Article: "Pirates Prey on Blu-ray Format"

[mike61732002]

Pirates Prey on Blu-Ray DVD Format
By GEOFFREY A. FOWLER

HONG KONG -- Movie pirates are going after Blu-ray, using a technological twist that makes their illicit copies both cheap to make and tough for consumers to spot.

Pirates are taking advantage of the fact that many viewers can't tell the difference between Hollywood's new high-definition, higher-priced Blu-ray movie format and a bootleg format -- called AVCHD -- that's a grade lower: AVCHD uses 720 horizontal lines of resolution instead of Blu-ray's 1,080, but still offers a sharper picture than an ordinary DVD on high-definition television sets.

The movies are pulled off Blu-ray discs using easily available software. Because of the lower resolution, they can be put on ordinary blank DVDs instead of more costly blank Blu-ray discs. That makes them quite profitable for pirates to make, warns the Motion Picture Association, the industry group that battles piracy on behalf of the studios owned by Walt Disney Co., Viacom Inc., Sony Corp., News Corp., Time Warner Inc., and General Electric Co.

"We are concerned and are assigning priority to this issue," said Mike Ellis, the Asia-Pacific managing director for the MPA.

Some eBay Inc. merchants are warning customers to look out for counterfeit Blu-ray discs, or ordinary DVDs passed off as Blu-rays. One tip-off: Real Blu-ray discs attract fingerprints more easily than the pirated discs.

The industry took notice last month when authorities raided a big stash of the new pirated discs in China, which is often at the leading edge of piracy trends. Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen last month unearthed a pirated warehouse collection with 800 of the discs, with titles ranging from "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" to "Transformers." The pirates had packaged them in Blu-ray's recognizable blue boxes, including holograms to try to make them look like the real thing.

"Pirated DVDs from this region...have been exported all over the world in the last few years. These syndicates are very quick to spot market opportunities," said Mr. Ellis.

The MPA estimates that within the next six months the high-definition discs could account for 10% of $224 million that its member companies lose from piracy in China. While a legitimate Blu-ray discs costs about $30, a pirated Chinese disc goes for as little as $7.

The new piracy threat comes as the industry tries to push Blu-ray to compensate for softening sales of regular DVDs. Entertainment companies hope consumers will upgrade their libraries to the newer discs. In the four weeks ended Oct. 26, Blu-ray discs accounted for 6% of the home-video market, according to Nielsen VideoScan. Retailers and electronics companies recently cut prices on Blu-ray players to spur adoption.

The pirate discs haven't yet appeared outside of Asia. But the industry worries they could find a market in places with lower penetration of broadband Internet access. In those markets, downloading high-definition video files -- legitimate or illegitimate -- can be lengthy and cumbersome.

"When we created the specifications for Blu-ray, we were very serious about trying to stem the tide of pirate discs regardless of where they were in the world," said Andy Parsons, a senior vice president at Pioneer Electronics Inc.'s Home Entertainment Group and the U.S. chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association Promotions Committee.

The association built two layers of copyright protection into their discs. One layer unique to Blu-ray, called BD+, checks to make sure that the disc isn't being played somewhere it shouldn't be. "To make a pirated Blu-ray disc is pretty difficult," said Mr. Parsons.

Pirates use software to pull high-definition video off Blu-ray discs. One software company, Slysoft Inc., claims to have cracked Blu-ray's protection software last year and sells a program to extract Blu-ray movies called AnyDVD HD for the equivalent of about $100. Slysoft said in a statement in March that it enabled "backup security copies of Blu-ray discs." The U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act bans DVD copying, but Slysoft has said its software is legal in Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean nation where it is based.

Mr. Parsons said he was aware of Slysoft's claim but declined to comment on it. Slysoft didn't respond to requests for comment.

The technical protections built into Blu-ray can be changed by encoding a software update onto new Blu-ray discs. But those updates, too, will be cracked, said Peer van Heuen, head of SlySoft's high-definition technologies, in an earlier press release. "The worst-case scenario then is our boss locks us up with only bread and water in the company dungeon for three months until we are successful again," he said.

Article from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122688367525432273.html

Just found this on Google News, and thought I would share it with you all. I cant really see this way of pirating taking off, as its not even Blu-ray discs they are using and not even full HD..but hey, pirated DVDs with quality not even half as good as DVD seemed to have taken off around the world already.. And I must say, the pirated Blu-Ray covers (can be found via the link above) are extremely convincing (to me anyway). What are peoples thoughts on this? Do you think Blu-Ray piracy will take off, as it did with DVD?

