[mythtv-users] Many new dvd's not working

[Brian Wood]

On Sunday, July 11, 2010 06:42:39 pm David Snider wrote:

> 
> > earlier I finally got fed up and started using DVDFab HD Decrypter:
> dumpstream does give you the raw vob files, but, on the DVD's I've not been
> able to rip, it's been because the first 2MB of the movie file is plain
> garbage that MythTV and MPlayer can't get past.  On those DVD's what I see
> is that mplayer or myth seems to hang, or give read errors.  By skipping
> the first 2 MB-ish of garbage (with -sb) that was intentionally placed
> there by the manufacturer, (and regular DVD Players seem to ignore), the
> video plays just fine.

Some random thoughts:

A key question, IMHO, is why the commercial players handle this sort of thing.

Are there any commercial players that have problems? This might make a good case against the makers if a "failing" unit 
could be identified. The idea that the "DVD" was "not as described" is an interesting approach. (IOW, it was not really a 
"DVD", as defined by the standard).

Perhaps there is some undocumented facet to the DVD standard? 

Are Windows-based players also having the same sort of problem? Many computers are sold as "able to play DVDs" so again, 
perhaps we have a product that is "not as described".

Remember that it is the player software and not the hardware that is "licensed" to play DVDs on Windows systems, not the 
OS or the hardware.

I'd guess that somehow the menu is telling commercial players where to go, and how to jump around to avoid problems, and 
for some reason it's doing so in a way that the Linux-based players are not understanding.

I'm not sure if the discussion here would fall under the DMCA, I'd suggest looking at it as "fixing" defective products, 
which should be legal, and not as trying to circumvent a "protection" scheme. If we could identify even one licensed 
Windows player that is having similar problems, it would be helpful.

But those of us in the USA should probably be careful. I know there have been attempts to get a licensed DVD player for 
Linux, they somehow seem to have disappeared, I'm not sure why, probably because Linux users are, as everyone knows, a 
"bunch of pirates" because they refuse to pay for Windows, so they are obviously dangerous radical characters.