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Avatar smashes Blu-ray sales records, has some owners ready to smash incompatible players
Well, well. Our friend Jimmy C.'s (who cancelled on our planned interview last week, but it's cool) little indie project has taken the all-time Blu-ray sales crown for North America in just four days. That's how long it took for Avatar to move 2.7 million Blu-ray discs, ahead of The Dark Knight's 2.5 million number, showering viewers with that incredibly high bitrate audio and video (other than some pleading for more low end thump, we haven't heard any complaints.) The downside for a few, including one Crunchgear editor, is that the movie shipped with a new version of BD+ encryption and has had trouble playing on certain Blu-ray players, including the BD-UP5000, BD-C5500, as well as several Pioneer units (fixed after a firmware update.) Some owners have found a way around the issues for the BD-C5500, but there's no word when an update to take care of things completely may be incoming. If you're wondering how much time the extra DRM bought Fox & co. before the BDRips started floating around, DVDFab claimed to break it the same day the movie launched, while Slysoft's AnyDVD HD has offered compatibility with some, if not all, region releases the day after. So much for that ten year prediction.
Paramount licenses BD+ DRM from Macrovision
Looks like Fox won't be the only one using BD+ soon, now that Paramount has licensed it, along with a few other DRM tools like RipGuard and ACP from Macrovision. There's no indication when, or even if Paramount will use the technology on its titles and the press release from Macrovision focuses on its ability to protect video over Internet, cable and satellite. As it is, we're sure Slysoft appreciates all the effort, but it's the people who legally buy their movies that might need a firmware update just to play Transformers 2.[Via Video Business]
SlySoft takes down BD+ DRM once more
A fresher, probably completely unbreakable version of BD+ isn't even expected until February, but SlySoft's making sure you have plenty to watch on your non-HDCP compliant display over the holidays. The newest refresh of its AnyDVD HD software (v.6.5.0.2 at last count) reportedly "decrypts copy protection on all current Blu-ray movies." In conjunction with the celebration, the outfit is also reminding everyone that it will be moving to a subscription-based update program starting in the New Year, so you've got T-minus two days and counting to buy now and secure that 20% discount.[Thanks, Erie]
SlySoft moving to subscription-based upgrade model
It was nice to purchase SlySoft's AnyDVD HD once and let the gurus in Antigua continually re-break whatever DRM Hollywood chose to throw out, wasn't it? After this year, you can kiss that luxury goodbye -- that is, if you continue to sit on the sidelines. SlySoft has just announced that starting on January 1, 2009, it will "change its update policy from free lifetime updates to an annual subscription fee." The good news? Anyone who buys a SlySoft product before that day will not be affected by the change. In other words, you've still got a few weeks to decide whether or not you want to join the Blu-ray backup crowd, and to make your decision easier, the outfit is offering a 20% discount on all software products (save for upgrades) through December 31st.
SlySoft keeps AnyDVD HD current, circumvents latest BD+
The crew over SlySoft isn't messing around, as just days after the v6.4.1.1 update hit the web, along comes yet another version to run laps around Big Content's best efforts. Posted yesterday, AnyDVD HD 6.4.5.0 adds in support for "a new version" of BD+ that's apparently included on films such as Jumper and a new flavor of AACS. This update also fixes a few minor problems with CSS logging and key retrieval, not to mention quirks found when removing ALPHA-DVD protection. You know the drill, head on down and stay current.[Via CDFreaks]
SlySoft stays one step ahead of AACS
Nothing lets you know spring is in the air like fevered cat-and-mouse DRM activity. The AACS LA (Advanced Access Content System Licensing Administrator) has seen fit to try the "proactive renewal" strategy, hoping that changing up the encryption keys will keep Blu-ray Region B users securely under thumb. Good luck: the ominous-sounding MKB v7 is already "supported" in SlySoft's AnyDVD HD version 6.4.1.1, released yesterday. The end result is exactly zero "downtime" for users, as discs utilizing MKB v7 aren't due out until the end of this month. To add insult to injury, SlySoft then turned around and loosed version 6.4.1.2 today with "Improved region lock removal from Blu-ray discs which contain signed Java code." SlySoft doesn't look like it's willing to relinquish its role as fox in the henhouse![Via Afterdawn]
SlySoft's latest AnyDVD HD release strips BD+ from Blu-ray Discs
