Microsoft & Macrovision to plug analogue hole in Windows OS

02 Feb 05 00:10 by Seán Byrne in category Uncategorized To news archive

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While many anti-piracy companies are working hard to block direct digital copying of video content and DVDs, one major loophole that remains is the analogue video input port such as that found on TV Tuners and video capturing cards. At the moment, if a PVR has time-limited recorded content restricted by the broadcast flag, users could easily hook up a video connection to their PC and do an analogue copy. With a high quality hardware encoding capture card and good cabling, the resulting quality on the PC remains very good, but also very susceptible to online piracy and Hollywood Studios are worried about what consumers would do with their unrestricted recordings.

Now Microsoft has licensed Macrovision’s technology to enforce copyright restrictions on analogue video capture devices within its Windows operating system. This means that that Microsoft’s upcoming versions of Windows Media Center Edition and its upcoming OS Longhorn will only allow temporary recordings playback up to one day if it detects the copy protection signal present in an analog video connection. Longhorn will have improved measures by allowing recorded protected content to be played back between 90 minutes to a week based on the level of protection signaled in the video. The major PVR Company TiVo also plans on supporting Macrovision’s technology to enable the restrictions on both analogue and digital recordings to be enforced.

src="http://www.cdfreaks.com/contentimages/newsimages/1352497049" align=right border=0
>Microsoft and copy-protection company Macrovision have struck a deal that will add a new layer of anticopying defenses to video content being swapped between home devices.

The two companies said that Microsoft had licensed Macrovision’s technology, which aims to stop people from making copies using analog connections between devices, such as those that typically link a set-top box to a television.

The deal could make it harder for consumers to make permanent copies of TV shows and movies without permission, if they use computers running the Windows operating system. It should also help convince movie studios and other content producers to release their products in new ways online, the companies said.

Read the href="http://news.com.com/Microsoft%2C+Macrovision+align+on+copy+protection/2100-1030_3-5557984.html?tag=cd.hed"
target=_new>full story here.

To those who use their PCs for archiving their favorite soaps, shows and other content likely to be protected by broadcast flags, probably the best thing for these consumers to do is to avoid the temptation of upgrading their operating system. At the moment, it looks like these restrictions will only be enforced in upcoming Windows Media Center Editions of Windows XP, so hopefully no “critical security patches” will be released to affect regular versions of Windows XP. It seems like at this point that Microsoft will probably be working more on anti-piracy measures in its next OS than on features that would actually be of interest to its customers.

Early last year, SunnComm bought up Darknoise in an aim to protect Music from the analogue loophole whether sourced from the CDs, Radio, soundtracks or other audio source using the Darknoise technology. This would be done through the use of an inaudible watermark that would turn into a loud audible noise during the analogue to digital process. However so far there has not been any announcement of this technology put to use. However as Microsoft has struct a deal with Macrovision, they may consider taking on someone to help with the analogue audio loophole also.

Source: C|net news – Business & legal

25 Comments

schmiggy_jk23: Posts: 35; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 00:40

Wow what a joke. As temping as longhorn looks, things like this secure my postion to stick with win xp for some time. Is microsoft getting serious kick backs from the entertainment companies? Do they seriously think their end users want crap like this?

ashlvsya: Posts: 13; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 00:43

er Linux anyone?, I mean who are they kiddin. Loadsa of moneys probably going into this project and for what? Well I'll tell ya, for about a million noobs who seriously can't be bothered to search for loopholes (and there will be loopholes) to this technology. And if they can't be bothered then sod 'em. Die M$ and long live Linux, Myth TV to be more specific!!! :X

Wesociety: Posts: 5230; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 01:59

Nice graphic Sean

This is diappointing news.

Roj: Posts: 434; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 02:20

So all this means is that I stay with XP. Big hairy deal. I won't even run SP-2 right now because of its various foibles. If MS keeps up this BS, they'll find a lot more people thinking like me when it comes time to upgrade and their cash flow will suffer. Longhorn tempting? I haven't seen one thing aobut it that appeals to be other than the fact that I'll have to upgrade my hardware to run it (and I'm not running particularly underpowered hardware now). C'mon reactOS!!!
[edited by Roj on 02.02.2005 02:25]

hqs: Posts: 118; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 03:42

MacroVision Type II & III (NTSC Only) works even on capture cards. So not sure what this is doing?

Kevin2: Posts: 69; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 04:54

I won't be upgrading to another MS operating system. EVER. XP is my last upgrade.

jdub: Posts: 233; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 05:14

Damn you microsoft

Crabbyappleton: Posts: 5757; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 05:45

Well I am sure as heck migrating to Longhorn. Guys, we are talking about Microsoft and Macrovision for goodness sakes! Get it? C'mon who else would we want plugging holes? :d

discguy01: Posts: 5; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 06:16

windows xp?? who uses XP? the last MS OS that should ever be put to use is 2k...after that its linux or an abacus!

