DRM Group Set To Phase Out "Analog Hole" 417
eldavojohn writes "In yet another bid to make your life a little more annoying, our DRM overlords at the AACS Licensing Authority have released a new AACS Adopter Agreement. The riveting, 188-page PDF will inform you that — in the name of Digital Rights Management — there will be new limitations set on devices that decrypt Blu-Ray discs. HDMI already has the awesome encryption of HDCP between the device and the display unit. But Blu-Ray still has the Achilles heel of analog players that allow someone to merely re-encode the analog signal back to an unencrypted digital format. So if you have an analog HDTV, hang on to those analog decoders and hope they never break; by 2013 you won't be able to buy a new one. Ars points out the inherent stupidity in this charade: 'Particularly puzzling is the fact that plugging the so-called "analog hole" won't stop direct digital ripping, enabled by software such as AnyDVD HD. And even the MPAA itself recommends using a camcorder pointed at a TV as a way to make fair use copies, creating another analog hole.' And so the cat and mouse game continues. On that subject, DVD Jon's legit company just brought out a billboard ad for his product doubleTwist next to Apple's San Fransisco store. It reads, 'The Cure for iPhone Envy. Your iTunes library on any device. In seconds.' So while he's busy taunting Apple, I'm certain there are others who might have some free time to look at Blu-Ray and the 'uncrackable' AACS."
Not-so-awesome encryption (Score:5, Informative)
HDMI already has the awesome encryption of HDCP between the device and the display unit
As usual, an encryption system that (likely) cost millions to develop, can be defeated with a simple device.
http://www.hdfury.com/ [hdfury.com]
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company in any way; this is not an endorsement, only a link to a potentially useful resource.
Maybe You Should Read the Article (Score:3, Informative)
Umm, that ad for DoubleTwist was pulled down a week ago:
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2009/06/vdouble_twists_ad_ripped_down_by_bart_before_wwdc_too_dark_really.html
Seriously, Slashdot is becoming great lately for re-reading old news that I read on other tech sites days earlier.
Yeah, I realize this but if you read the Wired article that I linked:
Johansen wanted the ad displayed Monday, the first day of the Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. That's when the Cupertino, California-based company unveiled a host of new products and prices. But it was taken down, Johansen said, because he was told the ad did not allow enough light through the subway station window.
The entrepreneur said he submitted the same ad to Titan Worldwide with a white background instead of a black one. He said Titan rejected that one, too.
Finally, the ad with a transparent background was approved and displayed Wednesday afternoon, Johansen said. Pending another brouhaha, the ad will remain there for months, he said.
I may have been this-side-up blitzed last night when I submitted this and I may have no recollection of submitting it but that ad is still on display!
... Sweet Spaghetti Monster my head hurts.
Funny how it is you who are the one that is out of date
Re:Not-so-awesome encryption (Score:3, Informative)
For varying levels of "defeated" at least. That's just an HDMI to VGA converter, apparently one that has a valid HDCP handshake, but none the less one that's ultimately only useful for taking advantage of the analog hole. A HDMI->HDMI/DVI HDCP stripper would be far more useful, and much more impressive. Who even has a RGB input on their TV these days?
Re:BluRay? (Score:4, Informative)
"When they wise up and replace LCD/plasma with viable technology,"
The screen technology isn't the issue - its all the digital decoding that goes in inside the TV. The days of LCD screens having noticable lag are long gone though I'll admit they're still not as good as the best CRT. However , LED screens will be along in (hopefully) 5 or so years and it will leave LCD and plasma as a footnote in the techno history books as its way better than either picture wise plus it uses less power.
Re:Not-so-awesome encryption (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Not-so-awesome encryption (Score:4, Informative)
Um, anyone with an HDTV has an RGB input. They call it component video, and it's been available on every HDTV ever shipped, and some newer SDTVs. HDMI and DVI are quite new in comparison. The HDFury claims to be able to take HDMI/HDCP and output component 1080p. That's a damn handy device when paired with older non-HDCP displays and things like the HD-PVR that can record component and output h264 digital streams.
Irritating as hell that one would have to spend a couple hundred on something like that when we have perfectly capable component video inputs and outputs though.
