[mythtv-users] State of blu-ray support?

Eric Sharkey eric at lisaneric.org
Sun Nov 17 14:47:41 UTC 2013


On Sun, Nov 17, 2013 at 7:12 AM, Simon Hobson <linux at thehobsons.co.uk> wrote:
> Stuart Morgan wrote:
>>On Saturday 16 Nov 2013 15:42:37 Simon Waldman wrote:
>>> On 15 November 2013 18:43, HP-mini <blm-ubunet at slingshot.co.nz> wrote:
>>> > - all BD players will get their device keys revoked periodically..
>>> > So when revoked you need to upgrade to the latest genuine f/w.
>>> > When genuine f/w updates stop, you junk the drive or..
>>>
>>> *boggle*
>>> Is this just something that affects use on linux (how?)?
>>> Or... do consumer drives get deliberately bricked on a regular basis?!
>>
>>No Device keys don't get revoked often at all, it's only ever done when a
>>particular piece of hardware/firmware is found to be insecure allowing keys to
>>be leaked. Some people will have experienced it more than others because they
>>deliberately bought some of the early drives which had hackable firmware. I've
>>never experienced it with my drive in the years I've owned it.
>>
>>What does get revoked regularly, at least for us Linux users, are the leaked
>>Host keys.
>
> IMO, and speaking from a UK law perspective, we should (and must if we
> are to fulfil our civic duty) make it as painful and expensive as possible for
> anyone making such problems. That means, IMO, that if anyone in the UK
> finds that their player* no longer plays new titles then they much a) tak the
> dic back as faulty and thus cause all the costs back up the supply chain
> as the disk has been opened and so can't be put back on the shelf, and
> b) go back to the supplier of the drive and demand it be repaired**.

First of all, the leaked host keys Stuart mentions are software player
keys.  There's nothing to take back.  The user just downloads a new
updated version of the software, unless the provider has gone out of
business, in which case there is no possible pain/expense to make.

Hardware keys are revoked so rarely that any such costs are negligible
noise in the ledgers of the businesses involved.

> The **ONLY** way we'll get to rein back such shenanigans is to make
> it too expensive for the large retailers.

No, that's not the only way.  The other way is to demonstrate the futility of
shenanigans.

I purchased a copy of AnyDVD HD and it's been a nearly flawless
compatibility ensurance system ever since.  (The only flaw being the
requirement for the Windows virtual machine, but I happened to have
one vm compatible (not OEM) XP license from years back anyway.)  I
consider it money well spent.  I'd rather send $10 to SlySoft/MakeMKV
than $1 to the MPAA.

(And for the record, I do not redistribute copyrighted video.)

If these software programs can provide the compatibility removed by
BluRay DRM, and such software becomes successful and ubiquitous,
that's a better strategy toward success than trying to get the masses
to complain to Walmart.

Eric


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