[PLUG] Copy protection question...

C W elcaseti at gmail.com
Wed Aug 31 07:45:48 UTC 2011


While I don't have an answer to the technical part of your question, I
applaud your viewpoint on DRM.  DRM is a scourge on this planet &
needs to be fought.  Apple is one of the worst offenders when it comes
to Digital Resrictions Management, with many other companies close
behind.

Protect your digital freedom and privacy, eliminate DRM, learn more at
http://www.defectivebydesign.org/what_is_drm

Cheers,
Elcaset


On 8/30/11, Michael C. Robinson <plug_1 at robinson-west.com> wrote:
> Does anyone know what kind of copy protection is employed by a VHS copy
> of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 25th Anniversary Edition?  The GREX
> can't handle it whatever it is.  Another movie giving me trouble is Star
> Trek First Contact.  For another example of a problematic movie, there
> is Alice in Wonderland, the animated one by Disney.
>
> Considering I have a right to play these tapes privately as many times
> as I want on as many VCRs as I want, it stands to reason that I should
> be allowed to copy them to a personal DVD or to a personal computer.  As
> long as I don't give away or sell the copies, these are just backups in
> more convenient formats.  Though I am trying to save space, I am keeping
> the original VHS tapes for proof of purchase.  A computer with a large
> hard drive is easier to work with than a pile of DVDs or a pile of VHS
> tapes, so there is a convenience issue as well as a space issue.  VCRs
> are going away, so there is an issue of losing access to this media
> entirely if something isn't done.
>
> Is there any way to hook a VCR up to a Linux system directly to get
> around copy protection schemes that the GREX doesn't handle?
> Macrovision isn't the only scheme in widespread use.
>
> I think the VHS DVD combo recorder that I have, which I am feeding video
> to via component jacks, GREX in the feed, from an external VCR, is
> getting anti copy codes from some tapes.  This suggests a scheme(s) that
> the GREX is not designed to handle.  I need to know whether the
> undefeated scheme(s) are video or audio schemes.  I also need to know if
> there are reasonably priced hardware devices that defeat them.  Barring
> a hardware solution, is there a Linux compatible software solution?
>
> Out of about 100 tapes, I have maybe 10 that didn't copy.  Is there any
> way to fight industry use of anti copying technology?  One of the
> reasons to stay away from Windows 7, digital restrictions management.  I
> have heard horror stories of people not being allowed to access their
> own personal movies.  The industry by and large has the computers
> belonging to most people wasting CPU cycles to determine whether or not
> they should be permitted to view a particular media source.  This in my
> opinion is not what most people buy a computer for.  If more people knew
> what Windows 7 is doing and they knew about Linux which is DRM free, I
> bet there would be more Linux users.
>
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>


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Protect your digital freedom and privacy, eliminate DRM, learn more at
http://www.defectivebydesign.org/what_is_drm



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