[mythtv-users] Anyone else having problems ripping new movies?

[Andrew Gallatin]

Peter Valdemar Morch [swp5jhu02 at sneakemail.com] wrote:
> Andrew Gallatin gallatin-at-cs.duke.edu |Lists| wrote:
> > Xine does work though, exactly once per insertion of a DVD.  If I try
> > to use it a second time, it doesn't work.    I don't think dd has a 
> > chance to work, since there was no dvdcss auth done...
> 
> dd doesn't use or need dvdcss. It creates a binary copy of the DVD. dd 
> doesn't care what is on it.
> 
> When dd has created a binary copy of the DVD in /tmp and xine runs that, 
> xine will call dvdcss to decrypt that binary image in /tmp.
> dd needs to work. Every time. Only then will you know that the OS can 
> get at your DVD drive reliably.

I think there are 2 layers of encryption.  Sector level, and file
level.   And I think the problem I'm having is with the first level.

To prove this to myself, I did an exeriment in another machine (Apple
G5, running SLES9) with a different DVD drive (hda: PIONEER DVD-RW
DVR-106D, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive)

If I attempt to dd the DVD straight off, then I get the same read
errors from dd that I get on my mythtv box.  However, if I run
anything which uses libdvdcss, then the DVD is "unlocked", and all
subsequent dd commands succeed.  The resulting image has VOBs which
are still encrypted.   

Whereas on my myth box, the drive doesn't stay unlocked, so after
the dvdcss-using app closes the drive,  dd's will fail because
the drive somehow re-locks itself.

I think the behaviour I see on the G5 is the "correct" behaviour that
all the myth transcoding stuff is designed to deal with.

> That fact the dd freezes your system is also an indication that 
> something bad is up with your DVD drive.

Again,  I'm pretty sure that was due to the ext2 oops.  

> I can only repeat that it sure sounds to me like a hardware or 
> DVD-burner-driver problem. But of course what you choose to spend your 
> time on is up to you. And I might be wrong! :-D

I think I'll throw $25 at the problem and get cheap player, and
hope I have more luck with that.

Drew