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Corel's WinDVD 8 lands DTS-HD Master Audio certification
Sure, WinDVD 9 supported those fancy audio codecs right out of the shrink-wrap, but up until now, WinDVD 8 users have been shut out solid. Thankfully, Corel finally saw fit to pass down a little love to its loyal end users still rockin' the ocho, as said software picked up DTS-HD Master Audio certification over at Computex. As you very well know, this now enables the application to play back Blu-ray Discs with 7.1 discrete channels of lossless audio, which surely makes the audiophiles in attendance remarkably jovial.
AACS patch for WinDVD, HD DVD and BD players: update or never watch movies again
In case DRM hasn't caused you -- the honest consumer -- enough pain already. Check it, you've got some required software updating to do now that Corel has introduced a patch to their cracked InterVideo WinDVD software. Best do it pronto too. According to Corel, "failure to apply the update will result in AACS-protected HD DVD and BD playback being disabled." That means no more hi-def movies for you, Mr. assumed criminal. Thing is, this is no ordinary patch since WinDVD exposed the hardware specific device key to video pirates. So not only are you required to update their janky WinDVD software, you also have to track down and install the paticular AACS patch for the HD DVD or BD player you own. Of course this only patches one flaw in the massively compromised DRM boondoggle. And just think, you can repeat the whole process again after hackers circumvent this latest attempt at "content protection." Isn't DRM nice?[Via Impress]
Corel's Ulead DVD MovieFactory 6 Plus does HD DVD / Blu-ray burning
Sure, you might not have expected Corel to be the company bringing you the latest iteration of Ulead's DVD MovieFactory software, but regardless of the distributor, version 6 Plus touts the oh-so-anticipated HD DVD / Blu-ray burning features. The newest edition also sports an Edit Room for polishing up your vidz before hitting the burn button, as well as the more typical storyboard / timeline layouts to organize your efforts. Notably, the software also supports a respectable amount of formats, "allowing users to import, edit, and convert HDV, DivX or AVCHD and output in HD DVD, Blu-ray, or traditional DVD." Potentially the best part lies in the price, however, as the Standard (read: not your cup of tea) version rings up at $49.99, while the high-definition-lovin' Plus flavor only demands $79.99, and both should be available right about now.
AACS cracked again: WinDVD key found
AACS has already been compromised in at least two widely known ways, after DRM hackers posted on the Doom9 forums methods to retrieve and utilize volume, and later, processing keys to copy every Blu-ray and HD DVD movie released so far. Today a third method has appeared, as poster ATARI Vampire reports they were able to find the "sub device key" of the WinDVD 8 playback software. That key identifies the player and allows it to decode AACS protected titles. You might remember the software was also the victim of a simple "print screen" attack several months ago that was quickly patched. The method used to find it was based on arnezami's previous approach of watching memory dumps and finding it through a "bottom up" approach. Coming on the heels of the cracks already widely available, this doesn't really affect the current state of easily copied high def movies, but could make disabling the vulnerable player from playing future releases, finding the hole and preventing it from being hacked again, that much more difficult.[Via Slashdot]
HD DVD "download center" features previewed
The big HD DVD press event at CES isn't until this evening, but Corel sent out information about new networking features they'll be demoing. New HD DVDs supporting the features will be able to open a "download center" on the screen and download additional clips from content providers, and also share collections of clips called "my scenes" with other people who own the same movie. They'll be demoing these features on an Intel-based PC running Intervideo's WinDVD software -- apparently running the still MIA HD Upgrade pack -- tonight. We wonder if these functions will ever extend to people who don't yet own a particular movie, but its still a step up from people sending low-res YouTube clips of famous movie scenes around.
WinDVD 8 HD Upgrade pack priced, tested
DL.TV has a clip up showing a preview of the HD Upgrade pack for the Intervideo WinDVD 8 player. Although the software was slated to be available already, it's still not up on Intervideo's website. The Blu-ray / HD DVD playing add on is priced at $26 and the DL.TV guys hooked up the cheapest HD DVD drive they could find to test it out. They confirmed you'll need a pretty powerful PC to play back movies smoothly, and they weren't able to get it working over non-HDCP connections (no word on if they tried VGA) at all. While Sony BWU-100A owners got their Cyberlink upgrade recently, other HD drive owners will have to find a player by other means until the HD Upgrade is available.