[dadkins]

Blu-ray rips that have been re-encoded to 1/2 or less of the original picture size *AND* bitrate are not Blu-ray any longer.

Even at 1/2 size, that would make the average "BD Download" 14GB. OUCH!
I have 16mbps internet, 14GB is a definite turnoff!
An actual BD rip? Oh HELL NO!

This is one thing Blu-ray has going for it that is way worse than any copy protection - sheer file size.
If ya want the killer PQ and AQ, ya got to get the original BD in all it's size and glory.
Anything less is, well... Less!

[Blu-ray Fanatic]

Originally Posted by dadkins

Blu-ray rips that have been re-encoded to 1/2 or less of the original picture size *AND* bitrate are not Blu-ray any longer.

Even at 1/2 size, that would make the average "BD Download" 14GB. OUCH!
I have 16mbps internet, 14GB is a definite turnoff!
An actual BD rip? Oh HELL NO!

This is one thing Blu-ray has going for it that is way worse than any copy protection - sheer file size.
If ya want the killer PQ and AQ, ya got to get the original BD in all it's size and glory.
Anything less is, well... Less!

+1 It'll also be noticable with the look and feel between a RIP and the real BD disc. From now on, better keep our eyes peeled. I'll sue anybody who tries to rip me off.

[phlydude]

The problem is that the average consumer watching a movie on their $499 wal-mart special HD set will not be able to see the difference in these...because on a horrible tv, everything looks the same.

This will flourish...in a year, you'll see them on street corners in major metro cities in the US and they will do well because people will be hurting for cash and looking for that all elusive money saving way to get a movie.

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by dadkins

Even at 1/2 size, that would make the average "BD Download" 14GB. OUCH!

They are actually fitting it onto 9GB. Not that implausible considering that 720p movies rented from Xbox Live are 5-8GB.

[Midnightsailor]

No pirated "HD" for me.

[scott1256ca]

So much for BD+ preventing piracy. I think BD+ actually prevented copying discs for a single period of about a month. Around the time die hard IV came out. Since then I don't think it has been updated, and AACS has provided 0 protection against illegal copies for 2 years now.
I just hope it doesn't prevent the studios from releasing or delaying the release of the more "valuable" movies like StarWars and LOTR Trilogy.

BTW, all my BD's have blue/greyish tint to the business side of them, so they are easy to tell from dvd rom. It would actually be more difficult to tell them from dvd write once, many of which have a similar tint to them.

[dadkins]

Originally Posted by phlydude

The problem is that the average consumer watching a movie on their $499 wal-mart special HD set will not be able to see the difference in these...because on a horrible tv, everything looks the same.

This will flourish...in a year, you'll see them on street corners in major metro cities in the US and they will do well because people will be hurting for cash and looking for that all elusive money saving way to get a movie.

MANY people get 720p sets too.
While BDs will look great on a 720p set, the difference between a BD and a rip/re-encode will be marginal.

[dadkins]

Originally Posted by Grubert

They are actually fitting it onto 9GB. Not that implausible considering that 720p movies rented from Xbox Live are 5-8GB.

That's even worse!

[Terjyn]

Aside from articles like this, I have yet to see a company claim to be able to actually do this.

Slysoft's claims were eventually rebuked, when it turned out the copied "Blu-Rays" had an HD DVD tag in them.

Nero can copy Blu-Rays. Those which don't have any copy protection.

The only other thing you find is people who brute force copy (using a computer to print-screen frame-by-frame or the like).

Seriously, google it. I'd think it'd be way bigger news if BD+ was actually seriously cracked.

Does anybody have a real source and not a company trying to get you to spend 100$ on a (potentially) illegal-to-own product or a random blogger?

The examples listed here don't exactly help the case, as they were both HD DVD titles, which are easily ripped.

*EDIT* Thinking more, if I'm not even going to pirate Blu-Rays on Blu-rays with equivalent specs, where's my motivation to use a Blu-Ray as it's source? Way less effort to digitally download a 720p version of the movie and copy THAT. Just because the output is faking a Blu-Ray in no way implies that it started as one.

