DVD 5.1 Recording Questions & More

[EdwardGein]

Are there any stand alone DVD recorders that allow you to record 5.1 sound or is this impossible currently because US law prohibits this? I know you can record 5.1 sound on computer DVD burners but am not sure on stand alone recorders. Can someone give me some background into this.

As an aside, you guys know & I know that you can't copy most DVD's on recorders (without doing online research), but I'm puzzled by the following & would appreciate someone answering this as best you can:

1. Why do manufacturers of Stand Alone DVD Recorders not inform the consumer upfront that their recorder does not allow recording of most DVDs & why hasn't this resulted in any class action lawsuits?

2. How is a free software program like DVD Shrink allowed to remain online as apparently this type of software can not be commercially sold?

Thanks for any explanations as I'm curious what the answers are.

[noddin0ff]

1. Why do manufacturers of Stand Alone DVD Recorders not inform the consumer upfront that their recorder does not allow recording of most DVDs & why hasn't this resulted in any class action lawsuits?
You want a class action law suit against manufacturers for failure to inform the consumers that their product will not enable them to do things that are illegal? DVD Recorders don't decrypt. If they did that would be against the DMCA, and illegal. I don't reallly think it would help most consumers to tell them up front that the DVD recorder doesn't decrypt. They'd just go, "huh?" The product does what it says it does within the limits of the law. It's not the manufactures who's at fault, its the consumers.


2. How is a free software program like DVD Shrink allowed to remain online as apparently this type of software can not be commercially sold?
In order for it to not remain online, someone has to actively shut it down. That requires action, legal right, ability to find those distrubuting it etc. I'd rather my law enforcement agents focus on domestic violence, people who drive in the car pool lane, and people who spit on the sidewalk.

[EdwardGein]

"DVD Recorders don't decrypt."

I thought there is a chip device that has been purposely put in DVD recorders to prevent recording of DVD's that are encrypted. That is the difference. If they didn't put the chip in there in the first place, people could still record this stuff. So without this chip the recording could be done. Also most DVD recorders promote this stuff by implying to people they can record movies etc when clearly they can't.


"In order for it to not remain online, someone has to actively shut it down. That requires action, legal right, ability to find those distrubuting it etc. I'd rather my law enforcement agents focus on domestic violence, people who drive in the car pool lane, and people who spit on the sidewalk."

Hey. I'm glad they're not but there must be more to it to why these sites aren't shut down.

[noddin0ff]

"DVD Recorders don't decrypt."

I thought there is a chip device that has been purposely put in DVD recorders to prevent recording of DVD's that are encrypted. That is the difference. If they didn't put the chip in there in the first place, people could still record this stuff. So without this chip the recording could be done. Also most DVD recorders promote this stuff by implying to people they can record movies etc when clearly they can't.

I think you're right. It's certainly true that recorders *could* be made that would allow copying of encrypted sources. If that was legal they would sell them.

I disagree that manufactures imply that the players can do what they don't.
You can record movies as they claim; you just can't duplicate protected ones. That's a semantic, yet big difference.

[EdwardGein]

"You can record movies as they claim; you just can't duplicate protected ones. That's a semantic, yet big difference.[/QUOTE]

Yeah its called misleading people and false advertising. That's my beef!

[Stereomaniac]

I am not sure about informing people up front, but my new Panasonic states at least 5 times in the manual that it can not copy copy-protected material including "most commercially available DVDs" and indicates the message that will display if you try it.

[Smokey]

2. How is a free software program like DVD Shrink allowed to remain online as apparently this type of software can not be commercially sold?

There are other type of software and hardware (I saw one on shopping network) that let you allow to get around copying decrypted DVDs. They get around the law by stating that their product should be used in home and for personal use only (make copy for yourself). But they also state that it is illegal to copy a DVD (using their product) and sell it commercially. It is kind of a loop hole :)

[GMichael]

There are other type of software and hardware (I saw one on shopping network) that let you allow to get around copying decrypted DVDs. They get around the law by stating that their product should be used in home and for personal use only (make copy for yourself). But they also state that it is illegal to copy a DVD (using their product) and sell it commercially. It is kind of a loop hole :)

I would be happy with making one copy for myself. My DVD/R's manual says that some DVD's are "copy once" types, and that once I re-copy it from the hard drive to a DVD it would then be erased from the hard drive. That sounded great but I have never run into one of these "copy once" types.

[EdwardGein]

While I'm quite happy with DVD Shrink, unfortunately this Forum's policy is that we are not suppose to discuss specifics of things like that, which is cool but I'm curious of the software name's/titles that has been sold in stores as I was told that these things weren't being carried in retail outlets for legal reasons.

[N. Abstentia]

DVD X-Copy was the biggest one available at retail.

[EdwardGein]

DVD X-Copy was the biggest one available at retail.

I heard that the powers that be got DVD-X off the marketplace or can you still get it in stores r online?

[N. Abstentia]

I don't know if you can still get it anywhere, but even when it was out there were better programs that were free....like DVD Shrink.

[EdwardGein]

I don't know if you can still get it anywhere, but even when it was out there were better programs that were free....like DVD Shrink.

I'm happy with DVD Shrink, just trying to get some background on all this stuff as I may eventually try to put out a guide. I'm still not clear if you can get in legal trouble for writing in a book sources of beating The Man like DVD Shrink, etc. without actually doing it yourself or furnishing the finished product- i.e. giving people information where they can order
protection free DVD recorders, software, etc. without actually selling the stuff myself or making any money off what they buy. Any thoughts? My thoughts are its not worth the trouble.

[noddin0ff]

I don't know if this help anybody or not, but this device which I was talking about is available from Amazon fro $70. One can make copy of encrypted DVDs and VHS tapes onto DVD/Rs, and it seem to work fine as indicated by review feedbacks :)

That looks like a device to defeat Macrovision which works in the analog domain. Commercial DVD's have the digital info on the disk digitally encrypted. Breaking that encryption, distrubiting the means to break, or telling people how to break it, is what the DMCA prohibits. The DVD player decrypts this info and converts it to an analog signal. The analog signal contains Macrovision copy protection. If, for instance, you pass your DVD signal through a VCR which detects Macrovision (most all VCR's) then on your TV you usually see an image that fades dark, then light. Or some other distortion. Devices to defeat Macrovision are fairly common. The un-legal DVD copy programs both decrypt and remove macrovision...and region codes...