Blu-ray gets Managed Copy next year, requires new hardware

It took over three years, but mandatory Managed Copy is set to become a reality next year as each studio is required to sign the recently finalized AACS license by December 4th 2009, and any studio that signs early receives up to a 25 percent discount on licensing fees. What isn't mandatory, though, is hardware support, and although the current generation of players definitely won't work, most expect the majority of new BD devices to. The cost (you didn't think it'd be free, did you?) and the number of copies is up to the studio, but at least one copy will be allowed. That copy can be made via a menu on the disc and can take the form of another Blu-ray Disc or a DRM-laced Microsoft file. Up until now, Apple hasn't joined the party so no joy for iPod users -- although this could still happen. Either way, a connection to either the AACS' or studio's authorization server will be required to make it work. As cool as this all sounds, we're still skeptical; and although we'll be the first to try it, somehow we don't think it'll live up to our expectations.

[Josiah @ Jun 12th 2009 10:39AM]

Hmmm, I smell BS...

[Jon @ Jun 12th 2009 11:06AM]

optical media is so played out.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jun 12th 2009 11:32AM]

And so the dance begins anew! Doesn’t this mean you should get your Blue Ray (i.e. PS3) hardware now? Before all of this “phone home” crap is implemented?

And I wish people would get off of this downloading of full games crap already. The pipes are too sloooooow to down load current PS3 and Next gen PS4, Xbox 720, Wiii 20 to 50+ GIGABITE IPs (titles)! And if devs limit IP size to 8GB because of DVD and low pipe speed limitations then WE ALL LOOSE! MS if you want xBox 360 to last 10 years then it needs an add-on large capacity optical format. Just sayin...

[egghead @ Jun 12th 2009 11:40AM]

I project its encryption to be broken within a week of its release, if not sooner.

**Warning: Rant Below**
Why do they insist on treating everyone like criminals? We paid for the media, and will make as many archival copies as I please. Here's a great idea, free of charge: Drop all the copy protections; this will lower the price of creating your original copies (no licensing fees) and lower the cost of the equipment required to play said copy; Drop the cost of the media; you will sell well more than enough to recoup your 'perceived losses' as many will buy extra copies if they are cheap (slightly more than the cost of the medium, DVD, alone); Create quality productions; you used to have this down pat, then someone decided quantity was better than quality and now we have maybe 1 good movie a quarter, 10 marginally good movies, and 40 failures.

Once you realize that your customers are not the ones to blame, you can salvage your industry and become better than ever. All it takes is for your executives to look past daily performance results and look at their long-term goals (you do have those don't you?). The American public won't be bullied much longer, we are larger than your entire industry and, when mobilized, we can bury your failing business. Do you want us with you or against you? Keep treating us like criminals and you will have a large backlash!

[kosh56 @ Jun 12th 2009 2:46PM]

@Jon,
Except for those of us who care about quality. If/when digital downloads match the quality of HD optical media, then I will agree with you. Not everything in life is about convenience.

[Miggity @ Jun 12th 2009 10:40AM]

meh

[meh. @ Jun 12th 2009 7:28PM]

exactly, MEH.

"somehow we don't think it'll live up to our expectations."
so ur expectations are set very low, and even then it won't live up to ur low low low expectations? hahahaha

[tcc3 @ Jun 12th 2009 10:41AM]

Require new hardware? of course it will.

its funny how these new standard breaking features were all built right into the HDDVD spec. Thanks for not getting your act together Sony.

[y3k.nik @ Jun 12th 2009 10:55AM]

Except PS3 maybe?

meh cant hurt to dream a little

[Jon @ Jun 12th 2009 11:04AM]

As long as it is a 1:1 copy .. then whatever fine but if its compressed to all hell forget it ... I will stick with "Manged copy" Master Anydvd

[Jagster @ Jun 12th 2009 12:12PM]

Yep, just another feature that they are just now baking into the "superior" BluRay that was available from day 1 in the HD-DVD spec. With all the spec features they are copying from HD-DVD it's almost like BluRay was just not ready for prime time. What's next, they replace their crappy BD-Java with HDi?

[sRc @ Jun 12th 2009 12:21PM]

Managed Copy was built into the Blu-ray spec as well. nobody actually implemented it

[Jagster @ Jun 12th 2009 12:33PM]

@sRC

If that was the case then why does it require NEW hardware? You fail. If managed copy was in the original specification, then all original BluRay players would already have it with no software or hardware upgrade needed.

Even if you lacked the ability to put 2 and 2 together, if you read the article you would have come across this:
“It doesn’t seem likely as a firmware upgrade because the specs weren’t done,” he said. “Hardware guys don’t like building stuff that might not be done.”