Re:DRM Protection on Disks (Score:2, Informative)
DVD player brand new.
DVD disk set brand new.
DVD disk set #1 returned with nic's.
DVD disk set #2 couldn't be returned cause I waited too long.
Error with nicking only happens on DVD disk #1.
You could watch a beer box full of stargate, atlantis, pirates of the caribean, deadwood v1,2,3, Miami Vice many volumes, 300, Highlander, basically about 4 boxes of shit work just fine, then put that disk #1 from Hamlet in and click click click, nick nick nick. On load...
And you blame this on a brand new DVD player?
It's not the hardware, It's the software on DISK #1 Hamlet. (Which cost over $20 at the time)
I know the difference between a hardware and a software problem.
It's the disk, not the hardware.
Re:DRM (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Blu-Ray vs. Online Content (Score:3, Informative)
Re:DRM (Score:5, Informative)
I think you mean "downgrade". But don't worry, if you get the pirated version, it won't have this restriction (and you will be able to start the feature immediately, without all the unskippable warnings, advertisements, and menu animations).
Re:HDCP Contact Lenses - Mandatory (Score:3, Informative)
Why is HD TV being foisted on us?
HDTV and digital broadcasting are unrelated.
Re:BluRay? (Score:2, Informative)
I've heard similar horror stories about other stand-alone BluRay players.
If you're interested in playing back BluRay content, get a Sony PlayStation 3. It's one of the very best players around, and since it has a full blown network enabled OS on it, it can get updates as easily as any other operating system.
I hate DRM, I love Linux, I've developed open source software. BluRay definitely has some problems. However, it is the single best quality format for consumer video playback to date. I have a Samsung 46" 1080p HDTV, and I can tell you that BluRay playback looks noticeably better than any DVD or satellite broadcast.
Re:Blu-Ray vs. Online Content (Score:2, Informative)
Re:BluRay? (Score:4, Informative)
Don't forget, While Dvds will look ok at 720 vs 1080, Dvds themselves are 480, while bluray is 1080. Even on a 720, a bluray should be considerably better than a dvd.
Re:Not-so-awesome encryption (Score:1, Informative)
Most of the TVs I've seen labeled component are referring to YPrPb component, not RGB. If they have RGB they label it as RGB, VGA, or something else like that.
YPrPb has Y as the luminance and sync. Pr carries Red-Y. Pb carries Blue-Y. (Green is obtained from the YPrPb signals).
RGB = Red, Green, Blue.
I have a Component->RGB colorspace converter ($75, plans I've seen are some op-amps and other basic analog electronics) so I can use an old RGB monitor for watching component things. (It's 4:3, 27" and handles RGB signals w/ horizontal from 15-45 KHz, so 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i are usable. Also has composite and S-Video and can flip between NTSC and PAL. Cost about $1/pound ($150, I'm recovering surplus sale addict)).
Now I'm pretty sure I've seen some machines and TVs that can do YPrPb over the HD-15 (what I see refereed to as VGA plug), but on the one TVs I've seen that do that you have to tell them which colorspace to use. Not every TV I've seen will allow YPrPb over the VGA plug however. On the other end, I know I've seen cables (no electronics, just wire to a plug) that split a VGA plug out to YPrPb, but that would require the video card itself to output a YPrPb signal.
Re:BluRay? (Score:3, Informative)
Please stop spewing this blatant misinformation. Those TVs are LED backlit LCDs. The pixels don't generate any light, they only block light. Samsung does *not* make any LED TVs as far as I know, it's all marketing lies. They should get sued for it.
Re:BluRay? (Score:3, Informative)
I've had a better experience. I bought a PS3, which is the best Blu-Ray player out there. It plays perfectly with none of the glitches you described, and if there are any future firmware updates needed, it will be the first to get them. I also play games, so I get a lot of value from it.
I don't buy movies anymore, since I realized how rarely I re-watch movies. I also don't get cable. I have a Netflix subscription with Blu-Ray, which provides me with all the movies I could want. I really prefer watching TV shows on disc, where I don't have to worry about commercials and scheduling.
I can watch anything in hi def, I'm paying a low amount per month, and if I want to switch to a different technology in the future, it won't be painful. It's hard to beat that.
