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Blu-ray Group Details Security Features

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

August 10, 2005, 10:57 AM

The group backing Sony's Blu-ray disc format for the next-generation of DVDs has announced new security features that it hopes will encourage movie studios to choose Blu-ray over Toshiba's HD-DVD. The new technology will embed a watermark on all discs that requires authorization from the hardware to play.

However, such a move means that Blu-ray discs will not be backward compatible with current DVD players and could slow adoption rates among consumers. Movie studios could create hybrid discs that also contain original DVD content as well, but that won't encourage users to make the leap into high-definition.

Nonetheless, Blu-ray's backers think they have found a good approach to entice industry support and prevent mass piracy. Disc-making equipment would require valid authorization codes to access Blu-ray encoded content, and discs would not play back using modified DVD players.

"It's been a promise since day one: that we're committed to offering the strongest content management system," said Marty Gordon, vice president of Phillips Electronics.

But it's still not clear if any technology will really prove effective. DVD encryption was broken not long after its debut, and pirated DVDs flood the streets of many countries.

The HD-DVD group is taking a different approach than Blu-ray, offering low-tech piracy prevention while keeping costs lower. And analysts say price is one of the key factors that will crown a winner in the race to become the next-generation DVD format.

Add a Comment (12 Comments)

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By Sorb

posted Aug 11, 2005 - 3:34 AM

This article is biased, lacking facts and is even incorrect in places. I urge everyone to inform themselves somewhere else. Try this link for starters:

http://www.tomshardware....ws/20050810_131820.html

Score: 0

By cooldude7273

posted Aug 10, 2005 - 5:40 PM

Sooner or later, the security will be cracked. It's only a matter of time.

Score: 0

By bourgeoisdude

posted Aug 10, 2005 - 3:45 PM

Thank you Blu-Ray--I couldn't decide which to support, I will now gladley support HD-DVD :)

Score: 0

By heat_fan1

posted Aug 10, 2005 - 12:42 PM

I'm certainly all for encryption and all that. If you own a DVD, you own one copy of it and shouldn't be allowed to make copies of it. But yeah, someone will almost definitely break it soon enough and all the effort will be a waste of money. Blu-Ray definitely sounds more promising, especially with the increased storage and all, but I hope the movie prices aren't a lot higher than DVD prices, although DVDS were all over $20 when they first came out as well.

Oh, and I really hope PS3 game prices don't go up past the $50 they are now because they're using Blu-Ray. That would really suck.

Score: 0

By gsbrock

posted Aug 10, 2005 - 1:22 PM

Honestly I don't care about the copy protection one way or another, what is my concern is backwards compatibility and HD-DVD is the only one that has pledged full backwards compatibility.

Score: 0

By bourgeoisdude

edited Aug 10, 2005 - 4:15 PM

copy protection is important because the amount of security measures to ensure copy protection is inversley proportional to the number of compatible drives that can read it.

"The third part of the announcement that is perhaps most surprising...The BDA statement introduces what it calls 'BD+,' described as 'a Blu-ray Disc specific programmable renewability enhancement that gives content providers an additional means to respond to organized attacks on the security system by allowing dynamic updates of compromised code.' " --Toms Hardware Guide, http://www.tomshardware....ws/20050810_131820.html

That is why Blu-Ray will be annoying--old players may not be able to read newer "extra protected" Blu-Ray media.

"The HD-DVD group is taking a different approach than Blu-ray, offering low-tech piracy prevention while keeping costs lower. And analysts say price is one of the key factors that will crown a winner in the race to become the next-generation DVD format."

THAT IS WHY I BELIEVE HD-DVD WILL NOW WIN IN THE LONG RUN. Look at history--Beta vs. VHS, VHS was cheaper, Beta was better. We know the outcome. Later: DVD vs. DivX, DVD was cheaper, DivX was better compression better quality but more expensive. Catch the pattern?

Score: 0

By PhilTR

edited Aug 11, 2005 - 11:21 AM

Another negative aspect of BD+ is that you'll be tied to the content provider via the internet and if someone should hack your model of DVD player potentially all DVD players in that model line will be unable to play BD+ disks. You will have to take your player to the shop for repairs.
"Blu-ray makes unexpected, three-way DRM choice for high-def DVD"(Tom's Hardware) and "Microsoft Vista creates DRM insanity"(theInquirer) have many of the details.

Score: 0

By Slimberg

edited Aug 10, 2005 - 10:58 PM

Lets not forget that Sony has like a 50/50 success rate going...
Blu-Ray could quite possibly FAIL like a lot of their other "innovative standards".
Remember mini-disc? never quite caught on large scale,
Remember Dual-Layer CD-R/RW? U know the cds with 1.4 Gig capacity? (u had to buy a dual layer burner for it too). THAT never really caught on EITHER.
Beta... another sony product.
the list goes on... sony innovate alright but just because its new doesnt mean its better.

with this article, i now support HD-DVD... at first i was for Blu-RAy because of the disc capacity, but no longer.

and yes i DO like pirated stuff and im not ashamed... its the man against the machine...

(just because some corporation wants to charge for something, doesnt mean we should HAVE to pay for it if u can get it for free.)

Score: 0

By pafinator11

posted Aug 10, 2005 - 12:15 PM

I liked the Idea of blu-ray until now. If I own a movie I want to be able to copy it. If theres a choice between this and hd-dvd id vote for hd!

Score: 0

By ArabianNight

edited Aug 10, 2005 - 11:24 AM

I think this new move will prove to be more hurtful to sony than helpful. Adding more security will do nothing, its only a matter of time before its cracked again. All they did now, was stall the hackers a bit more, but they lost backwards compatibility. Bad move, Sonny ;)

Score: 0

By athome

edited Aug 10, 2005 - 12:09 PM

:o(

Score: 0

By horsecharles

edited Aug 10, 2005 - 1:24 PM

i agree w/ patinator11 & arabiannight:

this will cause a slowdown in public acceptance-- nobody wants to pay a premium and not be certain of being able to have a backup, to say nothing of compatibility with other devices-- also, the content i own i would want to be able to copy it so i can play it on flash media, minidisc player, from my hard drive, on vhs, etc....computers and security software being what they are, are prone to malware & system errors.

I've already had a very telling bad experience with the leading player in this arena-- Sony:
an upgrade of their Connect software thrashed the licences of all their content...their arrogant & clueless customer service was no help, asking why i didn't backup the content before updating the software-- i retorted that their update module should do that automatically, but in the end was out all the content.
To top everything, i should be willing to purchase from a cartel pulling out any and all stops to keep prices artificially high-- as witnesss the suit against the European entity who sold new PSP players without permission??

Puleeze!!! As the rancher said to the shepherd,"Get the flock out of here!"

Score: 0

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