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[Fixer]

I bought a copy of Joe Bonamassa / A New Day Yesterday Live and I can't rip it using my cd burner or my dvd/cd burner.  I've had two copies already and the store gave me a hard time exchanging it, so I doubt they will give me a refund.

What is the current state of getting around this copy protection?  Any suggestions?  This really pisses me off, I buy what I rip for MC playback, and this cd is useless to me.

[KingSparta]

What is the current state of getting around this copy protection?  Any suggestions?

This May Be A Verboten Subject

[Krazykanuck]

Try here.
http://club.cdfreaks.com/

I didn't check on your specific issue but have found answersrs to similar issues there in the past.
I know it's a sensitive subject on this board. Hopefully sending you somewhere where you might get the answer isn't.

[Matthew]

Not sure if I should mention this, but some CDs have autorun programs enabled on them that sliently install a new device driver that intercepts the CD auto when ripping software is used. 

You may want to look in your device manager for any drivers that don't belong there. The Velvet Revolver cd does this as well, and so it's just one more reason to disable the autorun feature in Windows.

[Fixer]

Thanks for the suggestions.

All we can do as consumers is boycott artists and companies that release copy protected albums.  Media Center exists to play ripped music tracks, copy protections make Media Center almost worthless.  There will always be a way around copy protection.

[Matthew]

If your desperate, you can always copy from analog go to Tools>>Advanced tools>>Record Sound and connect your stereo/Audio CD player to your computer and away you go.

[Mastiff]

Analog? You mean you have a cd player without a digital output or a sound card without a digital input? Even built in sound cards on motherboards have digital inputs these days.

[Matthew]

There is a program that can copy Audio CDs and at the same time removes the copy protection from it.  Its called: "Audio X Copy" from 321 studios.  Your lucky if you can find a trial for it. Do a search for this program.
I can not post the download link.

[Robert Taylor]

You can get a piece of software called AnyDVD, which is some sort of psuedo device layer. It intercepts calls to DVDs and CDs, and removes CCS region protection etc. It also strips out most Audio CD copy protection schemes.

It works with any software...

Have a squizz via google...

[EpF]

Can ISO Buster extract from copy-protected CD's?  I have it, but no such CD's...

http://www.IsoBuster.com

[Matthew]

This is on Macrovision's Website:

CDS-300 offers nearly 100% effectiveness against ripping. Our updated Active Software, combined with hardware-based protection, provides greatly improved effectiveness, blocking all the top rippers (such as Nero, ISObuster, CDex, Media Jukebox/Center, Clone CD, WinOnCD etc.). It is also shift-key resistant, maintaining 100% effectiveness against all Jukebox rippers.

CDS protection is Microsoft certified and has undergone rigorous testing on over 500 drive and OS combinations in our state of the art Quality Assurance Labs which has been independently verified by three external test houses.

[Krazykanuck]

As fast as they dream up the protection schemes they are solved.

http://www3.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12488662~mode=flat

[KingSparta]

There is a program that can copy Audio CDs and at the same time removes the copy protection from it.  Its called: "Audio X Copy" from 321 studios.  Your lucky if you can find a trial for it. Do a search for this program.
I can not post the download link.

they did make it, they no longer do

Thank you for visiting 321 Studios. 321 Studios regrets to inform you that it has ceased business operations including, but not limited to, the sale, support and promotion of our products. Despite 321 Studios’ best efforts to remain in business, injunctions entered against 321 Studios by three US Federal courts earlier this year have resulted in 321 Studios no longer being able to continue operating the business.

The employees and those associated with 321 Studios sincerely appreciate your support of our company and products over the last couple of years.

Sincerely,

321 Studios Team

http://www.321studios.com/

[Matthew]

yeah I know they shutdown due to piracy.

[Krazykanuck]

They shutdown because they couldn't afford to fight the MPAA.

I used their products because I have three kids and after haveing a few DVD's rendered unplayable the ability to create a backup and let the kids use that instead was a godsend.
Now accoding to the MPAA, and the RIAA in the case of music, I only bought the media and the license to listen or watch as long as the media was still usable. Damaged media means I no longer have the right to listen to the music or watch the movie.
Now somebody may say that I am not right but I beleive that if I have a computer at home with a particular song on it and I don't have the original CD or can prove where I downloaded it from legally then I could be in trouble. Now you may ask what happened to the CD but have you ever seen what can happen to a CD if left on the dash of a car on a hot summer day. I suppose I could keep the damaged CD and case somewhere.

Anyways sorry for my rant but I use software to create backup CD's and DVD's and it bothers me when I here the pirate excuse.
I'm not saying that piracy isn't an issue but I don't believe it is an issue on the scale that they would like you to bevieve it is.

