What is DVD Copy Protection and How to Remove it?

Date January 18, 2016 Author Catherine Category DVD Tips

When you fire up your DVD ripper application, one of the first steps in the copy process is removing the copy protection found on most commercial discs. These copy protections generally come in the form of an encryption embedded into the digital code of the DVD, rendering the disc inaccessible to ripping software. This is done to protect the movie from piracy.

In most cases, the encryption standard used on commercial DVDs is known as CSS, which stands for Content Scramble System. It was introduced in the mid 1990s, back when the DVD format was still a newcomer in the home entertainment industry. It works by forcing the DVD player and the disc to perform a secret digital handshake before the movie will play on your TV or other device.

DVD ripper software is unable to perform this digital handshake, and therefore must use what is known as a CSS Decrypter. These decrypters were first developed three years after the introduction of CSS. They take advantage of the inherent weakness of the 40-bit key sized encryption sequence utilized by the Content Scramble System.

Decrypters are not the only way to bypass the CSS decryption on a commercial DVD. CSS is also susceptible to what is known as a “brute force attack.” This kind of decryption method obtains the CSS encryption key by attempting to input all possible key sequences until it finds the right one. This is similar to a “dictionary attack” that can obtain passwords by trying to use all the words (and more) found in the dictionary.

Compared to other encryption methods, CSS is relatively unsecure. This is because United States trade law forbade cryptography firms from exporting encryption methods with key sizes in excess of 40-bits. As it turns out, a 40-bit encryption was about as good as a screen door during a hurricane when more powerful processors became available to the public.

CSS isn’t the only copy protection found on DVDs. Region coding is another method companies use in order to limit a disc’s functionality. Region codes limit which players, in different parts of the world can play a particular disc. For example, if you buy a DVD on your way to the New York City airport before a trip to London, when you land in London and make it to your hotel, your newly purchased DVD will not work.

This, in part, is also an anti-piracy measure, as well as a tactic that content creators use to control the distribution of their product around the world. The best DVD rippers easily remove these restrictions with relative ease.

Summary

At the end of the day, DVD copy protections are intended to provide a measure of security against digital pirates. However, both the good and bad guys can easily circumvent them. Furthermore, the legality of circumventing these protections for personal use is murky at best. In any case, DVD ripper software provides a quick and easy means to remove these protections so you can back up, convert and enjoy the movies you’ve paid for on any device you want

From: http://dvd-ripper-software-review.toptenreviews.com/understanding-dvd-copy-protection.html

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