Legal DVD playback

[saxuntu]

OpenSUSE now has encrypted DVD playback as well as other multimedia codecs available by default. Now I'm not saying Ubuntu have these available by default, but i think in order for Ubuntu to become successful they need to start to dance with the devil of CSS. I know theres medibuntu, but in the US it's illegal and for newbies, anywhere, who are technophobes the idea of having to add a repository then using synaptic to hunt down codecs is a turn off. The easiest way around this i can think of would be for Canonical to sell a package/license/. Then have it available under Add/Remove like the extra codec packages.

[Gremlinzzz]

OpenSUSE has went over to the dark side its part of the evil empire.I think you have been infected and are trying to lure others to join the evil empire.

[Dr. C]

I would check out http://www.cnr.com since legal DVD playback for residents of the USA is the kind of thing they should support. It is very new but they do support Ubuntu 7.04

By the way in most parts of the world it is perfectly legal to use the libdecss libraries to play DVDs but the USA is one notable exception. Caution IANAL

[Erunno]

OpenSUSE now has encrypted DVD playback as well as other multimedia codecs available by default.

Encrypted DVD playback is still only available in third party repositories, it's just easier to install via a (community-provided) one click installer. The fluendo MP3 gstreamer codec is the only one I can think of which is available/installed (?) from the official repositories.

[ericartman]

You know this is getting so old. I understand it's(DVD playback) illegal in the US, disagree but understand. The other day I read a release from Sony saying people who rip legally purchased CD's and change formats, say to FLAC like I do, are as guilty of theft as downloaders, in their opinion. I can't wait to have a cop check my cd player next time I get stopped, for illegal MP3's, lol

Cart

[n3tfury]

The other day I read a release from Sony saying people who rip legally purchased CD's and change formats, say to FLAC like I do, are as guilty of theft as downloaders, in their opinion. I can't wait to have a cop check my cd player next time I get stopped, for illegal MP3's, lol

Cart

would you mind providing a link? i'd love a good laugh. i myself rip all of my CD's to .flac also, so this oughta be good to read.

[ericartman]

Here ya go, yeah its getting so strange.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071002-sony-bmgs-chief-anti-piracy-lawyer-copying-music-you-own-is-stealing.html

Cart

[Celegorm]

The other day I read a release from Sony saying people who rip legally purchased CD's and change formats, say to FLAC like I do, are as guilty of theft as downloaders, in their opinion.

I really can't respect the opinion on this subject of the same people who put a rootkit on CD's as a DRM measure. That's a pretty ridiculous (and a bit scary) stance in any case, irrespective of who is saying it.

edit- thanks for the link!

edit2-
...she clearly suggests that consumers have no right to make backups of the music that they have purchased in CD form or even in download form. This is the sort of thing that made me decide not to buy CD's from major record labels anymore.

[p_quarles]

I'm fairly certain that Jennifer Pariser is simply incorrect about this. There are no laws against ripping music from a CD, and every RIAA member has deals with companies that make products with this capability built in (iTunes, WMP). IANAL.

A few years ago, the Onion ran a headline (no story) that said "RIAA bans telling friends about music." It seemed ridiculous. At the time. These folks are more out of touch than I thought possible.

[tbroderick]

OpenSUSE now has encrypted DVD playback as well as other multimedia codecs available by default.

Are you sure? Maybe they are included on the DVD but not installed by default.

http://opensuse-community.org/Multimedia

[ericartman]

http://teamcombooks.com/mp3handbook/5.htm

Read #1 under US copyright law I kinda feel this may be where Sony gets their right under ownership to forbid any copying IANAL though.

Cart

[p_quarles]

http://teamcombooks.com/mp3handbook/5.htm

Read #1 under US copyright law I kinda feel this may be where Sony gets their right under ownership to forbid any copying IANAL though.

Cart
Read a little further down, i.e., case #1. Looks like there's a specific provision which allows noncommercial private use, including recording and reproduction.

That would seem to go against what Pariser claimed.

(good link, btw)

[ericartman]

Exactly, the whole situation appears to be in such a state of flux I doubt if anyone is sure of what is right and wrong. My only fear is, in our justice system, the one with the most money usually prevails. I keep sending my emails to my congressperson though.

Cart

[stmiller]

Meh. Lots of people use VLC on Windows also to watch DVDs. In fact, that is the only free way to get DVD playback in Windows.

[n3tfury]

Exactly, the whole situation appears to be in such a state of flux I doubt if anyone is sure of what is right and wrong. My only fear is, in our justice system, the one with the most money usually prevails. I keep sending my emails to my congressperson though.

Cart

thanks for the link


Meh. Lots of people use VLC on Windows also to watch DVDs. In fact, that is the only free way to get DVD playback in Windows.

*raises hand*

[Polygon]

i got a free dvd playback codec thing that came with my motherboard, so techincally i own a licence to play back dvds... and since the program doesnt have a linux version im forced to use the libdecss in ubuntu :D

[qazwsx]

Meh. Lots of people use VLC on Windows also to watch DVDs. In fact, that is the only free way to get DVD playback in Windows.
There is also ffdshow (GPL).

[MellonCollie]

Meh. Lots of people use VLC on Windows also to watch DVDs. In fact, that is the only free way to get DVD playback in Windows.

Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Vista play DVDs out of the box.