The title pretty much says it all here, folks. Just a few months after SlySoft revealed a beta of its AnyDVD HD software which obliterated BD+, v6.4.0.0 has finally arrived and proudly possesses the ability to "remove BD+ protection from Blu-ray Discs." Among the other changes is an option to enable / disable BD+ removal, a fix for seeing a black display with some BD discs and other minor DVD-related tweaks. Brimming with excitement? Hit up the read link below -- your next download awaits.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
SlySoft's latest AnyDVD beta cracks BD+
Regardless of what those oh-so-knowledgeable analysts had to say, we all knew this day was coming. Yep, that highly-touted, totally "impenetrable" copy protection technology known as BD+ has officially been brought to its knees, and it's not at all surprising to hear that we have SlySoft to thank. The AnyDVD 6.1.9.6 beta has quite a comical change log too, and aside from noting that users now have the ability to backup their BD+ movies and watch titles sans the need for HDCP-compliant equipment, it also includes a candid note to Twentieth Century Fox informing the studio that its prior assumptions about BD+'s effectiveness were apparently incorrect. You know the drill, hit the read link below to try 'er out.[Thanks, Aaron]
AACS LA is one step ahead, for now
The world of DRM is a cat and mouse game and will be till the content creators finally figure out DRM doesn't work. The latest titles from both HD formats includes the latest version of AACS (MKB v.4) and as a result they can't be ripped. SlySoft (the makers of AnyDVD HD) are working hard to update their software, but at this point it's been at least a week -- it might end up being the most resilient update since AACS was originally compromised, as they usually they have an update in a few days. But this isn't the worst of it, as most of the new Blu-ray titles also include BD+. Some say it isn't crackable; but we know how that goes, and SlySoft seems to think they'll have it worked out in about six weeks.
Newest AACS circumvented: The Matrix Trilogy set free
Just in case you didn't already piece it together, many (if not all) of the new HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc titles set for release on May 22nd will feature the latest revisions to AACS. Right, the update hinted at by those forced user updates to the WinDVD and PowerDVD software. Yeah, well no worries... it's cracked. That's right, a week before the disks have even hit the shops, the kids over at Slysoft have already released AnyDVD HD 6.1.5.1 (beta) which kicks AACS MKB v3 swiftly to the curb. Thus you can continue to rip all your newly purchased HD DVD and BD flicks for playback any damn way you like. The update has already been demonstrated to work with an early-shipped release of The Matrix Trilogy on HD DVD and will likely work for Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest when it arrives on Blu-ray. Come on AACS LA, you're gonna have to at least try. Better yet, why not just give up this silly charade.[Thanks, Garth M.]
SlySoft's AnyDVD HD goes retail, Blu-ray beta in the works
It's hard out there for DRM these days, as we've got diligent users working 'round the clock to reinstate the fair use rights that AACS and similar restrictions seem to remove, and now there's an easy, streamlined, and costly method to cracking down on your HD DVD's DRM scheme. Those out there looking to make backups, view your content sans PowerDVD Ultra (or without an HDCP-compliant graphics card / display), get rid of user prohibitions, and skip over studio logos and warning messages should look no further, as SlySoft's AnyDVD HD has been relinquished from its brief stay in beta territory and is ready for purchase. While we've already seen just how compromised DRM is as a whole, and we've witnessed giant steps leading up to this occasion, this $79.99 software gives users a point-and-click approach to freeing up their protected content in order to make it a tad more user-friendly. Moreover, the company's marketing director insinuated that a Blu-ray version of the software should be hitting the beta stage "later this quarter," so if you're anxious to remove those chains from your precious HD DVDs, and don't want the bother with the free alternatives already out there, be sure to hit the read link with credit card in hand.[Via DTV]
SlySoft releases AnyDVD HD beta
It seems that DRM just can't catch a break these days. First the all-important processing key required to unlock and decrypt HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs was discovered, now just days later comes news that the folks at SlySoft have updated their AnyDVD "backup" software utility to allow for "on the fly remastering" of HD DVD discs, although not Blu-ray discs. As you might expect, they aren't exactly spilling the details on exactly how they achieved this considerable feat, although those that have tried out the beta software are reporting that it works as advertised, with copying HD DVDs a matter of a simple drag and drop. While the software is available as a free beta download for now, SlySoft's existing AnyDVD software is far from free, meaning you'll likely have to fork over the same fifty bucks (or $100 for SlySoft's complete bundle of apps) for the new HD-ready version once they've gotten all the kinks worked out.[Thanks, Oliver]
