can you edit the header of an mpg file

[lmwashere]

I own a small home automation company and one of the requests I have received from customers is to convert dvds to a format that they can easily stream with windows media center. The best way that I have found to do this is to convert it to an mpg. I talked to my lawyers and they said that the way to avoid liability was to have them sign a form stating that they will not pirate the movies and to formulate a way to track them. I figure the best way to do that is to put the customer's name in the header where if it is opened in a editing program, the name will appear. Is there a way to do that?

Thanks in advance,
Josh

[Bjs]

Welcome lmwashere

Yes, it is possible using a hex editor.

Almost anything, however the string itself would need to be encoded so as not to be identified by someone snooping about using the same app.

Example, open mpeg in hxd hx editor and go to end of the data , you'll notice a reasonable area which is nothing but ......... add your name or something similar ... not towards the very end of the files data, and save file ... remember to always work with a copy when you practice such things.

Now play it ... works fine ... but only by viewing it in hex mode will that identity show ... and if its encrypted string, only you can identify who it belongs to

Not certain on what constitutes "format shifting" in the us but as a business that will be providing the service to clients you should double check and make sure it's legal to do so

[usually_quiet]

Most people who convert video to other formats professionally won't touch commecial VHS tapes or discs, unless the customer owns the rights to them. There must be a reason. Talk to a lawyer that specialized in copyright law before committing to this.

[AlanHK]

You making a copy of the DVD for someone else is probably not kosher.
A few years ago a company that edited DVDs for families to cut out the naughty bits of movies and gave them back the original and the edited version got into trouble. For one thing cracking DVD encryption is easy technically, but it's a violation of the DMCA.

However, if you make an application that the customer himself runs, then it's him making a backup, which the RIAA will not endorse, but is in a much greyer, and safer, area.

I don't see what difference putting a code in the MPEG makes. You've made a copy, strictly illegally. Tracking it doesn't make it any less illegal.

Anyone who was interested in pirating would not be asking for your help to do such a trivial thing. But sure, ask them to sign a pledge and file it away.

[jagabo]

Steer your customers toward DVD Fab and VOB2MPG. Then wash your hands of it.

[lmwashere]

I agree, steering them towards an app and washing my hands of it would be MUCH better. I can't really make money on the dvd conversion anyway because of the processor time involved versus the willingness of customers to pay.

The problem is that some people are technically challenged and if I were to try and explain to them how to select tracks to convert I am afraid that their heads would explode. That type of incident is hard on a wardrobe because if you don't get the stains treated just right away, they are in there forever. It did take me 10 minutes on the phone to walk a man through resetting his home page in IE8 today. Not that I don't love them, they put food on my table, its just that things need to be simple, otherwise my phone blows up.

I will certainly give those two apps a try, I have not used them before. I am hoping that they are easy, that would be amazing.

Thanks for the post on the hex editor, I tried to use textpad but I got a memory full error. I need to try a hex editor though. Is there a need to comment it out or will it just be passed over by the player application? I could for example use a customer number which would be obvious to me but useless to anyone who doesn't have access to my database.

Thanks!!
Josh

[lordsmurf]

Then let their heads explode.
They can put a DVD into a DVD player like all the other people not quite skilled enough to master advanced video conversion.

You can't make the whole world dummy-friendly and lazy-friendly.

[aedipuss]

if they were my lawyers i'd fire them immediately for being ignorant morons. you remove the protection from a dvd, sell the results for a profit and get caught, you go to jail. there are no loopholes.

[lmwashere]

Steer your customers toward DVD Fab and VOB2MPG. Then wash your hands of it.

Excellent recommendation with vob2mpg. That is easy enough to write a short walk through and send it along. Not too much guesswork. Thanks!

[Cornucopia]

Instead of a Raw HexEditor, try Restream. If you've got elementary video streams (.m2v), you can just add custom user data in the "Custom User Data" section of MPEG2 streams that is specifically reserved for such info. See the pic below:




Of course, you'll have to demux an MPG to get an M2V, and once the modified copy is made, you'd have to Mux it with the demuxed audio, but you might be able to write a script to do all that...

Scott