Submitted by GristyMcFisty:
CyberLink PowerDVD Ups
Protection of Recordable Media.
The world's first DVD software
supporting Content Protection
for Recordable Media on the PC
CyberLink Corp., a leading developer of digital video software and e-learning solutions, announced today its flagship product, CyberLink PowerDVD, is the world's first DVD software to support Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) on the PC. Users will now be able to watch their CPRM-standard discs on their computers using PowerDVD.
Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) is a hardware technology designed to enforce "copy-once only" restrictions. Through built-in mechanisms on the storage media users are prevented from further disc copying.
As awareness increases for the protection of recorded media, PowerDVD offers a legitimate means to play CPRM-standard discs on their PCs, while protecting the rights of content owners through the prevention of repeated duplication.
Copy-once programs and CPRM are already common among DVD/HDD recorders in Japan. Until now, discs recorded to the CPRM standard could only be played on the original consumer DVD recorder (standalone DVD player) used to create the disc, and were not able to be played on a PC. CyberLink solves this problem by delivering the world's first solution for playing CPRM media discs on a computer. PowerDVD allows greater flexibility while preventing unauthorized use of copyright and is currently the only DVD solution that supports CPRM on the PC.
"PowerDVD is already highly acclaimed because of its superior technological features," said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. "With our world-first support of CPRM, we continue to lead in the area of content protection by letting PowerDVD users enjoy their CPRM discs on their own PCs!"
About PowerDVD 5
PowerDVD is the world's leading DVD software player. The new release PowerDVD 5 features breakthrough technologies to deliver a theater-like DVD experience on a PC or notebook. The new technologies include: CLEV™ to enhance color and contrast of movies displayed on LCDs; CLPV™, which easily adjusts wide screen movies into full screen (4:3) display or vice versa with minimal distortion; and CLMEI™, which converts 2-channel audio and output to multi-channel speakers for a surround sound effect. Other new features for interactivity and personalized viewing experience can be found at www.gocyberlink.com
About CyberLink Corp.
Founded in 1995, CyberLink Corp. is a world leader and pioneer
in bringing advanced digital video and audio software applications to market.
The products are categorized into two major lines: Digital Multimedia Solutions
and Traing Solutions. Digital Multimedia Solutions includes Media Creation
Products focusing on media creation by advancing technologies to capture, edit,
author and record all types of media, and Digital Entertainment products
providing high quality media enjoyment on the PC by perfecting state-of-the-art
audio-video technologies. These award-winning software applications are ideal
solutions for turning today's mainstream computers into home theaters and
digital video centers. The company's Training Solutions include authoring tools
for creating training content and training management systems that offer an easy
and cost effective way to deliver and manage training programs over corporate
intranets or the Internet. As a result of the company's solid growth and
profitability, CyberLink became a public company in October, 2000 and is listed
on the Taiwan Over The Counter Exchange (OTC: 5203). To keep up with market
demands, CyberLink has operations in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific
region including Japan. CyberLink's worldwide headquarters are in Taipei and the
company website is: www.goCyberlink.com
Source: CyberLink
So, i have vcr's with my tv shows in it that i record almost every day (they are local tv shows here in Brazil and there is nothing to do with big media corps american tv shows). I want to preserve and better organize them, that's the only way are recording in digital media like dvd's, so i'm waiting for HDD/DVD DVR's with better quality, more options and Wayyy better prices.
But with this protection bullshit, i'm afraid i could have problems recording to hdd/dvd from my old vcr's (and preserve them for extinction, since with time vcr tapes lost their record quality and sharpness video quality - i have some old vcr tapes record 5 years ago that lost their resolution and some with 10 years that lost a LOT of their resolution). I could have problems to if one friend of mine take their already dvd recorded tv content in my home to give to me some tv shows i like (and don't have) to add to my collection. Nothing to do with piracy or money, BUT if our (mine and him) hdd/dvd recorder are full of that CRAPPY copy protection we couldn't exchange and could have problems recording from tv or recording from our vcr's.
So, in this scene i only see 3 possible ways to solve that problems, created by BIG BIG GREEDY and senseless corps:
1 - buy an HDD/DVD recorder that had 'hidden menus' to put this protectiobs off (to record and to read - CPRM and other bullshit protections);
2 - buy an HDD/DVD from China that couldn't have this protection in the hardware;
3 - search like crazy behind cracks programs around the internet that take the contents of my media (recorded from tv and full of protection bullshit) and deletes the protection from them, generating a new media without any protection (well, if the protection is not in the 'head' of the video and are embebbed around of all the video lenght it could take time to delete the protection and recompressing could made the video quality worse - some consequence i couldn't deal about).
This protection bullshit in tv shows and/or hdd/dvd dvr's could lend to another problem too:
In some cases i could record one tv show entirelly (like -live - Carnaval here in Brazil) - in this case could take A LOT of hours. Well, later, i don't want the entirelly event BUT only the few seconds that they take a closer look (zoom) to some beautifull girls i like (u know, in thongs, bikinis and topless, hehehehe). Well, only this interest me. The event take 2 days, and at least 30 hours of recorded hdd but only interests me some seconds of beautiful girls that could lead to some few minutes only of worth media content. So, i have to record to some dvd-rw (from the hdd/dvd vcr) and put on my PC, open some especific program and EDIT it to cut/past ONLY the frames/seconds i want to a secundary video file, making my edited version of the event. So, 15 dvd-rw's and 26 hours of recorded live ebent could be an PERSONAL edited 15 minutes 'light' (and erotic, hehehe) version. So, imagine this with FULL of CRAPPY protections! How could i edit it and generate and video without this protections, how could the edit video program deal with this protection ? So, my inofensive hobby is HARMLESS, it won't assault Hollywood or big USA tv shows$, it's my own paradise made with contents freely distributed by my tv channel.
This the problem with the GREEDY without control and the histery to take absolute 'BIG BROTHER' control 'scenario' thrown to our heads!
This is the Big corp American taking the Human Rigjhts by assault!
Well, at least we could find some crack programs (or cracked video edit programs) to solve this problem... There's a chance... DMCA, my fat ass!
JR
[edited by seanbyrne on 13.01.2004 21:22]
And this helps cyberlinks PowerDVD users how?
Methinks they are shooting themselves in the foot.Should read more carefully.
It's great that Cyberlink are adding the support 
It's a double edged sword though.
Since PC's now support reading it, the protection designers can suggest that it's a universal solution for protecting content, which will make the protection even more popular.
"protection" of this kind is almost as foolish as certain American's unconstitutional attempts to restrict firearms sale & use. FYI to industry fops: criminals don't follow the law. Such inane technologies only infuriate customers; it's a great way to get your ENTIRE product line boycotted
It's already illegal to pirate! (duh) Infringing on the fair use rights of others in a (pointless) attempt to foil pirates is simply moronic.
STOP IT
kudos to cyberlink
Happy Birthday to you 
