“@ David: so… what your saying is the Kalidescape system uses a RAID 5 array, just like an HTPC user could do (but probably wouldn’t because of the cost of 4 or more hard drives). Any RAID software would let you know the drive is failing, which is hardly unique to Kalidescape.

The technology you are describing is available to anyone building a computer, and the Kalidescape interface, while top notch, is hardly revolutionary.  Any number of HTPC programs out there perform similarly to the Kalidescape system.  Internet updates and databases are easy enough to set up, and there are a bunch of free movie databases with cover art, synopsis, and all sorts of other information out there.

Finally as one of the few people who bought a copy of RealDVD before the cease and desist order, REAL has a similar EULA regarding the whole rental/netflix thing, just like Kalidescape does, and it’s just as easy to ignore.  Real copies the DVD bit for bit just like Kalidescape does, and wraps it in another layer of encryption, just like Kalidescape as well. “

I agree, it goes with every high end product in that people think they are buying something special based on price and name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-standard_RAID_levels#RAID-K

We know what RAID K is and it is nothing “better” or “special”.

@David:  what one man can do, another can undo…

What you say is true for every piece of encryption since the beginning of time.  I don’t believe that any sort of software encryption is unbreakable, just perhaps not worthwhile to break at the present.

Begging your pardon, but if AES is indeed the encryption scheme that the US government uses to secure classified documents, if I could hack it, the last thing I would do is tell people how to get movies off of their Real DVD folders, theres much bigger fish to fry so to speak.  DVD and blu-ray were supposed to be un-hackable as well, remember?  I believe a 16 year old from Norway broke the DVD encryption, and blu-ray didn’t even last 6 months before it was hacked.  Then they patched blu-ray, and it was hacked again less than 48 hours later.

Kalidescape is no different. The economy of scale just does not justify the time or expense of cracking the wrapper that is put on it for such a small payout.

It’s no different than the myth that Mac’s don’t get viruses.  It’s just not worth a virus writer’s time to comprimise less than 5% of the worlds computer market when there are much more attractive targets out there.

Paul, I do not discount that Real is attempting to protect their content, the point being that someone, somwhere will figure out how to crack the Real software and eventually allow for to people to freely distribute the “ripped” movies. The point with a product like Kaleidescape or Escient, is that once the product is on the server it cannot be removed. There in lies one of the major concerns of the movie studios.

I think you’re mistaken David.  I read through the 36 page counter claim that Real posted yesterday, and their software does indeed prevent copying or transfers across a network once the protected content has been copies onto the hard drive.  Real uses the AES encryption scheme on the original ‘package’ which according to the filing is “...a quintillion times more secure than CCS encryption.  It is the encryption used by the US government for classified information.”

If you’re curious as to the rest of the protection measures Real has implimented, they are summarized on section C, pages 19-20 lines 11-28, 1-5.  The link is is the new Real article that EH posted this morning.

Like I said in my earlier post, I believe that Kalidescape is the superior product, but commands a superior price.  I believe that Real has a comperable product for a fraction of the price.  I take exception to minimizing the Real product because it’s not $10k.

@ Todd and Bill:  ‘Ripping’ is commonly used terminology to describe the act of copying material from a physical disc to a hard drive. While lawyers and marketing people may take exception to the term, most people use it to describe the copying process, whether ‘legally’ done or not.  Until a court decides what the official term is for ‘bit for bit legal’ copy the terms will be interchangeable regardless of what we think.

Bill, Bill, Bill. Yes it was one test, but it was one test done by the people who invented the codecs. Are you having difficulty understanding this? I know what it is, you have to justify the money you spent on a AVR or pre/pro that accepts audio off HDMI.

As far as your “rip” comment, even if a bit for bit copy is transferred to a hard drive, ripping still takes place. For example, even when you transfer a CD to your hard drive, even in a lossless format such as WAV, it is still being ripped by a program. You need to get past this concept. Furthermore, what the heck difference would it make? If bits are bits, which they are, the packaging, ie: compression is whats important.