[HiDefBlu]

"Pirates are taking advantage of the fact that many viewers can't tell the difference between Hollywood's new high-definition, higher-priced Blu-ray movie format and a bootleg format"

I don't know about any of you but my player has an indicator that tells me when I have a BD or a DVD inserted in the player.

[dadkins]

Originally Posted by Terjyn

Aside from articles like this, I have yet to see a company claim to be able to actually do this.

Slysoft's claims were eventually rebuked, when it turned out the copied "Blu-Rays" had an HD DVD tag in them.

Nero can copy Blu-Rays. Those which don't have any copy protection.

The only other thing you find is people who brute force copy (using a computer to print-screen frame-by-frame or the like).

Seriously, google it. I'd think it'd be way bigger news if BD+ was actually seriously cracked.

Does anybody have a real source and not a company trying to get you to spend 100$ on a (potentially) illegal-to-own product or a random blogger?

The examples listed here don't exactly help the case, as they were both HD DVD titles, which are easily ripped.

*EDIT* Thinking more, if I'm not even going to pirate Blu-Rays on Blu-rays with equivalent specs, where's my motivation to use a Blu-Ray as it's source? Way less effort to digitally download a 720p version of the movie and copy THAT. Just because the output is faking a Blu-Ray in no way implies that it started as one.

Let's just say, I have it on good authority that BD+ discs... ANY disc, can be copied... by several different applications.

Don't ask!

This is all I will say on the subject - don't want to get suspended again or banned.

[Bobby Henderson]

These doom and gloom articles always seem to paint a picture suggesting the general public will flock entirely to pirated discs. Putting it bluntly, that's a bunch of crap.

The general public never stopped buying DVDs. Before anyone suggests "but DVDs are cheap," that's really not the case. New releases on DVD are often at or even above the $20 level and typically carry MSRP tags between $25 and $30. They don't arrive on store shelves immediately priced under $10.

Pirated movies have a number of factors working against them.

First of all, the audio/video quality of pirated movies is usually garbage and certainly an embarrassment compared to the actual legal retail movie disc product.

The vast majority of the general public doesn't feel like going to the trouble of downloading huge amounts of data off the Internet just to make a DVD. HD-based content, even 720p, requires even more disc space. Overall, it's a pain in the ass and a costly waste of time. The alternative is buying a disc from some shady retailer or some weird dude at a flea market. Most people are just going to go to Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target or shop online and buy the legal product.

Another problem is that pirated movies have little to no appeal whatsoever by the time the legal movie disc arrives on store shelves. The only time when pirated movies have any real significant appeal is when the movie is in its theatrical run or even before it arrives in theaters. There's no Blu-ray to pirate at that point. Sometimes a good DVD screener gets duped. And then you get those laughably pathetic camcorder videos taken of the movie screen.

Even if the copy protection gets cracked on some Blu-ray movies, it's not going to kill the growing market for Blu-ray. BD is going to be just fine.

[Terjyn]

Originally Posted by dadkins

Let's just say, I have it on good authority that BD+ discs... ANY disc, can be copied... by several different applications.

Don't ask!

This is all I will say on the subject - don't want to get suspended again or banned.

Sorry but no. You are absolutely no better than a random blogger, especially as someone who admits they've already been suspended or banned from this site.

I have it on good authority, that BD+ will give you cancer. This is all I will say on the subject - don't want to get suspended again or banned.

Just as believable.

[dadkins]

Nice try!
I got suspended for posting pics and explaining how to.

[djheadd]

Originally Posted by Bobby Henderson

These doom and gloom articles always seem to paint a picture suggesting the general public will flock entirely to pirated discs. Putting it bluntly, that's a bunch of crap.

The general public never stopped buying DVDs. Before anyone suggests "but DVDs are cheap," that's really not the case. New releases on DVD are often at or even above the $20 level and typically carry MSRP tags between $25 and $30. They don't arrive on store shelves immediately priced under $10.

Pirated movies have a number of factors working against them.

First of all, the audio/video quality of pirated movies is usually garbage and certainly an embarrassment compared to the actual legal retail movie disc product.

The vast majority of the general public doesn't feel like going to the trouble of downloading huge amounts of data off the Internet just to make a DVD. HD-based content, even 720p, requires even more disc space. Overall, it's a pain in the ass and a costly waste of time. The alternative is buying a disc from some shady retailer or some weird dude at a flea market. Most people are just going to go to Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target or shop online and buy the legal product.

