Thoughts on dvd protection systems

24 Jan 2008 8:01 (Edited: 24 Jan 2008 8:01)

Some people know I like to experiment with alternative ways to get around copy protection systems that the evil empire use to deny us fair use rights.. So something dawned on me a couple of nights ago, and since then I have been experimenting with some success.

So you have a dvd.. for instance Saw 4.. It's a pig to rip, but no more.. How about this.

As we know VLC player not only plays media files and dvd's, but can also be used as a streaming server.. hmmm.. It will play dvd films as well (as long as you have the css tools installed for playback). Try this for instance with ArcoSS protection.. # vlc dvd:/dev/dvd@1 --sout "#standard{access=file,mux=ps,dst=/home/user/file.ps}"

So why not open the player, and then play the film.. at the same time providing the output to a stream.. pick a socket (internal..not a plug on the back.. you know what I mean if you know stuff about how computers handle data). I found an empty one at 127.0.0.l:9007 which seems to normally be reserved for mplayer read ahead.

Open another instance of VLC (it must be a separate process.. not just the same one running in another window) and direct the stream player input to the location and socket where the stream is.. then hit record. The only down side is it takes as long to rip the film as watch it.... but.. if you have one of those analog to usb video dongle things capturing any video source from anywhere should be easy.

Works for me on *nix.. if anybody tries it with windows let me know how you get on.... Obviously I'm not going to go into any more specific details.. You can get in trouble for circumventing copy protections these days.

List of my blog entries

User comments

by oracle @ 24 Jan 2008 12:16

you' re reffering to analog video/audio output/input intermediate proccess that has to be performed. This leads me to a couple of questions:
1. Lost of quality
2. Frames lost
According to your suggestions the above mentioned issues are existing or I'm complete wrong?
by varnull @ 24 Jan 2008 21:51

No apparent loss of quality as every frame is streamed at full bitrate. The decode/encode is completely internal and as such suffers no degredation. You can chose the stream output format/codec.. which you can make match your preference for the final file.. leading to an "on the fly" format conversion if you so chose.

Is VLC an analog intermediate process? The streaming server included will stream each frame exactly as it stands.

No frames lost for the same reason. Haven't worked out what to do with 5.1 audio yet, but that could always be ripped from the disk easily anyway as it usually isn't encrypted.. same with subtitles.. This is still a WIP, posted for others to see and maybe tinker about with.

I can rip anything easily using other applications.. just experimenting with a different way to attack the encryption problem.
by garmoon @ 24 Jan 2008 23:34

I have a Dazzle video creator 90 that will capture analog out put from and vhs player or I assume DVD player. I've transferred vhs tapes to pcand then to dvds of video I have taken of mainly my daughter growing up. The quality of the tapes are not as good as a dvd player would output in analog. The product I got from the vhs was as good as the original and not much quality lost. Problem is like you say it has to capture in real time. I transferred a lot of my dearest LPs using line in -analog-on sound card from a great turntable and I prefer to listen to that music instead of the perfect digital junk that we have been forced to buy (cough).

One thing about Saw IV is, the very first thing I tried to do it with was AnyDVD and clone dvd. Since I do the movie only to keep best quality, I got it done the first time with unupdated software from slysoft. Since all the recent updates I've managed to do it many ways. I even managed a ImgBurn DL disc the first night with a beta from anydvd.
by varnull @ 30 Jan 2008 9:50

I don't have the option to us those windows software tools, and I wouldn't pay for them anyway when there are plenty of free open source tools which do precisely the same thing.. Even on an old twin alpha 600mhz machine the quality I managed from this method was exactly the same as the dvd. It is part of my ongoing project into "other ways rather than pay" for fair use. I don't understand how it is right to be charged for software just to gain your fair use rights out of something you have already paid for.
by ktulu14 @ 01 Feb 2008 14:35

u never cease to amaze me my dear. yet another little thing for me to search in *nix for to try and follow your lead.

Post your comment

In order to post your comments here, you need be logged in to our system. Simply follow this link in order to login and to post your comments here.


		User name	Password

		Not registered yet? Register here. Lost your password? Click here.