how can i add copy right protection to dvd-r's???

[jayc021]

i tried to search all the forums on this but no luck. i know this isn't something everyone wants to do to their dvd movies, but i am trying to find out how can i add protection to my dvd-r movies for no one to copy to another dvd burner or to vcr's. i know it sounds wrong to do but since i provide the service to turn home movies or anything the person want onto dvd, i dont want them goin to some place or someone else and make copies of it. is there any way of doing this??? a patch on to the iso??? or software that can do it???

[drewson99]

I did a lot of discussion on this, to no real avail. the best way would probrably be to author a master, then have a house burn a new master with some sort of protection added.

"macrovision" is a brand name merchandise which needs to be "rented" so it is not practical for a home user to do.

[MOVIEGEEK]

You could add a "watermark" to your video using video overlay.It won't "copy-protect" but it is annoying to look at and a person might think twice before copying.

[jayc021]

i use the panasonic DMR-E30 to make my masters, so once i do that i would have to decode the movie onto my pc...then add the watermark to it? then re-encode it right?

[SLK001]

Macrovision is just a "bit" setting on the DVD. To legally use it, you must pay a license fee. CSS is something that has to be done at mastering, and it also has a licensing fee (and, as you know, is easily defeated).

In short, there is no effective copy-protection scheme that works. So how do you protect your work? Be fair to your customers. If they believe that you are "ripping them off", then they won't bat an eye at returning the favor to you, and "rip you off". By fair, I mean price your efforts fairly. Charge what you must for the first copy, but only charge a small fee ($5 ??) for each additional copy - enough to cover your expenses and time, but reasonable enough to make additional copies a viable option to your customer at the time of purchase of the first copy.

Some people will always try to save that $5. Most will not. You have just got to learn to live with this fact.

[drewson99]

I was paraphrasing to avoid all the typing you did SLK001.

thanks for fleshing it out.

[dilligaf]

You're spot-on SLK001, good after sales service & supply would be the best protection. Also keeping any original cover artwork on disc for those extra copies, will look better than scanned originals.

[ackovski]

if the videos and all the authoring are your creation i would suggest you setting a small commercial video as "first play" of your authored DVD...
that would be the best way to "tell" the people that will watch that DVD WHO that DVD belongs to...
there is no way someone can play that DVD without watching the commercial at the start of it, when you insert the DVD in a standalone player the commercial has an autoplay and all the buttons are disabled until the commercial is finished, then you set the end of it to jump to the "main menu"...
i dont think u can find a better solution... not for "cloning" the DVDs as i know so far, no protection for that

[MOVIEGEEK]

i use the panasonic DMR-E30 to make my masters, so once i do that i would have to decode the movie onto my pc...then add the watermark to it? then re-encode it right?

Yes.I only have experience using Ulead VS6 and it does a nice job of adding a still photo watermark anywhere on the screen with lots of effects.

[SLK001]

But who's going to pay to have you convert their stuff to DVDs with any form of watermark? (A "watermark" is text or image superimposed over the existing video.) If you told me that you were going to add this to my videos, I would insist that you not add it - or I would take my business elsewhere.



Look at this picture in the upper left corner. That is a watermark.

[Nolonemo]

Some high-end authoring programs like DVD Maestro will allow you to set the Macrovison bit, which could prevent someone from copying the disk to tape.