[Madcow]

Setting my drive to Single Session mode has enabled me to copy 100% of my protected CDs.  The Plextor utility that came with my drive has this feature; maybe there's a third-party tool that'll do the same.

[risingdamp]

So the macrovision protection relies on a hidden DRM component being installed during autorun and disabling autorun is therefore the solution.  But what if this hidden component has already been installed?  How can you detect and uninstall it?  People have mentioned looking in Device Manager for unusual items that you don't recognice.  Is that where the DRM component will be?  Unfortunately most of the stuff in device manager looks unusual to me!

[GHammer]

Damaged media means I no longer have the right to listen to the music or watch the movie.
Now you may ask what happened to the CD but have you ever seen what can happen to a CD if left on the dash of a car on a hot summer day. I suppose I could keep the damaged CD and case somewhere.

I sympathize with the consumers on this issue.

However, the "My dog ate my homework" rational is weak.
If I have any other product and break it I go buy a replacement.

To me, it is a simple matter of the industry has gotten a fine environment to push their agenda. Radio is ok, though I can (and have) record songs off the air. They fought the VCR and lost, but that was before nearly every politician turned into full time fund raisers. Cassette tapes were ok quality and they didn't like those either. Thing was, there was no 'easy' way to defeat copying onto a cassette and the goverment was not in the mood to outlaw them.

The US goverment is not going to turn a deaf ear to those who give millions to their election campaigns. And, the entertainment industry has one of the last products that is exported. Well besides the Treasury bonds that finance the deficit.

The 'broadcast flag' will go live later this year. All new hardware has to honor it. You know, no recording, etc. The same fine capabilities will be brought to the BIOS in your system soon enough.

Meantime, enjoy being able to create an entertainment library that suits your ears and eyes. Not the wishes of doddering old men in an executive suite somewhere.

Yes, yes, I've seen the "I live outside the US I don't have to worry." posts. Funny how the US gets other countries to enforce things.

Canada used to have an industry built on pirating satellite signals. It was upheld over and over by the Canadian courts. It fell to pressure.

I see that UK ISPs now have to turn over subscriber info to the entertainment industry so they can sue pirates.

The list of countries that enforce US policy is a long one. If there were a 'safe haven' don't you think there would be sites in those places?

If (a BIG if) I could get music at a reasonable price in a reasonable format with reasonable usage rights, I'd be happy to download from a record company.

Getting a 128 K WMA that only plays on one system and won't play at all if I have to reinstall isn't quite what I have in mind though.

Thankfully I live in China where information isn't quite free, but it is really really cheap!

Sorry for the LONG rant, but I'm really tired of people being screwed for the sake of a few geting their extra pennies.

Were I the original poster, I'd take the CD back to where I bought it and get a refund. If I didn't get a refund, I'd dispute the charge with the credit card company.

When I last lived in the US I always bought software using my credit card. A few times when a game simply was not compatible with my system I was shown the "No refund on software" sign. I always did a dispute and always got my refund. Credit card companies don't really care to make their customers angry. The sellers have little recourse, they need to accept credit cards.

Beat them with their own system. Get your money back. Or don't complain about it...

[hit_ny]

The 'broadcast flag' will go live later this year. All new hardware has to honor it. You know, no recording, etc. The same fine capabilities will be brought to the BIOS in your system soon enough.

I can't help thinking that the market for hardware that does not have a broadcast flag has got to be big. Where is the world's hardware made anyway, China, Taiwan, Korea & Japan. That means if you get your system from outside the US it does not need to meet broadcast flag reqmts. 

Meantime, enjoy being able to create an entertainment library that suits your ears and eyes. Not the wishes of doddering old men in an executive suite somewhere.

They will find a way around this. The genie is out of the bottle. Could it just be that such draconian laws are passed is that those powerful few are afraid that the little man can be very resourceful when required.

[Myron]

The 'broadcast flag' will go live later this year. All new hardware has to honor it. You know, no recording, etc. The same fine capabilities will be brought to the BIOS in your system soon enough.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is this flag and exactly where is going to appear?  Is this something coming to CDs or just downloaded music?

[Krazykanuck]

Read this for a complete description of what it is.

http://www.eff.org/broadcastflag/

[GHammer]

I can't help thinking that the market for hardware that does not have a broadcast flag has got to be big. Where is the world's hardware made anyway, China, Taiwan, Korea & Japan. That means if you get your system from outside the US it does not need to meet broadcast flag reqmts.

Um, yeah. Manufacturers will make this for that market and that for another.
A BIOS is a bios and a video card/sound card is a card.

