Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Disney Encrypting Screener DVDs to Prevent Piracy

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the this-dvd-will-self-destruct-in-five-seconds dept.

Sascha J. writes "Disney is continuing their war against piracy. To their Oscar reviewers they now send out special encrypted DVDs, which can be played only on a DVD player of the "Cinea" series. From the article: "The DVD players are encoded with recipients' names, and screeners sent to those people are specifically encrypted so they can be seen only on those particular DVD players." Yet, Disney is alone on this. Sony and Universal Pictures said they won't follow that step."

3 of 262 comments (clear)

  1. How is this a solution? by FauxReal · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So what keeps people from recording the output and distributing that?

    --
    Deltron 3030 - Virus (music video)
  2. Better idea! by Carraway · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have a better idea. Instead of encrypting their DVDs, just mail them out along with a little note saying that the last guy to be caught pirating screeners died in police custody. I think pirates will get the hint.

  3. My father was sent one of these by Anonymous+Cowpat · · Score: 5, Interesting

    as a reviewer for BAFTA about this time last year.
    I'm not impressed.
    Ours is actually connected with a composite video lead rather than scart and every few minutes black bands begin to appear across the picture, which I assume is some sort of an anti-copying measure but also somewhat ruins the film.
    The machine was difficult to set up, requiring registration, which is a pain, especialyl when you have to call a call-centre which is only open during US West Coast office hours. (which isn't really anyone's fault). The biggest issue, however, is the fact that, to my knowledge, he hasn't actually recieved any films which need to be watched using it.
    As an ordinary DVD player it's worse than the first one that we ever had - it takes a good 30 seconds to start up and then obeys all the 'do-not-skip' tags, which isn't too bad for screeners because they generally go straight to the film, but with ordinary DVDs it's a torturous wait every time you want to watch it, at least you could fast forward with VHS.

    Basically, the machines are a pain for everyone and it was a really bad idea on the part of Disney.

    --
    FGD 135