Re:DRM (Score:3, Informative)
The only feature I miss in the Bay is an option to directly send money to the artist(s).
Yeah, that would be nice. However, because you don't have that option, you /are/ paying for the original product before downloading in this super-convenient format, right? Because you think that you should be paying for products and services you enjoy? I'm sure that's what that vast majority of bay users do, wouldn't you say?
Um, guys? Where'd you go? Guys?
Seriously. If the answer to that question is no, convenience of format is just as much an excuse to take what you want as "information wants to be free".
Cue flamebait mods. I can take it.
Re:BluRay? (Score:2, Informative)
Most of the movies in my collection were never filmed in high definition, so the quality improvements in switching to Blu-ray would be minimal.
They were filmed in.... film, typically 35mm. 35mm is generally considered to be equivalent to 10-20MP depending on quality and age, with an upper limit somewhere around 25MP. Even after being clipped, cropped, spliced, edited, and composited with multiple layers and digital effects, a proper remaster should still be able to achieve at least 1920x800 (~1.5MP).
The only reason your collection wouldn't be able to be brought up to spec is because its full of low budget B movies, or you have a bunch of old movies that have degraded or been lost.
Re:DVD's and blu-ray with digital copies (Score:4, Informative)
"Now available on DVD and blu-ray disc. Digital copy included"
This means there's a second disc containing an AVI, yes.
That AVI is DRM-protected, such that you need special plugins for WMP or iTunes (or a handful of other media applications) to be able to open them, which needs to be authenticated against an internet server every time you want to watch or transfer the copy.
My guess is so that they can say "Look, we gave you the video in a digital format, and still you download it for your iPod, all your claims are now null, and we own your soul"
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Not-so-awesome encryption (Score:3, Informative)
Each device has its own secret key, which is 40 numbers long, that the device isn't supposed to reveal to any other device. In addition each device gets an addition rule, which basically says "Add the numbers at positions x and y of your private key together and give me the result". This addition rule is public, all you need to do to acquire it is try to start a HDCP handshake with the device in question. So device A wants to complete a handshake with device B, both B and A send each other their addition rules, carry out the addition on the specified numbers and send each other the result. Through some mathematical voodoo (thanks to the ultra secret "Master key") the result will always match if both devices are legitimate.
As it turns out it's pretty easy to guess a device's secret key by using at least 40 other devices. All you need is the addition rule of the device to be broken, which is publicly available. You then apply the addition rule to each of the 40 other devices and store every result. When you're done you're left with 40 algebraic equations, like x1 + x4 = 23, x7+x12 = 65 etc. From here you can use some algebraic voodoo to reconstruct the target's private key, which you then spoof to authenticate any HDCP session to any device (until that key is revoked).
But it's worse than that. Turns out it's also possible to figure out the master key (a 40x40 matrix of 56 bit numbers) used to create all the private keys once you uncover at least 40 private keys. It's not easy, but it can be done, and since the whole system relies on the secrecy of this matrix once it's released to the public HDCP will be useless. This break was discussed here on
Re:Not-so-awesome encryption (Score:4, Informative)
Component is not RGB in spite of the color scheme they have chosen for the connectors. It is split as luma (brightness) and two chroma channels where the third color channel is derived from subtracting the two sent from the brightness. RGB explicitly sends a red, green, and blue color signal, with sync sent either separately or muxed into green.
Re:DRM (Score:3, Informative)
Maybe it is different in the US than here, but I'm not sure why you expect rights like format-shifting and time-shifting - who granted those rights to you?
I'm in the US and I can tell you EXACTLY who recognized the existence of those rights: The Supreme Court of the United States
Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. 464 U.S. 417 (1984) [wikipedia.org]
Re:BluRay? (Score:3, Informative)
A note to people considering this route:
As far as I have seen, the media cartel pulled a fast one with upscaled DVD. While a good idea in theory, all the DVD players except for the boutique stuff requires using HDMI for HD resolutions (even though the component connection is capable of 720p/1080i), and will not work without an HDCP-compliant display.
There are players out there that will send the upscaled signal down DVI (unHDCP'd) and component, but everything I have seen at big box retailers just forces HDCP on people. Caveat emptor.