I used to ask this question every few months in the Insiders thread but the answer was always still NO. So, did they ever:

- Agree on an AACS license?, or

- Has the interim license been extended yet again?, or

- Are all the players now being made on an expired interim license?

Anybody have any idea? Any insiders left around?

- Tom

1) Work continues on the AACS Final Agreement
2) The Interim Agreement deadline continues to be extended. I believe the new dealine is April 2009.

1) Work continues on the AACS Final Agreement
2) The Interim Agreement deadline continues to be extended. I believe the new dealine is April 2009.

Richard -

Thanks for the info. I have posted this question somewhere here on AVS every few months, for the last few years now. But I had no news of the latest extension to 4/09.

- Tom

1) Work continues on the AACS Final Agreement
2) The Interim Agreement deadline continues to be extended. I believe the new dealine is April 2009.
So there is still hope for Managed Copy? If it is every implemented, would it then also "automatically" work for old HD DVDs? Or is it likely that it would be exclusive to Blu-Rays since HD DVD is dead, anyway?

Thanks!

So there is still hope for Managed Copy? If it is every implemented, would it then also "automatically" work for old HD DVDs? Or is it likely that it would be exclusive to Blu-Rays since HD DVD is dead, anyway?

Thanks!

I got the impression that Managed Copy was probably the source of the ongoing disagreements for all these years. Though nobody that knows will really say.

- Tom

Some answers:

1) Yes, Managed Copy is one major area that has extended the discussions beyond all original estimates.

2) All existing HD DVD discs could be managed copied, though someone would have to make a product (a player/copier) that could make the copy, and I'm not aware of anyone doing continued development on HD DVD products.

Richard,

What seems to be the issue with Managed Copy? Let's face it. It's the enthusiasts who want that feature and eventually we'll just have to find other means to copy. The enthusiasts help breathe life into new formats and are then forgotten about.

I'm still hoping for managed copy but I can see where I'd look for alternative software to copy my HD DVD/BR to a media server. I rather not support such software but if the studios can't support us, what incentive do we have to care about them?

@Robert, please don't start to talk about (or even advertize) "alternative" solutions. That's the safest way to get this thread locked - as many AACS/Managed Copy thread before. If you're not interested in the original and fully legal Managed Copy then please better not post at all instead of making this thread locked. Thanks.

It's a valid point though. Like it or not, the field is very different for Managed Copy if the genie is out of the bottle.

If the genie were in the bottle, people would have more incentive to accept greater restrictions and higher prices. But look at it pragmatically, there are basically two options (or will be if MC ever emerges):
Free (one time up front cost for the ability), unrestricted, though illegal (but minimal risk) copies
Potentially fee based, potentially highly restricted, but legal copies

That's reality, and I really hope they take that into consideration. The choice today for AACS LA is not whether or not to "allow" copies to be made, they will be (they are) made regardless, their choice is whether or not to provide a cheap (both to the user and to licensees), easy, and universal solution that encourages companies to develop new and innovative products using this solution.

I think it was claimed here more than once that as long as AACS is broken, there won't be a final license.
I don't believe AACS will ever be "unbroken" again...

Diogen.