Comments

ScottW wrote on 4/14/2005, 8:46 PM
Considering that every single copy protection scheme currently available has been "cracked" it's probably not worth a lot of effort on you part to try and do this. Copy protection only keeps the honest people honest.

--Scott
Spot|DSE wrote on 4/14/2005, 8:47 PM
The summary information only displays the name of the owner, and other metadata you might put in a webstream, or use for other identifiers. It doesn't put any information in a DV stream, however.
Vegas wouldn't have any copyright assistance, that's done at the DVD authoring level, and DVD Architect does not support CSS or Macrovision, for what little protection they actually offer any more. Further, the only way you can insert the inner field flags for protection, is through a licensed replicator. It's not something you can do in the desktop environment.
To add the summary information, File>Project Properties>Summary. This will provide you with the fields to fill in your personal information.
Aaron Little wrote on 4/14/2005, 8:48 PM
Are you going to be burning your DVDs yourself? If so then there really is no way to add copy protection.
johnmeyer wrote on 4/14/2005, 9:07 PM
Do a search in the Vegas forum for "copy protection." This has been discussed many, many times. Bottom line, it is generally a waste of time (because it is completely trivial to circumvent), and you can't do it on a DVD burner (only pressed copies can be protected, and you need to be dealing in quantities greater than 500 before this is economic).
PeterXI wrote on 4/14/2005, 9:43 PM
So true, about keeping honest people honest. Apparently the new version of DVD-A will have the same copy protect features as Encore BUT they come into play only after you send the master to a Replicator. I don't bother anymore because it is a waste of money and my margins are so small every quarter counts.

The way I get around the piracy thing when using my Orbit Pro duplicator is for large private sector orders is wait until I get paid for the discs before handing them over enmass. Large companies tend to buy 100 - 500 copies and I personally don't care about piracy after I hand over the discs.

The others are spot on about copy protection being futile. Staples sells a DVD copying program right off the shelf and hardware such as the Dazzle DVC II ignores the macrovision signal on VHS tapes and the equivalent on DVDs. Same with that little ADS box I got for 100$ after my Dazzle PCI card went to Silicon Heaven. I think Dr. DivX has the ability crack DVDs also.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but those are the facts.

Peter
Laurence wrote on 4/15/2005, 9:05 AM
Heres what I do:

Use high quality discs, glossy inserts, laminate plastic over the printed face of the disc and charge a reasonable price. My discs look professional. Most people's copies don't. This difference in quality is the only protection we have.
ken c wrote on 4/15/2005, 9:11 AM
Also, consider adding things like private customers-only forum access and periodic updates, downloads, in addition to the main video... that's something that can't be copied, eg forum access for members only.. at least that approach is good for info-product DVDs, "how to" courses etc..

ken
craftech wrote on 4/16/2005, 8:16 AM
Don't you guys miss VHS. No one wanted to copy them because the copies looked so bad.

John
kentwolf wrote on 4/16/2005, 2:55 PM
If you are doiing a (very) small business type distribution, I have seen some folks suggest putting a single frame in during a firstplay with the name of the customer to whom you sold the DVD. Of course, you would have to make a unique copy for each different person.

While it wouldn't prevent copying, it's a novel idea. You would at least know *who* was dishonest.