The Secret Numbers...
Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but there's a bit of a revolt going on out there, regarding the secret encryption code used by HD-DVDs. The number, a 16-digit number that is "illegal to possess and disseminate" according to AACS has gained popularity (as far as a number can be deemed popular) as a way of sticking it to the man.
The code can, in theory (and certainly in practice for some), be used to rip the contents of an HD-DVD disk to a PC, allowing a lossless digital copy of an HD-DVD disk to be made. Film studios don't like the idea of that, so went with the AACS encryption model with HD-DVD.
What they didn't foresee (how not?) is that PC based HD-DVD playback solutions such as WinDVD and PowerDVD were inherently weaker than any hardware based players, and provided a way into the code to find the encryption keys. Which is what happened.
Initially the keys were discussed on various forums, but in the last few days they have been distributed all over the place, with AACS trying to send cease & desist orders to anyone breathing the numbers. Unless they've given up already.
And they should. Not everybody who wants rid of DRM wants to pirate disks. They want to be treated as adults. If they need a backup of their movie collection so they can use a movie server, or to stop the kids scratching them, then why can't they? If we're only buying licences, then why can't I swap my DVDs for HD-DVDs? After all I have a licence for the content, I just want it on different media.
Whatever the situation, it looks like HD-DVD is wide open in this respect, and attention is turning to Blu Ray.
The numbers? Well, they're a secret, but if you do this, then you will see the numbers in all their glory:
Go into you favourite desktop calculator (with Hex mode) and put this number in decimal mode: 11497989095545517501. Then convert this to Hex and copy the numbers out. Then enter this number in decimal also: 594852031564777664 , and again convert to hex and copy it next to the first one.
Stick a zero at the beginning and you will have the magic numbers.
Or as a string of decimal numbers, you can have: 09 249 17 02 157 116 227 91 216 65 86 197 99 86 136 192.
The code can, in theory (and certainly in practice for some), be used to rip the contents of an HD-DVD disk to a PC, allowing a lossless digital copy of an HD-DVD disk to be made. Film studios don't like the idea of that, so went with the AACS encryption model with HD-DVD.
What they didn't foresee (how not?) is that PC based HD-DVD playback solutions such as WinDVD and PowerDVD were inherently weaker than any hardware based players, and provided a way into the code to find the encryption keys. Which is what happened.
Initially the keys were discussed on various forums, but in the last few days they have been distributed all over the place, with AACS trying to send cease & desist orders to anyone breathing the numbers. Unless they've given up already.
And they should. Not everybody who wants rid of DRM wants to pirate disks. They want to be treated as adults. If they need a backup of their movie collection so they can use a movie server, or to stop the kids scratching them, then why can't they? If we're only buying licences, then why can't I swap my DVDs for HD-DVDs? After all I have a licence for the content, I just want it on different media.
Whatever the situation, it looks like HD-DVD is wide open in this respect, and attention is turning to Blu Ray.
The numbers? Well, they're a secret, but if you do this, then you will see the numbers in all their glory:
Go into you favourite desktop calculator (with Hex mode) and put this number in decimal mode: 11497989095545517501. Then convert this to Hex and copy the numbers out. Then enter this number in decimal also: 594852031564777664 , and again convert to hex and copy it next to the first one.
Stick a zero at the beginning and you will have the magic numbers.
Or as a string of decimal numbers, you can have: 09 249 17 02 157 116 227 91 216 65 86 197 99 86 136 192.
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