What's stupid is that CSS isn't copy-protection at all. You can simply copy the encrypted files to a new DVD and that DVD will play fine. No decoding of CSS is necessary.

I believe that CSS is not related to the region coding mechanism used in DVD boxes and software. The region code is specified on the DVD during the authoring phase with a code of 1 - 5. The player is hard-wired with the code of the region it is intended for during manufacturing. When a DVD is accessed, the player checks to see if the region code on the disk matches the player's code - if it doesn't it won't play it. I don't believe that CSS plays any part in this.

Also, regarding the previous post about being able to copy CSS-encrypted content to a blank DVD. That is not supposed to be able to happen with consumer-related DVD-R disks. The "DVD-R for General" specification does not allow the burning of disks with CSS-encrypted media. "DVD-R for Authoring" does allow this but that form of media is much less common and more expensive. the Pioneer DVR-103, 104, 105 (aka Apple Superdrives) drives only write to "General" format DVD media. Note that not all DVD media is CSS encrypted - that may be why you think that DVDs can be copied like that. Of course, there may be someway of compromising the security of the DVD-R standards that I'm not aware of .

I hardly think it's true that CSS was "broken by Norwegian teenagers in an afternoon"!

As I heard the story, CSS was initially broken by means of reverse engineering a software DVD player (Xing) to extract the key that was built into the software. Every DVD manufacturer, software or hardware, has its own unique key that it builds into the player and will be used to decrypt the DVD data.

Once they got the key and the CSS decryption algorithm (which was secret) out of the Xing DVD software, cryptographers were able to detect weaknesses in CSS. Using these weaknesses it became possible to decrypt any disk, even without the stolen key. That is what led to deCSS and the many DVD ripping programs which exist today.

The process went through several steps and took some time. The algorithm was not cracked by teenagers in an afternoon.

It may be true that you can't copy CSS-encrypted files to a disc using DVD-R General media. Last time I looked into this issue, there was no such thing as DVD-R anyhow. You might be able to do it with an older standard like DVD-RAM. Although not all players will take this media, I seem to recall that most Matsushita (Panasonic) players will, since they invented it.

Uh I have copied plenty of DVD's onto VCR tapes without any problems. I have a Apex AD-703 DVD player and a cheapo VCR.

Maybe the reason they don't care about Macrovision for these "superbit" DVDs is that you lose the advantage of extra resolution if you copy them to VHS tape. If you're willing to shell out extra for a superbit DVD then you must care about the video quality, and face it, VHS sucks even compared to regular DVD.

It's an interesting theory, but it doesn't explain why Macrovision is upset. This is part of a trend that began when the first Harry Potter (Lord of the Rings? I forget) movie was released with Macrovision only on 1 in 10 discs and Macrovision thereafter changed its licensing requirements to require that all discs released within a region would have to have Macrovision (or none of them). Macrovision does a fine job of frustrating the legit activity of a lot of law-abiding users to the benefit of the studios' business-model, so they've got an interest in keeping the impression that they're using Macrovision alive, even as they pull back from paying protection money to Macrovision for every disc they sell.