I get lots of inquiries from clients and prospects about copy-protecting their CDs and DVDs. 

In the heyday of vhs dubbing, we at Video Labs would add Macrovision encryption http://tinyurl.com/gzmrj, versions of which either added spikes in the voltage of the signal or added a “flag” in the vertical interval of the video signal . . . (that area you can’t normally see at the top of a standard def tv signal, where items like vertical interval time code, closed-captioning and SpoTTrac information is encoded.) 

As we have moved into discs, we’re now at the following point: 

For CDs, it’s basically “coming up empty.”  You can scour the internet and find products, but from our experience — and I am always open to new information if you have any — there is nothing that satisfactorily can protect the information on a CD from being copied. 

Now, keep in mind that there are features within certain software programs, like in Acrobat, that can make taking elements out of a document difficult.  The analogy would be like turning a layered Photoshop or Illustrator file into an unlayered document.  But that doesn’t prevent the document in total from being copied. 

For DVD-video discs, we do have an option  (again, not for DVD data discs.)  

The most common type of encryption, and the one we offer, is CSS, which stands for Content Scramble System. 

This is not to be confused with .css or Cascading Style Sheets http://tinyurl.com/7x56p, which is something completely different pertaining to working with HTML code in the web development arena. 

I invite you to check out this Wikipedia for more details on how CSS encryption works: http://tinyurl.com/28zo32, but in short, it involves placing a set of digital keys in a certain area of the DVD which can then be “unlocked” only by licensed DVD players. 

Is it fail safe?  Nope.  If you Google CSS, you are going to find De-CSS, abundantly available in various flavors to circumvent the encryption.  So, I always tell my clients that if someone really wants to rip off your content, they can find a way to do it. 

Still, as some clients have correctly reasoned, it still makes sense to add the encryption.  CSS may very well discourage the casual otherwise well-meaning consumer user who doesn’t see the harm in making a DVD copy of a program for a friend down the street.  Most folks like that will go no further upon seeing an initial cannot copy warning. 

Now there is one thing to keep in mind.  CSS encryption can be added only in a disc authoring process.  Read this quick-read blog for what disc authoring entails: http://tinyurl.com/5m6hga 

This means that the encryption cannot be added “after the fact.”  It has to be “cooked in” when the DVD is first created.  And it doesn’t matter whether or you have any menus or not (the usual reason for doing disc authoring).  Even if you want to CSS encrypt just a straight-play DVD, the first part of the encryption can be added only in a DVD authoring process. 

I say “first part” because the “second part” of the encryption can be added only via disc replication. (Read this to understand the difference between disc “duplication” vs. disc “replication:” http://tinyurl.com/2ox2rk 

So, to reiterate, to add CSS encryption, an authoring process is essential, and the disc copies have to be made via replication. 

And as you may know, DVD replication requires a minimum order of 1,000 DVDs. 

What are the costs?  Well, it depends on the program length.  But figure on $250 – $400 for the disc authoring time, and $250 for the adding of CSS. 

Moving forward:  One of the features of the Blu-ray disc format is that it offers a much-advanced, robust, triple-level system of disc encryption.  This includes Advanced Access Content System: http://tinyurl.com/ye3zr5

My media replication industry colleague/partner, Tim Schoonenberg, of Great Lakes Media Technology www.glmt.com, wrote a good blog on the 3-levels of Blu-ray disc encryption as well: http://tinyurl.com/29x6op2

As with DVD-video discs, to incorporate the encryption with Blu-ray, there needs to be a combination of advanced disc authoring and disc replication.  I can tell you, this ain’t cheap, hence why at this time, the creation of such Blu-ray replicated discs is limited to studios and broadcasters with deep pockets. 

But with that said, please remember that if you do not need encryption, we at Video Labs can author both DVDs and yes, Blu-ray master discs, and duplicate smaller quantities of each very cost-effectively.  

NOTE: I should qualify that by saying that the Blu-ray authoring in that case will be somewhat basic compared to the extensive BD-Live features that studio film titles may offer, but still, many of our clients find our Blu-ray disc process really suits their goal of providing high-quality video on a budget. 

Contact me for more information:  dryan@VideoLabs.net 

Follow me on Twitter:  www.Twitter.com/drmediasolution for more news & info including short-term steep discounts. 

Find out more about our Blu-ray disc duplication: http://tinyurl.com/a6jqd6