[rafa @ Jun 12th 2009 1:36PM]

The most important feature of either of the formats was capacity, and BD has more of it. Managed copy? Who gives a crap. Also, it makes sense that an old BD player would need a hardware upgrade. Unless your BD player has a hard disk, an ethernet/usb port, or a BD burner, there's no way you could get your copy off the device. I know the article is saying that it needs new hardware just to phone home and authenticate, but that doesn't refute what I'm saying.

I don't really care about the format either way, but all of you are nitpicking for nothing.

[tcc3 @ Jun 12th 2009 2:47PM]

Then they need to stop breaking the spec by adding all of these "unimportant" features.

Oh wait, thats implying there *was* a BD spec.

[WickedEast @ Jun 12th 2009 3:39PM]

So what's the problem? It's not like milions of people absolutely requires this feature and must buy a new player. New generation of players, new features. You see this with every electronic products, cars, etc. You born yesterday??? Is it because it's "from Sony" so it's sooo bad and evil??? You haters, just give it up already.

[tcc3 @ Jun 12th 2009 5:34PM]

I hate it because its the same anti consumer bullshit that sony usually engages in, and it hurts adoption of the new format. Every time one of these things happens average joe home movie buyer says to himself "Wow I'm glad i didn't get in to those Blue Rays. They obviously aren't ready for prime time. Ill stick with dvds, they're cheaper anyway."

I like HD movies. I want the format to succeed, hopefully for many years to come.

[Adam Gamble @ Jun 12th 2009 10:42AM]

You know DVD Jon will hack this and build a software server that you run on your pc that it will connect to. Then we'll have blu-ray copy machines for free.

[Kamokazi @ Jun 12th 2009 11:57AM]

It's already been done by several people:

http://www.doom9.org/software2.htm#rippers

Most of those do HD rips.

[Gazoobee @ Jun 12th 2009 10:43AM]

"As cool as all this sounds ..."

You think this development is cool? Sounds like Steve Jobs' "bag of hurt" has just been dropped on all our toes to me.

And this requires new hardware? I only know a few people who even *have* Blu-Ray equipment. How does this further adoption by requiring everyone that has already bought into this mess to buy into it a second time?

If you don't run Windows, and Windows media player, this isn't even *useful* let alone "cool."

[Ben @ Jun 12th 2009 10:44AM]

Having the ability to make a backup copy of a Blu-ray Disc doesn't sound cool to you? Why are you reading Engadget anyways?

[jon @ Jun 12th 2009 10:53AM]

Perhaps, if your also ran ecosystem of choice supported HD, this would be of some value to you as well.

Those of us who have HD options wouldn't mind a few more.

[NeoJew @ Jun 12th 2009 11:01AM]

I don't make a lot of backups, but I'm sure AnyDVD HD will continue to allow me to make as many copies as I want.

[travis @ Jun 12th 2009 11:05AM]

So this give it 1080p support?

[Tom @ Jun 12th 2009 10:47AM]

Apple left out or didn't choose to participate, either way thats a big roadblock for this. I hope it gets cleared up, as it would be nice to have a copy of my HD movies for on the go playback when traveling, without having to buy a Microsoft phone or media player.

And I don't trust Microsoft DRM at all. They change it too quickly and drop support all the time, see Plays for Sure for their biggest example. I want something that in 10 years, I know will still have a chance at working.

[John @ Jun 12th 2009 11:40AM]

More like, Apple shoots self in foot by not controlling the codec that will be used by law abiding citizens to copy blu ray discs. At least if Steve Ballmer decided if he didn't like Blu-ray nothing would be different. But, King Jobs doesn't like blu ray so too bad for the millions of Apple users.

[AnnoyingPoster @ Jun 12th 2009 10:49AM]

awesome! this is what media center needs!

[sitruc @ Jun 12th 2009 10:51AM]

I want to, but I haven't felt at all inclined to purchase a BD player or ROM. This doesn't help. How is adoption of BD doing? It seemed like it would really take off a couple years ago, but now I'm left wondering if the winner of the format war was even a contender at the time.

[Homeboy @ Jun 12th 2009 11:02AM]

Public adoption of Blu-Ray take at least twice the time it took for DVD to creep into the living rooms of most homes. The sole reason for this is that Blu-Ray requires a 720p capable TV and even many of the "HD-ready" flats screen TVs that are older than 2 years cannot fully display every pixel of 720p. If you television cannot display the minimum requirements then a Bluray movie will only marginally look better than an upscaled DVD flick.

