Re:How RipGuard probably works... (Score 1)

Just my two cents. I'd say off the top of my head that a good place to start is the difference in specifications between a consumer DVD reader and a consumer DVD recorder. Their standard approach used to be to identify where the consumer readers were more robust than the hardware that is used to write the media, and then exploit those differences.

For instance, say, for the sake of argument if a TV used for playback was more forgiving of a key portion of the signal that has been made artificially weaker than required by the recording side of a consumer VHS deck, the tape would theoretically play back, but the signal would be garbled when recorded. Assuming of course, your TV could handle the weaker signal.

This approach has been used to exploit the differences in the specifications between an audio CD player in a music deck, and the CDROM drive in a computer. Trouble is, music manufacturers started using parts built for computers because they were cheaper, and voila, the music deck is hosed.

After all, Macrovision is not in the business of preventing copying. They're in the business of selling copy-restriction technology to **AA fatheads who think they will improve their sales by crippling their products.

Absolutely. If they made the perfect copy protections scheme, they'd have to look for something else to do.

FWIW, the only thing more annoying than dealing with Macrovision's products is working for them. Believe me, I know. (It wasn't by choice, my company was aquired. And gutted.) Oh, and it's also annoying when your friends find out you work for MV, and start complaing about copy protection.