[RomeReactor]

Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Vista play DVDs out of the box.
Well, that's because of the partnerships/agreements microsoft has with the owners of those technologies/licenses.


i got a free dvd playback codec thing that came with my motherboard, so techincally i own a licence to play back dvds... and since the program doesnt have a linux version im forced to use the libdecss in ubuntu :D
Every time I buy a Lite-On DVD reader or burner, I get a PowerDVD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerdvd) disc. You can call me a lawbreaker if you want, but I don't feel in the least bit guilty about enabling DVD playback on Ubuntu.

[ger_mulvey]

Luckily to keep my conscience clear I have a standalone dvd player. But in case it don't work I installed VLC! :)

[p_quarles]

Every time I buy a Lite-On DVD reader or burner, I get a PowerDVD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerdvd) disc. You can call me a lawbreaker if you want, but I don't feel in the least bit guilty about enabling DVD playback on Ubuntu.
Lawbreaker! :)

Of course the vendors bundle PowerDVD or other programs with DVD drives. They want you to buy their product, which in normal reality means that they feel pressure to include features which would make you want to buy their product.

In the bizarro-land of the **AAs, however, this seemingly straightforward logic does not hold up.

Here's (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/1035) the latest debacle, btw, for anyone who hasn't yet heard.

[RomeReactor]

Hmmm... "Rise of the Silver Surfer" and "Day After Tomorrow"... Terrible movies, in my opinion, but that's another issue. The problem seems to be that the problematic players haven't correctly implemented the decryption of the BD+ copy protection. So, more DRM problems. Yarrhhh...

[Rhapsody]

I want to play a DVD using libdvdcss someday. Not because I have no way of playing them otherwise (I have a perfectly good DVD player right here) or because I want to copy them, but because it's illegal! An illegal way of playing my own DVDs! That's so cool!

[Incense]

OpenSUSE now has encrypted DVD playback as well as other multimedia codecs available by default. Now I'm not saying Ubuntu have these available by default, but i think in order for Ubuntu to become successful they need to start to dance with the devil of CSS. I know theres medibuntu, but in the US it's illegal and for newbies, anywhere, who are technophobes the idea of having to add a repository then using synaptic to hunt down codecs is a turn off. The easiest way around this i can think of would be for Canonical to sell a package/license/. Then have it available under Add/Remove like the extra codec packages.

Pretty sure OpenSUSE does not include the encrypted DVD playback. I think Linspire with their $50 dvd playback program is the only real legal way. That being said, i don't think I've heard of anyone getting busted for playing DVD's on linux....yet.

[perce]

Are you sure that libdvdcss is *really* illegal? I mean, for something to be illegal it is not enough that some major claim it is. As far as I know, decss was declared illegal by a US court, but libdvdcss has never been challanged, and the two things are different from what I have understood. I can't really imagine any sensible judge condemning people for whatching
their own DVDs on their on computers. And I can't even imagine
the majors going after people doing that, as piracy surely concerns them much more.

I think Ububtu is wise not toinclude them in the official repository, because someone could go after the distributor, but I'm sure nobody will ever go after users, simply because there is no money to milk out of them.

[raycosm]

Illegal? Catch me if you can.

If this be treason, let us make the most of it!

[aysiu]

Are you sure that libdvdcss is *really* illegal? I mean, for something to be illegal it is not enough that some major claim it is. As far as I know, decss was declared illegal by a US court, but libdvdcss has never been challanged, and the two things are different from what I have understood. I can't really imagine any sensible judge condemning people for whatching
their own DVDs on their on computers. And I can't even imagine
the majors going after people doing that, as piracy surely concerns them much more. It's actually hard to find a consistent an authoritative answer on the issue. I've done quite a bit of Google-searching, and this (http://ubuntucat.wordpress.com/2007/05/28/the-legality-or-illegality-of-w32codecs-and-libdvdcss2/) is the best conclusion I could come up with.

[ericartman]

Sort of off topic but just to point out how far from Kansas we have gotten, at least in the UK they have, check http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7029892.stm

I mean you gotta laugh, it beats crying.

Cart

[John.Michael.Kane]

This seems to be how openSUSE allows users to have dvd playback, and flash etc.
Restricted Multimedia Formats (MP3, DiVX, etc.) (http://opensuse-community.org/Multimedia#Restricted_Multimedia_Formats_.28MP3.2C _DiVX.2C_etc..29)

Also the only codec's out of the box according to openSUSE Is mp3, and it comes through the use of the 1-Click-Install method.
http://news.opensuse.org/?p=400

[Phil Airtime]

Here's a solution. When you first install Ubuntu, you tell it what country you live in, right? If you select any country outside the USA, the software should then give you the option to install the DVD playing thingie that's illegal there. It's not the fault of the devs if people click the wrong country, right?

[p_quarles]

You select a language, keyboard layout and time zone, but I don't recall ever telling Ubuntu what country I lived in.

[Phil Airtime]

You select a language, keyboard layout and time zone, but I don't recall ever telling Ubuntu what country I lived in.

I definitely remember clicking on London on a map when I installed it!

[p_quarles]

Yeah, I know, but that's the time zone selector. I've selected both Chicago and Mexico City, and they both do the same thing.

Of course, it doesn't really have to ask, because it will know where you are you from your IP address.

[wdo_will]

I hate DCMA... One of the worst pieces of legislation ever to be passed, and what's even more sad is that it passed unanimously in the Senate (and I think overwhelmingly in the House)...

What has happened to this country? I OWN a DVD and am not allowed to play it on whatever platform I want to, even if I am complying with the absurd copyright restrictions on the disk itself?