And with people only upgrading their television sets every 5 or 10 years, Blu-Ray has a long road a head until its mainstream. This is different from DVD which could be fully enjoyed even on the fattest Panasonic CRT screens from the early 90s. But Blu-Ray is truly awesome and I'm always blown away everytime I watch a Blu-Ray movie on my TV.

[VedicHymn @ Jun 12th 2009 10:52AM]

Congrats, only 2 years late!

[Bill @ Jun 12th 2009 10:55AM]

I'll keep my copy of AnyDVD HD thank you.
Sony can pry my fair use rights from my cold, dead hands.

[Nick @ Jun 12th 2009 10:54AM]

What about all the owners of the PS3? This type of information is sure to slow the sale of that machine indefinitely until the release of a standardized Blu-Ray player. I know that was one of my incentives for buying the PS3 when I purchased mine, unless Sony can release a firmware update to correct this problem, than this will screw millions of people.

[NeoJew @ Jun 12th 2009 11:03AM]

I doubt this will slow PS3 sales, if for no other reason than most consumers won't be aware of this for a long time and the ones who are probably don't care THAT much.
I know that I don't.

[namtastic @ Jun 12th 2009 11:48AM]

If pressed hard enough, Sony might be able to supply this in some form that utilizes the PlayStation Store and its digital downloads, kinda of how the Fox/iTunes thing worked.

[tkim90505 @ Jun 12th 2009 6:08PM]

I wouldn't worry about buying a PS3.
Firstly PS3 is not a burner, so no hardware upgrade needed there. As for reading, most likely PS3 will have a selection on the Blu-ray movie menu of the disc you want to copy, which will link and authorize you to be able to copy the disc. Either way, I think you'll be safe.

[Victory @ Jun 12th 2009 10:54AM]

So is this a full high definition, 1080p version of the movie? as if you were still playing off the disc?

the Digital Copy for DVDs sucks, with pretty low encoding rates compared to the actual film, and that would only be exponentially worse for an HD flick.

[oversight68 @ Jun 12th 2009 11:31AM]

How dare you expect a bit for bit copy. That will be 14.95 please.

[mmaestro @ Jun 12th 2009 10:57AM]

When are these people going to get it into their idiot heads that DRM hurts them, not helps them. Seriously, all denying me the opportunity to, for instance, rip in a format that lets me play on my Blackberry does is force otherwise law abiding citizens onto bittorrent. Make it easy for consumers to do with the content they own what they want to do and they'll not even bother to look into the illegal services. The folks who want to pirate will pirate anyway, why give others a reason to go there?
Oh. Right. Stupidity and hubris.

[Ravi @ Jun 12th 2009 10:57AM]

Knowing Sony,once they start releasing discs with this option they'll probably make it incompatible with the existing players and mandate consumers to buy the newer versions!

[matt @ Jun 12th 2009 10:58AM]

Here's an idea. How about no DRM at all, and Blu-ray priced less than DVD's are now?

[tcc3 @ Jun 12th 2009 11:04AM]

And free ice cream for everyone!

[Xenoterranos @ Jun 12th 2009 3:30PM]

Also, tacos.

[y3k.nik @ Jun 12th 2009 4:10PM]

Dont forget a double meat hamburger with upsized diet coke

[nistorica @ Jun 12th 2009 10:59AM]

Neither me or my friends had turn on the blu-ray player for the past 6 months!There is really not much selection of discs to buy ,why even think about copy it!

[NeoJew @ Jun 12th 2009 11:05AM]

Have you tried Amazon? There are quite a bit out there.

[digitallysick @ Jun 12th 2009 10:59AM]

I can already backup a blu ray disk without this, you rip the disc , or download the movie and burn it to blu ray. Normally .tdk or .mk4 container files

[GenKhan2 @ Jun 12th 2009 11:22AM]

That block diagram fully demonstrates why "rent, rip, return" is the future of physical media. There's half a dozen points of failure in a process which fundamentally copies data from point A to point B. I believe the saying don't fix what isn't broken applies. Ctrl+C followed by Ctrl+V would be sufficient thanks. On a side note, it would be fantastically awesome if making disks was as easy as Ctrl+C followed by Ctrl+V.

[freediverdude @ Jun 12th 2009 11:02AM]

Studio's authorization servers?? hahahahahaha..... no. There's no way I'm ever connecting a dvd/blu-ray player to servers run by the studios in order to play a movie on a disc. Nice try, studios, thanks for playing.

[superhobo @ Jun 12th 2009 11:04AM]

You need an internet connection just to copy a disk.

Brilliant!

More like Mismanaged Copy.

[darkmax @ Jun 12th 2009 11:06AM]

Why do I see the potential for piracy here?