFO's are effected by this ring of bad cells...

It should be quite easy to overcome this protection with some new ideas i have...

Im working on pre-emptive bad sector detection... to speed up the ripping proc.

[BernieR]

I know the last time I had a ring around my Puppenstube I had to get it checked... ;P

What did the Doc recommend? Did it involve gerbils?

Bernie

[Regal]

If you have a PC laying around, try useing ANYdvd to read the ARccOS, and then SHRINK the sob to a desktop folder, then burn away. That ANYdvd basically reads the disk and makes it region free like a home dvd player would that is also region free. I do have 2 older german movies that I did back up fine just w/ MTR / dvd2one and Toast'ed it just fine. But try this solution and post back to see if the PC steps I gave you cured that issue you are having.

-Yes I know, I would also love to make all my backups on my Mac, but sometimes I have to pop out the old PC Laptop w/ Shrink, anydvd and Nero to get the job done