Some companies have developed a pin-head sized chip that will stop thieves from being able to view prerecorded DVDs.

The story is on CNN.com and comes from the Associated Press. (http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/05/11/dvd.theft.ap/index.html)

Since this link will eventually become inaccessible, here's a description of the technology (used for educational purposes only):

"A chip smaller than the head of a pin is placed onto a DVD along with a thin coating that blocks a DVD player from reading critical information on the disc. At the register, the chip is activated and sends an electrical pulse through the coating, turning it clear and making the disc playable."

I'm sure the guys over at Slysoft will find a solution :)

I can immediately think of two reasons why this is a really dumb idea that's unlikely to be taken up by the DVD manufacturers:

1) The present system of ringing bells when a thief takes a security-tagged DVD case through the exit scanners is actually a deterrent because the thief risks being caught. There's no risk and therefore pretty much no deterrent in stealing a DVD if you can just sail out the door with it and the consequences don't happen until you get home.

2) How often have you had the security scanners at the exit beep because the security tag didn't get properly deactivated? With this scheme, you're not going to find out that there's a problem until you get home and you want to watch that nice DVD you just purchased. This will p*ss off a whole lot of customers.

There's no risk and therefore pretty much no deterrent in stealing a DVD if you can just sail out the door with it and the consequences don't happen until you get home.
Version 2.0 will probably have GPS tracking built into it :D

Some companies have developed a pin-head sized chip that will stop thieves from being able to view prerecorded DVDs.

The story is on CNN.com and comes from the Associated Press. (http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/05/11/dvd.theft.ap/index.html)

Since this link will eventually become inaccessible, here's a description of the technology (used for educational purposes only):

"A chip smaller than the head of a pin is placed onto a DVD along with a thin coating that blocks a DVD player from reading critical information on the disc. At the register, the chip is activated and sends an electrical pulse through the coating, turning it clear and making the disc playable."

The disc has to be "activated" at the cash register

I'm thinking a future, advanced version of this tech. might be able to reactivate the blocking film if the disc's signal is being "copied" to an output not authorized (Component, Composite or S-Video), leaving only HDMI? This would stop copying at the disc surface so copyguard eliminators would be useless???


I'm sure Amazon and the other internet/mail-order warehouse sellers would be thrilled to have an additional step to take before shipping stuff :-)

Version 2.0 will probably have GPS tracking built into it :D
Helluva idea! Then you could loan DVDs and keep track of them! :)

Doesn't everyone in here remember when they talked about having DVD's with a red coating on the play side, so that when they got exposed to the air you had a time limit to view them (they would naturally be purchased in sealed plastic wrapping).

Well, that didn't work either. I don't believe that I ever saw one of them.

They come up with all these ideas, and they either fail, or someone will certainly find a way to defeat it.

Doesn't everyone in here remember when they talked about having DVD's with a red coating on the play side, so that when they got exposed to the air you had a time limit to view them (they would naturally be purchased in sealed plastic wrapping).

Well, that didn't work either. I don't believe that I ever saw one of them.

They come up with all these ideas, and they either fail, or someone will certainly find a way to defeat it.

Did the people who came up with Divx had anything to do with this? :)

Did the people who came up with Divx have anything to do with this? :)

I just remember the "temporary" DVD's being thought of as able to be given out when you order a Pizza or something (get a movie with your meal, kind of thing).

The big downfall was how much waste it would create...as the discs would have to be disposed of after the time of view expired, and it wouldn't stop copying because while it could be played...it could be copied.

I just remember the "temporary" DVD's being thought of as able to be given out when you order a Pizza or something (get a movie with your meal, kind of thing).

The big downfall was how much waste it would create...as the discs would have to be disposed of after the time of view expired, and it wouldn't stop copying because while it could be played...it could be copied.

They should have implemented Divx on top of a DVD-RW/+RW/-RAM, that way after you watch the movie, you have a blank reusable rewriteable dvd! Not that I want to give the Divx people any ideas on trying a 2.0 :)

At the register, the chip is activated and sends an electrical pulse through the coating, turning it clear and making the disc playable."

The disc has to be "activated" at the cash register



I'm thinking that someone with the right equipment can crack the Radio Frequency Activation code in about 10 seconds at the cash register. .....Next stupid gimmick please!

Is that why you copied his idea into your post? Now there are two copies of his idea in this very public forum. Even if he deleted his original post, the damaging data is still in yours! :D

Now there are two copies of his idea in this very public forum.
Yeah as an admin of many other forums this was the first thing that we thought about also. It would have made more sense for them to just send the original poster a PM :)

Yeah as an admin of many other forums this was the first thing that we thought about also. It would have made more sense for them to just send the original poster a PM :)
He did send me a PM, but I ignored it cause I'm certainly not as impressed with the idea as some other people seem to be! :D

I posted that I had already stole it but I deleted it because I didn't want anybody to know. ;)

Thank you for preserving my brilliant idea for posterity (10% royalty on every sale)!

Is that why you copied his idea into your post? Now there are two copies of his idea in this very public forum. Even if he deleted his original post, the damaging data is still in yours! :D

WAITED TO SEE IF I WOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY (thanks, wabjxo)!

......NOW DELETED! :D

Do you suppose it would it be possible for someone to just rent the movie and copy it (he asked innocently)? :rolleyes: