A Closer Look At D-VHS At DVDfile.com

great throwdini writes: "Peter M. Bracke of DVDfile.com has written a more thoughtful piece on D-VHS (mentioned in the Slashdot article, Copy-Protected Digital VHS) based on his impressions of a press demonstration. Says Fox's VP of Marketing, Peter Staddon, 'If we thought it (D-VHS) was going to kill DVD, we wouldn't be doing it.' Peter has even put together a nice little factsheet on the format. Encryption may be absent on D-VHS tapes, but it looks like the practice of region coding may continue."

Comments

It's true: 17 USC 1201(k)

[yerricde]

I doubt its true but someone once told me that VCR's with RCA inputs had [to] include a macrovision chip to scramble the signal.

It's true. Page 4 of this LoC document states that the DMCA requires new VCRs manufactured or sold in the United States to respond to automatic gain control and four-line colorstripe copy protection; both techniques are used in the Macrovision system. The relevant statute is 17 USC 1201(k).

Re:DVD can be done today

[Technician]

It sounds just like an automated changeover the movie theatres used to handle 20 minute reels. When one reel was nearing the end, the second projector would pre-roll to come up to speed, then a changeover would take place and the first projector would shut down. The reel would be rewound and the third reel would be mounted for the next changeover. Original Nitrate (Flamable) film was limited to 20 minute reels and they were placed in enclosed reels on the projector. To save the amount of film handling after safety film came out, most moviehouses used 40 minute reels, holding 2 20 minute reels spliced end to end and placed on one larger reel. Now multiplex theatres use the platter system where all 6 to 8 20 minute reels are spliced together onto a platter. (Make-up) On a platter system, the film pays out from the center of the reel so there is no need to rewind between showings. After the week or two of showings, the film is taken apart and put back onto 20 minute reels for shipping. (Break-down) If you go to an older movie house, look for the 3 or 4 small windows. They were for the 2 projectors and a place for the projectionist to check the focus. The windows were small as part of the fire protection. Newer places use larger windows as nitrate film is no longer used. Sometimes you can see the single projector and the platters in the window. This window is noise protection only, not fire protection.