I buy the same things here as you buy there. Just a few months later.

Methinks people should start studying up on what the hardware and software folks have in store. All of it is not driven by the entertainment industry. Funny, something that locks media also prevents software piracy.

[hit_ny]

OK here's a thought, this broadcast stuff is to do with *HDTV*.

I dont read anywhere that its for the existing broadcast stuff.

HDTV has yet to grow. Have to convice people to get rid of the old TV(s) and spend on  a new one. Now if you can't record stuff off it easily as you were used to with the old format, why bother.

Is HDTV going to be what FM was to AM ?

No, i think this broadcast flag bit is going to go away if they want to sell HDTVs, without which you cant get any viewers for your shows.

I cant see this flying in Europe, already they can get DVD players that ignore region settings.

Clipper Chip dissappeared, dont see this as any different.

[JimH]

In the United States, the Federal government is requiring a transition to digital television.  It's expected to be completed by the end of 2006.

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/digitaltv.html

There may be digital TV's that are not HDTV capable, but I'm not aware of any.

[Krazykanuck]

Unfortunately there are digital TV's that are not HD capable.

[JimH]

Unfortunately there are digital TV's that are not HD capable.

Where?  I know it's possible, but I don't think I've seen any.

[Krazykanuck]

Sure call me out.

Just kidding, I knew someone would ask so I'm going through some home theater magazines. In reviews they have pointed out that despite being digital some TV's did not strictly conform to the definition of HDTV.

When I find some examples I pass them along. 

[Krazykanuck]

OK I'm Back

At the beginning of this year RCA announced 7 SDTV sets, from their announcement

In the Direct-View TV category, the RCA brand will include seven Standard Definition Digital Television (SDTV) models with integrated ATSC tuners to give consumers an affordable option for viewing digital television broadcasts. SDTV models in the 27-inch screen size will be available for suggested retail prices below $300, while 32-inch digital TV products will start at suggested retail prices under $400.

The seven RCA SDTV models are:

    * 32-inch flat-screen 4x3 format 32F654T
    * 32-inch 4x3 format 32V434T
    * 27-inch flat-screen 4x3 format 27F524T
    * 27-inch flat-screen 4x3 format 27F634T
    * 27-inch flat-screen 4x3 format 27F534T
    * 27-inch 4x3 format 27V514T
    * 27-inch 4x3 format 27V414T

The SDTV models include a built-in over-the-air tuner/decoder for digital TV broadcasts and will receive and display any of the 18 different digital TV formats. The SDTV sets have the video resolution of current television products, but the digital reception capability enhances the picture, resulting in DVD viewing quality for terrestrial broadcasts.

These sets happen to be 4:3 but you can find widescreen SDTV as well.

This site does a pretty good job of explaining what all the jargon means.

http://www.hdtvinfoport.com/index.html

Now back to that darn copy protection........

[GHammer]

The Broadcast Flag:

The essence of the FCC's rule is in 47 CFR 73.9002(b) and the following sections:

    "No party shall sell or distribute in interstate commerce a Covered Demodulator Product that does not comply with the Demodulator Compliance Requirements and Demodulator Robustness Requirements."

The Demodulator Compliance Requirements insist that all HDTV demodulators must listen for the flag (or assume it to be present in all signals). Flagged content must be output only to "protected outputs" or in degraded form: through analog outputs or digital outputs with visual resolution of 720x480 pixels or less--less than 1/4 of HDTV's capability. Flagged content may be recorded only by "Authorized" methods, which may include tethering of recordings to a single device.

The Demodulator Robustness Requirements are particularly troubling for open-source developers. In order to prevent users from gaining access to the full digital signal, the FCC ties the hands of even sophisticated users and developers. Devices must be "robust" against user access or modifications that permit access to the full digital stream. Since open-source drivers are by design user-modifiable, a PC tuner card with open-source drivers would not be "robust." It's not even clear that binary-only drivers would qualify.

http://www.eff.org/broadcastflag/

[Matthew]

I found an awesome program that can remove audio cd protection its called dvd43

http://www.dvd43free.com/install-dvd43.exe

[Tor]

As far as the HDTV screens not complying i guess in practical terms this meens they do not have the HDCP (copy protection) licence installed and if not they are not able to display the full resolution (1080i) from the DVI output of a DVD player.

I have seen some of these screens without this licence installed launched to the market last year, but I have not seen any DVD players with DVI output that is not DHCP and this will of course create a problem in respect of compatibility. I would guess that these monitors hit the market just a bit premature, and that all HDTV screens now being launched does come in HDCP compliance.

-Tor-