One fascinating result of copy protection

[Funnybook]

I've been browsing for three days, installing every imaginable piece of software I see mentioned, trying every setting, over and over, DVDDecrypter, AnyDVD, CloneDVD, DVDShrink, DVD95Copy, DVDFab express and several more... and I'm no closer to copying these two problem titles (Farewell My Concubine and Bordertown) than I was to start with. But, I've learned a lot, and I'm still learning.

My latest effort yielded some colorful results. With AnyDVD in place, I did a full disk rip without compression using DVDFab Gold (I had failed already without AnyDVD so I was trying it with it). As usual, it reported that the disk was successfully copied and the vob cells looked to be the right size. Then I had DVDFab do "Correct DVD sectors." But when I play the files in Cyberlink PowerDVD (the player that came with my computer), this time, instead of locking up for an instant and then jumping back to the menu when it came to the protection point, it melted the picture right before my eyes.

The link that follows shows what the picture did over a period of about fifteen seconds. I was able to go back and play it and pause it and take these captures; that is, it's not a fluke, it behaves the same way every time I play it. It may be hard to believe but I promise you, these are not fakes:

http://www.thebigskycountry.com/funnybook/bordertown.html

So, the search goes on. I just though folks here might find these images amusing. They're an indication of what I've been going through... the first picture represents me at six AM, fresh and ready to rip... the last, at ten PM, melted and exhausted and ready to hallucinate.

[feedback]

Quite possible, but in my case backing up Farewell My Concubine, it was only PowerDVD that was glitching. WinDVD and ATI DVD player had no problem. I burned to -RW to double check my standalone (Panasonic RP-82) and it worked fine there as well, so I really can't say if Shrink was the problem in this case...

Thought the above might be of interest to you. A post from 2004, from the ether.

Since you said the following below.

when I play the files in Cyberlink PowerDVD (the player that came with my computer), this time, instead of locking up for an instant and then jumping back to the menu when it came to the protection point, it melted the picture right before my eyes.


Regards,:)

P.S. Maybe this will stop the hallucinations. :D

[Funnybook]

Maybe this will stop the hallucinations. :D

Thank you kindly, feedback. I should have mentioned that the files also choke when I try to demux them in DVD Lab Pro. I loaded them with VOBBlanker and it too goes black and refuses to go any further, once it hits the problem point. Nothing I've tried sees a single frame past this problem point.

I'm getting identical behavior out of both problem titles (except for the 'melting' picture). The captures are from Bordertown. There are three 1-hour episodes and a few extras on the double layer disk. It's a strange situation with Shrink; it shows the extras, then the first two titles twice each, and doesn't show the last (problem) title at all.

Ah well. If I'd spent the time I've been trying to copy them out working earning even minimum wage instead, I'd be able to buy backups of both! I'm sure I'm not the first person to put more into a backup than it's literally worth, just for the challenge.

And I am indeed challenged... just ask all my teachers back to the first grade :)

[feedback]

Well the movie has been backed up successfully by others, might there be a physical problem with the disk, like a scratch?

Otherwise, if you look at the responses I gave to a couple of your other posts in other threads you may find an answer.

Did you try DVD Decrypter with the settings I indicated with AnyDVD?

Did you try DVDFab Decrypter v.2.9.3.0?

Have you tried another media player?

Are you in PAL land or NTSC?

What Region?

Have you ReRipped the movie?

Regards,:)

EDIT: We have coalesced all our posting about this matter to the "DVD Decrypter will live Forever...with a little help" thread.