New "Superbit" DVD missing Macrovision

[vitualis]

The original article is from New Scientist (online news service): http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993034

A bit of trivia really. A question to anyone who has one of these: do they really look that much better than the standard version?

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Ultra-high resolution DVDs are unprotected
15:32 08 November 02
NewScientist.com news service

New ultra-high resolution DVD movies have been released in Europe without a key form of copy protection technology, New Scientist has learned.

The disks could be seen as the perfect master disk by pirates wishing to make copies of the films. And the discovery comes just as a new report reveals that six out of ten people in the UK illegally copy music and movies.

Sony's Columbia Tristar has put on sale sixteen DVDs that utilise the new Superbit process, including Men in Black and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Columbia says the process offers "the highest resolution (and) the highest standard for audio and video available on DVD".

Like other DVDs, the disks do have tough digital copy protection, meaning only hackers can duplicate them with a PC. But Macrovision, a technology that prevents people copying by simply connecting the analogue output of a DVD player to the analogue input of a recorder, has not been used.

New Scientist was able to make a copy in this way. And Columbia Tristar confirmed: "The Superbit titles do not feature Macrovision copy-protection. We are reviewing our arrangements with Macrovision."


Warning sign

Macrovision deliberately distorts the synchronisation pulses that keep pictures steady on screen, just enough to make any copy unwatchable but not enough to affect normal viewing. It costs just a few cents to add to a disk.

The new Superbit DVDs, which deliver stunning picture quality, are marked "Warning: This disc is copy protected". But this message does not please Macrovision, who believe it may lead people to think that Macrovision does not work. "We are investigating this," says a spokesman.

The Superbit process works by scrapping the "extras" on DVDs, such as interviews with the director and stars, Instead it uses all the available bit space - at least 4.7 GB - for the movie. This lets Columbia double the data rate from around 4 Mbps to 8 Mbps. All existing DVD players can cope with the higher rate.

The latest releases are in the European and Australian 625 line PAL format, which outstrips the 525 line NTSC Superbits released in the US earlier in 2002.

The new Home Copying report, from international market research company Understanding and Solutions (U&S), suggests that those who copy illegally make at least a dozen analogue copies of movie DVDs or VHS tapes every year.

Furthermore, one in four UK homes now have at least one DVD player and VHS recorder, making analogue copying easy. The only good news in the report for movie companies is that of those who try and fail to make a copy, half go out and buy one from a shop.

"That's why Macrovision video copy protection is important," says Jim Bottoms of U&S. "Yes, it can be defeated. But it slows people down and then they go out and buy".


Barry Fox

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Regards.

[bugster]

These are not the only disks release recently without macrovision. IIRC I read somewhere that Harry Potter was released without macrovision, just one of several examples. It appears the movie studios are trying to save a few cents per disk in Macrovsion licensing fees!

[vhelp]

Interesting.

virtuals,
I have what I believe to be one of the first SBIT disks to come out, cause
I'm always looking w/ a sharp eye

I'll try my The Fifth Element SBIT, which is what I got when SBIT first came out.
I wonder if it suffers this MV issue. hmmm.

In my archival process, their are two major MV issues, one is DVD-to-VHS,
which I don't use (but test anyways) and DVD-to-DV cam or VHS-to-DV
cam. Both the latter cause my CAM to shut off. Again, for archival purposes
only. As I'm not spinning my head, looking for the greatest quality matching
the DVD, when I already have the DVD!!
I remember doing the movie The Matrix straight to DV cam miniDV tape, and
I must say, that the quality was not only virtually a dup of the DVD, but also
the miniDV-to-SVCD/VCD was virtually a dup (same process as a rip to SVCD/VCD)
and that movie did present MV issues w/ my DV cam either, though most VHS do!
hmmm, I'll have to try a battery of tests today.

Anyways, I will look into this issue, cause ta tell you the truth, I can't really
remember MV issues w/ my SBIT disks.

-vhelp

[snowmoon]

S-Bit and MV are contrary to each other, so it makes alot of sense.

People that buy SB titles are going to be theater buffs who are the ones most affected by MV and least likley to copy the title ( esp to analog, ugh ). Since MV licencing costs money the bean counter decided that it's money better saved and used somewhere else.

[vhelp]

Sorry for the late post on this topic. I had other projects going. Anyways.

My SBIT test disk.
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Unfortunately, my SBIT of The Fifth Element did not pass your MV
topic. Although I did not try and record my SBIT to VHS, I did a test run
through my DV cam, and it did activate my Canon's MV circuitry and yes,
it did shut off my DV CAM. So much for your MV their. But, maybe its
limited to certain SBIT's or maybe newer ones or whatever.
I got that SBIT dvd of Fifth Element about a year ago I think. So, factor
that in.

However, nothing gets over my TBC-100 though. My SBIT test disk passed
right through to my DV cam w/out ANY issues what-so-ever. Not that I
would ever have a need to DVD-to-DV cam, mind you.

If you want 100% results, the TBC-100 is the device you need!!

Maybe it's limited to certain disks.
-vhelp