Studio Response to BD+ = Positive

[Derb]

Quoted from the bits,

Fox has vigorously fought against piracy for years and the adoption of BD+ as part of the Blu-ray Disc specification, and an enhancement over and above AACS, was a key factor in our decision to publish on the format,” noted Mike Dunn, President Worldwide, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. “This added layer of content protection gives Blu-ray yet another distinct competitive advantage."

Bob Chapek, President, Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment, commented, “We are excited that BD+ has now come to fruition. In this day and age, no content provider can risk not fully protecting their assets."

"The ability to protect IP is the most important issue facing our industry and the level of copyright protection Blu-ray offers is one of the major reasons we supported BD from the onset," said Steve Beeks, COO and President, Lionsgate. "Adding this extra layer of protection has made us even more confident that we made the right choice for the studio and the public interest."

On behalf of MGM Home Entertainment, General Manager, Eric Doctorow noted, “This is great news for the market. Content providers can release more product knowing there is stronger copy protection - and for consumers that translates into a greater choice of films."

"BD+ serves as an additional safeguard to protect next generation HD content from piracy," said David Bishop, President of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. "Sony Pictures believes that it will become a valuable option for Blu-ray Disc content providers going forward."

Mooooreee HD on the way.

[dugpa]

If this means the hd floodgates for Fox and MGM product are about to open, I'm all for it. But when will studios learn that any copy protection will end up being broken eventually. Since there has to be a way to access it in the first place, there will always be a way to crack it. At the rate they're going studios will insist on selling us discs that can't be watched period.

[ganthc]

This is when Disney breaks out the vault and starts releasing the animation classics on highdef. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Bambi, and newer classics like Lion King, Aladdin, Little Mermaid, will start coming out. And Fox will finally be back in business.

[Ruined]

Here's my response:

BD+

Also, the funny thing is most of the companies here who are playing up BD+ actually voted down the same DRM measures for HD DVD when they were deciding the DRM measures for it. Fox and Sony are the two studios that clearly are most interested in BD+.

[dkny75]

What do you think they would say about it? Of course they'd release a statement about how excited they are.

The only good thing about it is that they'll start releasing more titles.

[Shawn Watson]

Then they will be cracked again and then they'll postpone any planned releases again. Eventually they will have to accept that whatever protection the put on their discs they will be cracked eventually.

Shawn

[tomdkat]

So is the implication then that Universal doesn't want/like BD+?

Peace...

[Derb]

Originally Posted by tomdkat

So is the implication then that Universal doesn't want/like BD+?

Peace...

Don't think they could licence HD+ & BD+ wasn't an option.

From them quotes rumors of 20th "giving up" & Lionsgate supporting both formats is a thing of the past now. Though I didn't really buy into those.

Its the positive responses from studio reps which caught my attention because for once (besides all of us here) studio's are showing enthuasism for High-Def. I remember the article from CES where someone asked a New Line rep their plans for the 2 HD formats & the REP replied with a laugh! We all know Universal spouts their big mouth off about HD DVD & same with Sony for Blu-Ray. Its nice to hear what other studio's are thinking for a change.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by Derb

Don't think they could licence HD+ & BD+ wasn't an option.

What about at the higher level of the kind of security or protection of content BD+ provides (at least in theory). Is Universal not interested in that? I ask since I haven't read anything where Universal has been expressing an interest in BD+ level of security for HD DVD, like how the studios above are praising BD+ for its security (even though it might only be theoretical).

Peace...

[Derb]

Originally Posted by tomdkat

What about at the higher level of the kind of security or protection of content BD+ provides (at least in theory). Is Universal not interested in that? I ask since I haven't read anything where Universal has been expressing an interest in BD+ level of security for HD DVD, like how the studios above are praising BD+ for its security (even though it might only be theoretical).

Peace...

I havn't read too much into copy protection. I believe there is a data layer which is only used for this purpose & HD DVD doesn't have that extra layer to add such a CP. Someone correct me if I'm wayyyyyyyyyy off.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by Derb

I havn't read too much into copy protection. I believe there is a data layer which is only used for this purpose & HD DVD doesn't have that extra layer to add such a CP. Someone correct me if I'm wayyyyyyyyyy off.

That's cool but you're still focusing on the technology.

Take a step back and forget what HD DVD can or can't do, with regard to security. By Universal not speaking out, as the studios above have about BD+, does that imply Universal isn't interested in "protecting" their content like 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, and other studios obviously are? Does Universal simply not care about content protection or are they just not being vocal about it?

Peace...

[Derb]

Originally Posted by tomdkat

That's cool but you're still focusing on the technology.

Take a step back and forget what HD DVD can or can't do, with regard to security. By Universal not speaking out, as the studios above have about BD+, does that imply Universal isn't interested in "protecting" their content like 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, and other studios obviously are? Does Universal simply not care about content protection or are they just not being vocal about it?

Peace...

Oh I think they care & thought AACS was enough protection...

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by Derb

Oh I think they care & thought AACS was enough protection...

Ok. Assuming this is correct (unless you're an insider at Universal, Derb... ), why would Universal consider AACS to be sufficient but not the other studios? That doesn't make sense to me.

Oh wait,





Peace...

[dugpa]

Originally Posted by tomdkat

why would Universal consider AACS to be sufficient but not the other studios?

Different studios have different priorities and comfort levels, simple as that. Same thing goes for region encoding. If you look at Blu-ray, some studios use it and some don't. In the case of BD+, Fox and Disney are more paranoid about piracy than some of the other studios, who take a more realistic view. In fact it was BD+ that convinced Fox to go Blu-ray in the first place.

[Derb]

Yep, what dugpa said. When I mentioned AACS being enough protection I was taking a step back as you suggested. Sinse it has been cracked, I think the HD camp has some work to do with their triple-layer, single sided discs. BD+ like all others will eventually be hacked, its only a matter of time. How much time is the relevent question.

[ganthc]

It will be interesting to see how they crack it. From what Ruined has said, the bd+ software will write to the bd player's code and compromise it. So if you are a hacker, and you stick a blu-ray disc into your bd drive on your laptop/pc/mac, trying to mess around with it could launch the countermeasures that are in the disc.

I guess it will have to be some program that can somehow fool bd+ into thinking it's not being hacked.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by dugpa

Different studios have different priorities and comfort levels, simple as that. Same thing goes for region encoding. If you look at Blu-ray, some studios use it and some don't. In the case of BD+, Fox and Disney are more paranoid about piracy than some of the other studios, who take a more realistic view. In fact it was BD+ that convinced Fox to go Blu-ray in the first place.

Ok, makes sense.

Peace...