The latest news from the world of the advanced access content system or AACS is not yet another leaked key that can allow pirates to make copies of Blu-ray or HD DVD movies but is instead about lsquo;mandatory managed copy rsquo; (MMC), a technology that allows consumers to legally make backup copies of AACS protected media.
The AACS specification was originally intended to act as a system that prevents unauthorized copies from being made, but since its release it has been broken in various ways, causing the AACS association to enter into a guerilla war with the tireless hackers and pirates.
Now the MMC feature threatens to boost DRM, or digital rights management, against constant criticism that it rsquo;s a feature consumers don rsquo;t want, and often actually hate, as it prevents them from using the content on different devices they own.
MMC would allow a number of backup copies, which would be authorized for playback through an online authorization system that would require Blu-ray or HD DVD players to be connected to the Internet. If MMC succeeds, it would help to answer the critics as it would enable a limited form of copying to take place.
All HD DVD players feature an Ethernet port for firmware updates and an Internet connection as standard, but a fly in the Blu-ray ointment only sees three of the current available players ndash; from Sony, Samsung and Pioneer ndash; currently equipped with Ethernet, leading to speculation that some kind of plug-in authorization device may be needed for non-Ethernet based players.
That rsquo;s all good and well, of course, except for the fact the device probably won rsquo;t be free, and would become the instant plaything of hackers trying to figure out how it works so they could copy it, whether cheaply in hardware or somehow copy the feature in software.
The feature was heavily touted during the initial phase of the Blu-ray and HD DVD war, long before any players actually made it into retail stores, and proved such a sticking point that once players finally hit the market, it was without the MMC component in place, instead left to a future firmware update.
Of course, all of that forgets to mention that you rsquo;ll need either a Blu-ray or HD DVD burner to make backup copies, along with blank Blu-ray or HD DVD discs, although anyone deciding to copy their movie onto their home computer (or media center rsquo;s) hard drive won rsquo;t need the burner and blank disc option.
That said, when MMC finally goes live, the need to buy a suitable burner and blank discs will feature a massive hurdle: the expense. High-def burners and discs are mightily expensive, just as CDs and DVDs were when they originally launched years ago, although they have subsequently fallen to sub $1 per disc prices quite rapidly.
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