AfterDawn: News

RealNetworks shows off DVD jukebox in court

Last week, while defending their RealDVD software in court, RealNetworks demonstrated a new product which uses the same technology. Referred to by the codename Facet, it's a DVD jukebox similar to the high end Kaleidescape systems which the DVD-CCA (DVD Copy Control Association) has been fighting over for years.

At RealNetworks'first quarter earnings call late last week Chairman and CEO Rob Glaser couldn't say much about it because of the ongoing litigation, but did give a quick overview. He called it "a complete hardware design and software stack running on top of Linux that delivers an integrated experience designed to be the successor to the standard consumer DVD player."



He also said his company has spent around $6 million on RealDVD already this year, and most of those expenses were related to the suit.

Like the much more expensive Kaleidescape systems, RealDVD stores DVDs with better encryption than the CSS used on the original disc. That means it would be much harder to copy the movies stored on a computer or Facet box than the original DVD.

This hasn't stopped the DVD-CCA from suing to stop its release, just as they have tried to stop Kaleidescape from selling their systems. In 2007 a Federal judge ruled that Kaleidescape's jukeboxes don't violate the CSS license agreement, leading the DVD-CCA to consider changes to the license.

So far those changes haven't come, in part due to Kaleidescape's threat of an anti-trust lawsuit.

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 14 May 2009 0:24

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• 5 comments

• Mr-Movies

  Wow that's a lot of money to blow on a format that is on its way out they must really feel there is a viable market for this and more CP to break o'boy. It seems to me that they should be looking at BD not DVD and what good is the added CP if you can still use normal DVD CSS discs why would I buy a DVD CCA at more cost, unless that is all you can use and that would make even more worthless.
  
  The judge says rewrite CCA's license but to me the door is already open if they rewrite are they going to be able to shutdown those companies that have wasted tons of money on RD and product production already in process? Sounds a bit unfair to me and poor advice by the judge but I suppose it is par for the course these days.
  
  People just don't learn from others, like Kaleidescape, which was way too expensive for what they offered.

  15.5.2009 07:52 #1

• sclgwhite

  This article does not say that a judge told CCA to rewrite the license, but only that following his decision against them they began to consider rewriting it.

  15.5.2009 09:54 #2

• leady

  Go Real!

  16.5.2009 14:18 #3

• nyurbiz

  RealNetworks=failed

  22.5.2009 09:45 #4

• vudoo

  Nope they didn't fail for good. As far as I can see its the other way around. There will be an Anti trust lawsuit and a host of manufacturers for mobile devices who believe in the Take the movies with you just like an Mp3 attitude will come and join the band wagon. Once it can be proven that this sort of copy protection is meant to stifle competition it will be abolished. Not only this but DvD backup or conversion software will be legal such as DvDfab's DvD to mobile option. After this AnyDvD will become legal and sold on store shelves. After the DvD is cracked of course you can do whatever you want such as store it on your external 1TB HDD's and you'd have a legal movie jukebox. Proof once again that the public doesn't want the phisical Disk DvD or Blue Ray or otherwise. This is the same argument that we all battle the RIAA with.

  27.5.2009 01:34 #5