No more camcorder copies of movies?

One of the brains behind the now-defunct DIVX system (which was basically a pay-per-view version of DVD, not the DivX -- note the caps -- that we know nowadays), has set up a new company called Cinea that aims to block people from using camcorders in movie theaters.

The system is aimed towards digital cinema and it will control the digital cinema projectors in a way that when someone from the audience tries to capture the movie from the screen using camcorder -- whether digital or analog, it doesn't matter -- that is based on specific framerates, like everything nowadays is, he/she will only record blurry picture. Pretty much similiar effect will happen when you use camcorder to record something from the PC's monitor (distorted lines and off-synch effects).



The product, which is about to debut by end of this year or in early 2003, will play probably a kinda big role in order to convince studios and movie theater chains to switch to digital cinema. According to various figures, movie industry loses around $3 billion a year due movie piracy and most of the new pirated movie copies originate from camcorder copies made in movie theaters (also called "cams" in piracy scene).

Source: CNet

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 11 Oct 2002 15:04
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  • 7 comments

  • seanbyrne

    Although most people can stand looking at a 60Hz refresh rate on a monitor, I find the screen very flickery and it gives me a head ache in a matter of minutes. I still notice flickerness at 75Hz and barely at 85Hz. I got a flat panel now and it doesn't bother me for hours.

    The last thing I want is to get a headache by looking at a flickery digital cinema screen. I find the present film projector cinemas flickery enough!! I'm sure there are others that would say the same.

    11.10.2002 16:13 #1

  • len

    Since I love a challenge in Electronics I will analyse what they do and try to come up with a "Black Box" Interface to take care of the problem. Any helpful hints can be sent to my Pseudo email at the following link; *no-email-addresses-allowed--use-private-msgs*.
    This will be a Hardware based system but will more than likely use a cheap DSP or sim.
    Any suggestions, algorithms etc are welcome.
    I will start the research today. 12 Oct 2002

    Regards and thanks Len

    11.10.2002 18:25 #2

  • ABCman

    I think they are really pumping the numbers up on losses from these people with cams in the movies. I have seen a few and will not wasted the bandwidth to download them again....This is one time I would just pay the money to see the real deal <as long as they dont keep going up>. I mean take Saving Private Ryan it can not be matched even on the DVD at home compaired to the movies. I couldnt even think about downloading a cam copy of it.

    I am usually the first one to say..."can I download it somewhere" but not on this subject.

    Just my 2 cents.

    14.10.2002 00:52 #3

  • loaded

    After having seen many cam movies, or in my time, I would be surprised if anything could make the quality worse! They are pretty bad anyway, because of course the Camcorder does not sync with the Projector, as well as other issues like ambient light/sound and wobbly tripods!

    14.10.2002 17:18 #4

  • webb0669

    I doubt that this will reduce the amount of piracy with cinema releases as most movies i see are DVD quality that i get before the movie is released, and any movies i have seen that were recorded on camcorders i have ended up going to the cinema because the quality was so bad.

    14.10.2002 17:59 #5

  • seanbyrne

    Even with the best camcorders available at the present film projector Cinemas, there is no way you can match what you see & hear at the cinema that what you can record on tape. I.e. No 5.1 sound, noise from other people, people moving about in the picture, etc.

    They are really wasting their time & money with this 'anti camcorder' technology as you can't get the proper cinema experience without physically going there ;-) I wouldn't be too keen on what the non-standard refresh rate will look like with the new projectors.

    15.10.2002 00:41 #6

  • VCDjunkie

    they really think they are losing all that money due to piracy.. are they crazy? if somebody wants to see a good movie, they will pay to see it.. chances are most of the people who pirated the movie would not have paid to see it no matter what.

    I know it's already been said, but if I download a movie and it is a cam, I hit the delete key before the opening credits have time to play.. I hate low quality films.

    16.10.2002 13:35 #7

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