thorz,
Here's some information directly fro Macrovision main website.
Copy Protection
Video Copy Protection
Macrovision's copy protection technologies are designed to allow content owners to protect their videocassettes, digital Pay-Per-View (PPV) programs and Digital Video Discs (DVD) from unauthorized recording on VCRs. Major Hollywood studios, independent home video companies, and special interest, corporate, and educational program providers use the company's videocassette copy protection technology to protect against unauthorized home copying of rental and sell-through videos.
An enhanced version of the company's copy protection technology is licensed to satellite, telco and cable operators to prevent unauthorized recording of digital PPV programs. The same technology is incorporated in all DVD players to protect against unauthorized recording of DVD programming.
Promoting Copy Protection Usage
More and more rights owners are promoting their copy protection usage to retailers, distributors, and end users, in order to increase sales and reduce copying. Major studios and other rights owners now routinely utilize the triangular copy protection logo to advertise their copy protection usage in trade publications. Others use a video leader on the programs themselves to inform viewers a program is copy protected. The video leader has been applied to over 30 million videos to date.
Digital Video Disc Copy Protection Process
The DVD format gives consumers access to superb quality video programming. However, this format also allows individuals to make commercial-quality VHS recordings from any unprotected DVD program. This form of unauthorized copying poses a new and significant challenge for rights owners who want to protect their videocassette business and the profitability of the retailers with whom they work. Fortunately, Macrovision has developed an enhanced version of its copy protection process that helps allow rights owners to thwart unauthorized copying.
The DVD copy protection process is activated during DVD authoring, and is transparent to the picture on original disc playback. However, when individuals attempt to make a copy on a VCR, the technology is designed to distort the unauthorized copy to such an extent that the copy will generally have no entertainment value.
How Does DVD Copy Protection Work?
Rights owners seeking to copy protect their programs would instruct their authoring facility to set certain digital-analog copy protection trigger bits to "on." When the disc is played back in a consumer's home, these trigger bits activate a Macrovision-enabled digital-analog converter chip inside the player. The chip then applies copy protection to the analog output of the DVD player. This allows for transparent viewing of the original program, but causes copies made on most VCRs to be substantially degraded.
DVD IC Suppliers and Player Manufacturers
Manufacturers of digital analog converter chips are authorized by Macrovision to include DVD copy protection capability. There are currently 45 IC manufacturers authorized to include Macrovision's copy protection capability in their circuits. DVD player manufacturers are in turn licensed by Macrovision to purchase copy-protection-capable circuits and include copy protection capability in their hardware.
DVD Rights Owners, Authoring Facilities and Replicators
Rights owners are licensed by Macrovision to utilize Macrovision's DVD copy protection on their program material. These companies pay Macrovision on a per-disc basis according to a set price sheet, based on volumes reported by their replicator(s). To use Macrovision's DVD copy protection, rights owners must complete a usage agreement with Macrovision, then instruct their authoring facility to set the Macrovision copy protection control bits to "on" during the DVD authoring process.
DVD authoring facilities are authorized by Macrovision to set the Macrovision DVD copy protection control bits to "on" for licensed rights owners. DVD replicators are authorized by Macrovision to replicate copy protected discs. Replicators report volumes of copy protected discs back to Macrovision and rights owners are billed based upon on these reports.
Pay-Per-View Copy Protection Process
The increased availability of digital-quality movies and events on direct broadcast satellite and digital cable systems raises an important challenge for the pay-per-view (PPV) industry. Specifically, many consumers can now make commercial-quality copies of PPV movies with the simple press of their VCR record button. These copies, when passed onto friends, neighbors, and co-workers, can displace both video store rentals and initial and repeat PPV purchases.
Fortunately, there is a solution. Macrovision PPV copy protection degrades unauthorized copies made on most VCRs, without impacting the quality of the original picture. Included in most digital set-top decoders distributed throughout the world, the technology is poised to play a key role in the growth of the PPV industry.
How It Works
PPV copy protection allows consumers to view, but not record, programs that are distributed via digital set-top decoders. To apply copy protection to a specific program, the direct broadcast satellite (DBS) operator or cable system operator transmits a software command from the uplink center or headend to its set-top decoders. An integrated circuit inside the decoder receives the command and adds the copy protection waveform to the analog video destined for the TV. The copy protected signal is transparent on original program viewing, but causes copies made on the majority of VCRs to degrade to the extent that they no longer have entertainment value. Macrovision's PPV copy protection technology degrades unauthorized copies on approximately 95 percent of the TV and VCR combinations in the market today.
Business Model
Macrovision works with a variety of semiconductor manufacturers to provide copy protection capability within digital-to-analog integrated circuits. Over 50 companies currently manufacture Macrovision-capable integrated circuits.
Set-top decoder manufacturers provide copy protection capability by incorporating copy protection-capable integrated circuits in their decoders. Over 47 companies presently manufacture copy protection-capable digital set-top decoders.
In turn, DBS and digital cable operators are licensed by Macrovision to receive copy protection-capable set-top decoders and to activate copy protection on specific PPV and pay television programming. Licensees include Americast, Astro, BSkyB, DIRECTV (U.S.A.), DIRECTV (Japan), EchoStar, Galaxy Latin America, Hongkong Telecom, Kirch Group, PerfecTV!, and Sky Latin America.. PerfecTV! currently applies copy protection to 13 channels of PPV and pay television programming and Hongkong Telecom and Singapore Telecom apply copy protection to 100% of their Video-On-Demand programming. BskyB, Singapore Telecom, CWC and VNL activated Macrovision copy protection on their PPV programs.
Current Status
Over 20 million households worldwide currently have copy protection-capable set-top decoders. Virtually all digital set-tops in North America have copy protection capability, as do the majority of digital set-tops in international markets.
/http://www.macrovision.com/solutions/video/copyprotect/index.php3
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