Intervideo's WinDVD 8 launched in the US
All those looking to add Blu-ray and/or HD DVD playback to their existing PC get ready, Intervideo's WinDVD 8 is finally coming to US shelves. Already available overseas and as a pack-in with some Sony and Toshiba drives and laptops, it will finally be available as a standalone for those who bought a Blu-ray or HD DVD drive with no playback software. Set to run on Windows XP and the upcoming Vista, the Platinum edition of the software can also act as a UPnP server, streaming media to compatible devices. Out of the box its not ready for Blu-ray or HD DVD playback, an add-on HD Upgrade Pack will be necessary but no word yet on the pricing or system requirements there. The Gold edition has a price of $39.98, while the Platinum version with the media server and support for advanced HD codecs is $59.95. Look for it to show up on Intervideo's site...any minute now, and on store shelves in the next few weeks.
Plextor announces PX-B900A Blu-ray PC drive, Blu-ray movie playback included
Plextor has officially announced their first Blu-ray drive, the PX-B900A, including 2x reading and recording speeds for BD-R and -RE discs, 8MB buffer, and compatibility with the assorted DVD and CD formats. The price is set at $999.99, which may seem a bit high compared to Sony's recently announced $750 Blu-ray PC drive, until you consider that unlike the BWU-100A Plextor plans to bundle this with Intervideo's WinDVD BD Blu-ray movie playback software. Other software included is Ulead's VideoStudio10 Plus for Blu-ray authoring, BD DiscRecorder for direct camcorder-to-Blu-ray recording and others for DVD playback and standard file management capabilities. No word on if HDCP support will be required to get Blu-ray playback at all, but we should know for sure in October when it is released. [Via Engadget]
Microsoft clarifies HD DVD and Blu-ray playback in 32-bit Vista, blames someone else
It must have been a restless night for Microsoft's Steve Riley who mistakenly told a crowd in Australia yesterday that Windows Vista would not support commercial Blu-ray and HD DVD playback on machines sporting 32-bit processors -- the vast majority of PCs in homes today. Not true says a scrambling Microsoft, "playback is possible with Windows Vista in 32-bit" but support will be determined by independent software vendors like CyberLink and InterVideo, not Microsoft. This because Windows Media Player 11 won't be able to play commercial, high-def films when Vista ships. However, as Riley let slip said yesterday, "this is a decision that the media player folks made" (now read: the ISVs) since the studios don't want their high definition content to play in x32 due to the ability of unsigned code to compromise their content protection schemes. So while Microsoft has shifted the blame, the position of the studios certainly hasn't changed. Now who do you think is going to cave, the studios or the ISVs, once Vista is launched?
Will 32-bit Windows Vista play HD DVD and Blu-ray? Maybe
That exploding sound you heard earlier was your CPU being declared obsolete as news that Windows Vista not only would ship without native support for Blu-ray or HD DVD, but also not ever allow playback of commercial discs on 32-bit versions of the operating systems shot across the internet like a rocket . The reason cited by the Microsoft rep was the need for only "signed drivers" to ensure content protection. Two Microsoft insiders we're familiar with who have knowledge of HD DVD and Windows Vista, have now said that is incorrect. Chris Lanier and Amir M. have both posted this evening that this is untrue, and that the operating system will not stop your computer from playing back any high definition content. Amir stated on AVS Forum "no content owner had requested that we block HD content playback on Vista (32 bit or otherwise)", hopefully leaving the door open for the majority of PC owners. Despite their statements, no one from Microsoft has definitively stated that you will be able to play back protected discs (ICT or no ICT) on your PC, only that it is instead up to software vendors like Cyberlink and Intervideo. Restricting playback on PCs to such a small audience could be a severe blow to both of the HD formats, as early adopters are often people who also like to use the discs on their PCs for storage and playback, not to mention HTPCs. Sony has already said we won't get any playback without an HDCP-compatible graphics card, we'll soon see how much hardware the BD and HD DVD camps expect us to replace.Read - Clarifying Windows Vista Support of Protected HD Content in 32-bit Systems - Windows Vista Team BlogRead - Vista Will Support HD DVD Playback on 32-Bit Machines - Chris LanierRead - Amir M on AVS ForumRead - Vista to support HD DVD, Blu-ray after all? - CNETRead - We were wrong about HD playback in Vista: Microsoft - APC
Security flaw allows HD flicks to be copied with screencaps
With all of the time and money that Hollywood and the consumer electronics industry have poured into copy-protecting high definition content, we were amused to learn that both formats can already be duplicated by the simplest of means: the trusty Print Screen button on your keyboard. UK-based Heise Security is reporting that the special OEM version of Intervideo's WinDVD software bundled with both Sony's first Blu-ray Vaio and Toshiba's first HD DVD Qosmio contains a security hole that allows users to capture video frames at their full resolution by simply triggering that Print Screen option -- which in and of itself is little more than a curiosity, but opens up the possibility of running a script that advances a given film one frame at a time and automates the whole screencap process, which would allow pirates to create high def copies by compiling the pictures and dubbing in the audio. Toshiba is already aware of the "problem" and claims that an impending software update will provide the fix, but as one HDBeat commenter astutely pointed out, as long as you can see a picture on your monitor or hear sound through your speakers, there will always be a way to capture that data.[Via HDBeat]
Blu-ray and HD DVD copy protection defeated by...print screen?
