HD wmv movies on DVD (DRM furstration)

[superboyac]

I don't know how many of you have these DVD's that supposedly have a High-Definition version of the movie on it in wmv format.  Personally, I've had my Terminator 2 Extreme DVD for a couple of years, and I have never gotten the wmv version to work.  And I've tried it, believe.  I've tried hard.

I'm pretty good with computers, and I just can't get this thing to play.  It's beyond ridiculous, it's beyond absurd.  It's just so stupid to have so much restriction on something that makes watching this difficult...almost impossible.  A couple of weeks ago, I must've spent at least 2 hours trying to play this movie.  I was reading forums, downloading drivers, installing the dvd's own player (of course it won't work with 3rd party players like Zoom Player).  I mean, if it isn't impossible to play this thing, it's next to impossible.

And all this talk I'm hearing about Windows Vista and their severe DRM restrictions is a little scary.  What's going to happen?  It sounds like companies are going to sell products (graphic cards, dvd's, other hardware) with nice capabilities, but with so many restrictions on them that render them basically useless.  So there are probably going to be a lot of unknowing consumers buying a bunch of high-end stuff that isn't going to work.  There's no way that people will put up with this.  It's going to be really interesting to see how all this plays out.

[f0dder]

...And the pirates just download a 4.3gigabyte .mkv (matroska video container) with AC3 sound and H.264 encoded 720p version, which is probably higher quality than the .wmv. So much for copy protections/DRM, as usual they only get in the honest people's way, while the pirates have it all.

And blu-ray/hd-dvd has already been broken.

[superboyac]

...And the pirates just download a 4.3gigabyte .mkv (matroska video container) with AC3 sound and H.264 encoded 720p version, which is probably higher quality than the .wmv. So much for copy protections/DRM, as usual they only get in the honest people's way, while the pirates have it all.

And blu-ray/hd-dvd has already been broken.

-f0dder (January 29, 2007, 05:00 PM)

Really?  Can I download my terminator 2 HD version?  How were they able to extract it when I can't even play it from the actual dvd?

[f0dder]

You probably can, but while in a sense I guess it's morally okay, its illegal, and you'd need somewhere to grab it from. And I don't think that's something we should pursue further here

And why were they able to extract it? Dunno. Most of the HD movies seem to be dumps from digital TV, probably cable, then compressed with H.264 or in some cases xvid. The companies behind HD-dvd and blu-ray supposedly went to great lengths to protect their protection , but programs can be reverse engineered and decryption keys can be dumped from memory.

[superboyac]

I understand...

I'll get it to play sooner or later, just as a matter of pride.  Still, it's pissed me off to no end.

[superboyac]

OK, I'm so f-in pissed off right now.  I just spent another 2 hours trying to get this dvd to play and I've had no luck.  I was pretty tired and I'm going to sleep late again all because of this stupid drm BS.  What the hell do they think they're accomplishing anyway?  It's a 2-disc set, the first DVD has the movie in regular format, and the 2nd DVD is this drm HD format.  Yet, the HD format has this insane restriction on it and I can't even watch it?  What's the big f-in deal?!  EIther way, I can watch the movie, whether it's the "bad" normal version or the HD version, so why do they place this insane amount of protection on a little better quality version of the movie?  I'm so mad I can't even tell you.

[nudone]

maybe complaining to the manufacturers of the dvd would lead somewhere - probably not but, at least, you'd be able to tell them they are a load of morons for making such a thing. tell them the product is defective and you want to be reimbursed not just for the dvd but for all the time you've wasted trying to get it to work.

failing that i'd get my camcorder and film myself burning the dvd and stick it on youtube - as a kind of feeble protest to the world.

[vegas]

...And the pirates just download a 4.3gigabyte .mkv (matroska video container) with AC3 sound and H.264 encoded 720p version, which is probably higher quality than the .wmv. So much for copy protections/DRM, as usual they only get in the honest people's way, while the pirates have it all.

And blu-ray/hd-dvd has already been broken.

-f0dder (January 29, 2007, 05:00 PM)

I've got that disc too.  It actually is higher quality than most anything available online, equal to blu-ray or hd-dvd just using a different codec .  The video is actually 1080p in WMV, which itself takes a pretty decent newer system to play.  But I also own Zoom Player WMV, which was supposed to be able to play this, I never figured it out either.  I didn't want to have to install the latest Windows Media Player.  Besides, if I remember correctly, once you do get it to work, it is a time-limited license.