Copy Protection Fault Found in HDTV DVD Players

Copy Protection Fault Found in HDTV DVD Players

Despite taking elaborate precautions to build fool-proof copy-protection systems into the next generation of high-definition DVD players, a computer magazine has found a relatively easy way of defeating the systems, thereby allowing pirates to make master copies. The magazine c't (sic), in an issue that went on sale Monday, noted that it is only necessary to press the Print key on a keyboard while an HD movie is running in order to get a full-resolution picture of each frame. By automating the process, frames can be captured in consecutive order to create a complete movie, the magazine observed. It can then be mixed with the audio track. The copy protection loophole affects both Sony's Blu-ray players and Toshiba's HD-DVD players. Both companies are expected to produce software updates to counteract the fault.

Yet Another Delay for Blu-Ray Players, Says Chinese Paper

And the delays keep coming for Sony's Blu-ray high-definition DVD system. China's Commercial Times newspaper is reporting that Sony's production facilities have not been able to meet the demand for the diode that generates the blue laser at the heart of the HD system. Both Sony's own plants and those of Japan's Nichia Corp., the only two suppliers of the diodes, have been plagued by production problems, the newspaper said. The supply problem, it observed, could not only delay production of Blu-ray DVD players for Sony and other manufacturers, but could also delay the release of PlayStation 3 models, now scheduled for November