Another problem is that pirated movies have little to no appeal whatsoever by the time the legal movie disc arrives on store shelves. The only time when pirated movies have any real significant appeal is when the movie is in its theatrical run or even before it arrives in theaters. There's no Blu-ray to pirate at that point. Sometimes a good DVD screener gets duped. And then you get those laughably pathetic camcorder videos taken of the movie screen.

Even if the copy protection gets cracked on some Blu-ray movies, it's not going to kill the growing market for Blu-ray. BD is going to be just fine.

One of the problems, besides the average J6P in the states, is other markets. For example, latinamerican one. In countries like Mexico, where I live, you can get a pirate copy of any movie for 1 or 2 dollars. Last friday was the openning of Quantum Of Solace and the "pirate DVD" was already available on the streets. I hate this, I know a bunch of people that prefers to buy those cheap (just imagine, the get the movie with special equipment used while screening at the theater. Result: a awful blurry movie and sound like talking thru a phone). I buy all my Blu's in the States and at Costco here in Mexico, you can get good prices suddendly. And yes, we have also lots of new "Chinese brands" HDTV around here.
Best,
DJ Headd

[jdc115]

Originally Posted by Bobby Henderson

Even if the copy protection gets cracked on some Blu-ray movies, it's not going to kill the growing market for Blu-ray. BD is going to be just fine.

It may slow or hurt the market in Asian countries. A typical BD costs around $38-40USD out here so many people will sacrifice quality as the cost if just too high.

I pretty much buy everything from Amazon and ship it since it is still cheaper then buying locally. I can finally rent now to cover those that I do not want to buy.

[quexos]

Man, if pirated Blurays look exactly like original ones, how do we know for sure we have original ones ?
Not sure the size of the file can help. The Matrix Revolution for instance, is said to be barely 12GB in size ...

[dazm]

globaly pirated dvds, bluray,if any is small compared to the people who are buying legitmate films. how many on here are replacing there dvds with blu ray disks how many go to the pictures. i went to see quantom of solace last week , you should have seen the ques ,you can buy a brand new dvd from the local super market for £3 £5 its not worth it , the biggest problem is the down loadiers 1080-720 ,with broadband speed increasing all the time, you can down load a film straight to your media centre in no time.if i like a film i buy it thats why im now going to be buying all my best films on blu untill the next big thing comes out ,

[Ryu77]

Originally Posted by Terjyn

Aside from articles like this, I have yet to see a company claim to be able to actually do this.

Slysoft's claims were eventually rebuked, when it turned out the copied "Blu-Rays" had an HD DVD tag in them.

Nero can copy Blu-Rays. Those which don't have any copy protection.

The only other thing you find is people who brute force copy (using a computer to print-screen frame-by-frame or the like).

Seriously, google it. I'd think it'd be way bigger news if BD+ was actually seriously cracked.

Does anybody have a real source and not a company trying to get you to spend 100$ on a (potentially) illegal-to-own product or a random blogger?

The examples listed here don't exactly help the case, as they were both HD DVD titles, which are easily ripped.

*EDIT* Thinking more, if I'm not even going to pirate Blu-Rays on Blu-rays with equivalent specs, where's my motivation to use a Blu-Ray as it's source? Way less effort to digitally download a 720p version of the movie and copy THAT. Just because the output is faking a Blu-Ray in no way implies that it started as one.

Originally Posted by Terjyn

Sorry but no. You are absolutely no better than a random blogger, especially as someone who admits they've already been suspended or banned from this site.

I have it on good authority, that BD+ will give you cancer. This is all I will say on the subject - don't want to get suspended again or banned.

Just as believable.

You have got to be kidding! Before someone bans me, I am not about to promote making Blu-ray back-ups as I am fully aware that this is not a forum that would welcome this context. However, I think it's important that people offer the common courtesy of ensuring their facts are correct. BD+ has been cracked for quite some time and I will happily continue this conversation to the level that is permitted by this forum.

What is a Blu-ray with a HD-DVD tag anyway? That doesn't make any sense at all.

Another very important point that seems to be overlooked here is that the original article claims that these pirated Blu-ray discs are in AVCHD format and this format only offers 720 lines of resolution. Again, more misinformation! 1080p resolution is fully compliant with the AVCHD standard. Actually there is minimal difference in structure between AVCHD and Blu-ray. Of course there are some differences but there is no need to delve into that now.