FreqNasty: Posts: 624; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 07:35

Who uses XP? Just about everyone thats who :B And when the loopholes for the horny OS are found everyone will start using that too.

andcorptech: Posts: 12; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 09:21

Why would a company like Micro$oft go out of their way to make their software less attractive, All this is gonna do is add to the cost of developing Longhorn thus add to our cost. Poor old Billy boy must be out the back smoking drugs while his goons are in the boardroom packing the next billy......Idiots. Just 2 more words 1. Linux 2. Windows Crack........ thats 3 actually

Ranmacanada: Posts: 290; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 12:39

Well I guess it is obvious another US company, make it 2, are going to enforce their beliefs to unrestricted profits and growth on the entire world. If only there were some good dvd encoding tools for linux that I knew of, I would never ever use an MS product again. That damn broadcast flag is nothing but BS. As if you can tell us what we can do with products that we paid for. Hell you might as well tell me what days of hte week I can drive my freaking car. Glad I live in Canada!

katastrofe: Posts: 116; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 12:47

But this will only work if you use directshow or whatever for capturing video. If someone develops a driver that works on its own then it will bypass it. I'm guessing this is just so that average joe won't be ripping his favourite TV shows through the video in on his graphics card. Means very little to the rest of us, except a few more ppl runnig linux of course

Rhelic: Posts: 302; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 14:35

Linux users get a clue.... Linus himself has said although contraversal, he believes Linux needs DRM too. Don't think your safe because you are using the holy grail linux against the evil force Microsoft. Your true enemy lies beyond.

jab1981: Posts: 187; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 14:42

How many people is this honestly going to affect... I don't know of many people who actually record video this way. I'm sure anyone releasing anything major will be able to find an easy way around this.
[edited by jab1981 on 02.02.2005 14:42]

valnar: Posts: 219; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 15:07

I'm not sure I understand the news brief. Does it say that Microsoft will be *adding* Macrovision to analog copies made through Windows, with an analog composite/S-video card? If so, that sounds a bit stupid. What if I was using my PC to transfer personal camcorder tapes to my PC for eventual burning to DVD?

charles1961: Posts: 1; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 15:55

this is the problem you have when you only have one choice of OS. Yea, I know theres linux, But MS dominates the market.. most software is for windows.. alot of the people are to stupid to use something else... what happened to "fair use" rights? again its about $$$

tinku: Posts: 109; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 17:22

of cause its about $$$ not yours the producer protectin his or hers. I only see people here moaning because they think everything in life is free, wake up.

Seán: Posts: 6944; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 17:24

These restrictions will only be imposed on source content containing copy protection signalling such as what Macrovision add to DVDs. I'm not fully sure how this will work, but it looks like Microsoft may need to work closely with Capture card manufacturers such that 3rd party video capture software does not become another loophole. For video sources without any such protection such as from a Camcorder, video camera, etc., I'm sure the OS will not attempt to guard this.
[edited by Seán on 02.02.2005 17:26]

Roj: Posts: 434; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 18:15

Last time I chjecked, I was able to tape programs I wanted to see later and then keep them if I wanted to. Again, a little concept called "fair use". Also, if you don't want it recorded, don't broadcast it in the clear. Additionally, I wonder if tinku, for all his tough talk, could actually walk the walk. I'm quite sure a visit to his house would reveal at least one videotape used to record TV at some point in the past.
[edited by Roj on 02.02.2005 18:19]

Lord KiRon: Posts: 257; Posted on: 02 Feb 05 18:28

Worst case - I will have Linux or XP on my PVR machine .

CORRSA: Posts: 298; Posted on: 03 Feb 05 00:45

ppl simple solution again here DONT buy a capture card boycott em if it aint selling it aint makin em any money at all and as usual they boast losses through ripping blah blah but never really boast about their profits do they ?

sspade100: Posts: 294; Posted on: 04 Feb 05 05:21

About 2years ago i obtained a vhs tape of emmett otter and the jug band, however it had macrovision on it and i certainly wasn't going to buy a device to defeat the protection for this one tape. The usual copy from one vhs to another vhs produced the usual color changes as expected from this protection and my computer without altering the chip would not allow copying onto harddrive. So what does one do? Setup tripod and digital camcorder at 60cycles per second and adjusted distance of camcorder and viewed playback until viewfinder was very close to that of the tape being viewed on computer monitor. Output sound from vhsplayer to input of digital camcorder. Firewired file onto harddrive and made dvd and copy including sound was close to the vhs tape i had.

mrdisk: Posts: 52; Posted on: 04 Feb 05 14:13

===> this is really 'funny'

sspade100: Posts: 294; Posted on: 04 Feb 05 17:01

FYI which i didn't know at the time The copy of Emmett's Otter Jug band Christmas(Jim Henson) that was given to me was a copy from the original and this person used an old VHS which somehow bypassed macrovision , however my player / recorder recognized this protection and created the bars,etc. In addition i made a copy onto 8mm tape and the 8mm tape showed no problems, that is when i played the 8mm tape back, i saw no signs of macrovision. However making a copy from 8mm to vhs ,macrovision appeared again. In addition i tried copying the 8mm tape onto computer harddrive, but again copy protectetion was recognized. If you do a search you will find that 8mm tape disregards macrovision ,but it's still there. I should have said f1/60 sec set on camcorder,equivalent to 60cycles/second.

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Microsoft & Macrovision to plug analogue hole in Windows OS

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