After all the debate over AACS, ICT, BD+ and all the rest, both Blu-ray and HD DVD's copy protection system has already been hacked, if you can even call it a hack. In the oddest way to sidestep DRM since the infamous shift-key to disable AutoRun incident, German mag C't has discovered you can record protected high-def flicks in full resolution via automating the print screen function of the provided Intervideo WinDVD software. Both Sony's Vaio and Toshiba's Qosmio laptops with Blu-ray and HD DVD drives respectively come bundled with the software, and are vulnerable to the hack. Quite simply, it can be used to capture the movies frame-by-frame, and then reassembled to create the entire movie. Not the most elegant solution, but they claim it works.Toshiba has already confirmed the problem, and has announced updates for the software and drivers that disable the print screen function. Interestingly, if you have the software it does not appear to violate AACS and would potentially not face being locked out by a future AACS key update. Expect a pirate run on all remaining non-upgraded laptops and to see the aforementioned WinDVD OEM software floating around your local file sharing network any time now. All those delays, and all those licensing fees, defeated by a button thats been around as long as we can remember. The article detailing their find will be published Monday July 10, unless the DMCA ninjas get to it first.
360's DVD player powered by Intervideo WinDVD
We heard complaints early on that the Xbox 360's DVD player is less than stellar, with reports of "very apparent dithering and artifacts in the black areas of the screen." Our subsequent poll contained a not insignificant percentage of users who responded that DVD playback looked "terrible." On Wednesday, nearly three months after the November launch of the Xbox 360, "InterVideo announced... that the new Xbox 360 includes the award-winning DVD engine from InterVideo's WinDVD for video playback." Great. Considering the licensing agreement was announced last May, the need for a press release is a little dubious. Regardless, I have not heard similar complaints about WinDVD's other iterations. Hopefully, the software will be updated to remedy the problems that an, admittedly small, percentage of users are experiencing.
MPEG-4 pwned by AT&T
MPEG-4, everyone's favorite format that could potentially give you high definition video in small enough sizes to fit on a regular DVD, is officially embroiled in controversy. According to PC Magazine, AT&T claims to hold several patents to key underlying technology of MPEG-4. Right now they are targeting Apple, CyberLink, DivX, InterVideo, and Sonic as unlicensed offenders. MPEG-LA, the group that oversees patent licensing for MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, says AT&T is not a part of them, but they can't do anything about it and they make no claim to have licenses to all technologies included in the format.Nero and Pentax have already made deals with AT&T, so don't be surprised if the next DVD burning software you buy has a bump in price for AT&T's taste. You have to wonder how this is going to affect satellite, cable and IPTV companies looking to roll out MPEG-4; we didn't see any of them or set-top box manufacturers listed. Also, no word if their notification letter to included any references to Steve Jobs as a "n00b".[Via Data Compression News]
Intervideo & NVIDIA = hardware assisted h.264 decoding
At HDBeat, we like High Definition not Working Hard, so anything that makes things easier works for us. We've been talking about how ATI and NVIDIA are including technology in their videocards to make watching high definition video easier on your PC, so it's a double bonus. Now Intervideo has announced that they will support NVIDIA's PureVideo hardware assisted h.264 decoding in their WinDVD software. The software will work with GeForce series 6 & 7 GPU's.With both Blu-ray and HD-DVD expected to make use of h.264 compression, your computer will need all the help it can get.
