Of course you can get good copies pointing your camera at the screen, but that's not the biggest threat, IMO. Hackers are generally pretty damn smart, and in reality they WILL break the encryption to DLP and be able to convert the files to standard Quicktimes/AVI's or whatever. They could burn really nice looking DVD's. There is no encryption that cannot be broken. Once this happens then everyone will have to upgrade their DLP's to a new encryption method. And then it will happen again and again. These guys don't have great morals, but they are "whip smart". Who's to say that the team who designed the encryption won't leak out the info? Just 'cause they work for TI or whoever doesn't mean they are trustworthy. Like the RIAA and MPAA want us to believe... "No one is trustworthy".

Kodak already has developed invisible digital "watermarking" technology:
Kodak Digital Cinema Watermarking
Watermarking Features
About Kodak Digital Watermarking
Technical Paper about Kodak Digital Watermarking

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Another idea is to incorporate an infared signal inside the DLP that projects through the DLP's lens along with the picture. The signal would write the DLP serial number across the picture along with a date and time. The beauty of this is that while no human could ever see it (unlike those CAP code dots), the second a pirate looked through his viewfinder to start videotaping, he would see it and there would be no way to trick the camera not to see it. Just point a remote control at a videocamera and you'll see what I mean. Surely there is some way to make that basic idea work, although I do not know how well it would reflect off of a screen.

I'd make the infrared numbers HUGE. So huge that there is no way they could be cropped out. "Across the entire screen" huge. That would make the pirates say "Argh mateys" and just not tape the movie. Would you rather catch the pirates who do this, or would you rather prevent it altogether? Sometimes I get the feeling that the industry would rather punish than prevent.

Also, about lost revenue. If it wasn't for piracy, do the studios think that people would have PAID to see whatever movies they stole? I think many people pirate just because they can.

Initial encryption (and--ugh!--compression) could be done in the mastering stage by the post house which would put together the entire program. The decryption itself should be done in the projector head, so that all of the data on the wire would be encrypted. As new and better encryption schemes are devised, theatre owners could simply swap cards in their projector heads.

[I won't even discuss the DVD issue here, which is totally different and is set up to deny DVD owners their legally protected "fair use" rights to make copies of the material for personal use under specific circumstances. I strongly oppose piracy, but I won't stand for attempts to infringe upon legally protected rights (at least in the US), either.]

[BTW, for those who are interested in issues of intellectual property rights and the delicate balance between private and common ownership, I can recommend "The Future of Ideas" by Lawrence Lessig. He makes many important points that I agree with, but cannot articulate as well as he does in the book.]

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I seriously wonder at just how much piracy affects the film industry. If someone actually wants to see a movie, are they going to settle for some jerky video camera capture? Probably not. Look at this last weekend. Spider-man set box office records left, right, and centre, even though it could be downloaded off of the 'net for free, not to mention not having to wait in lineups. I don't think piracy hurt that movie...

Granted, not all copies are poor quality. The copy of the LOTR floating around is just amazing; obviously a screener DVD rip. Great stereo sound, and amazing picture quality for an SVCD. Yes, I have a copy of it (somewhere), but that didn't stop me from seeing it in the theater nine (9) times. Yes, I am a freak.

Welcome to Film-Tech, "The Home of the Professionals".

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Welcome to Film-Tech, "The Home of the Professionals".

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I am not a professional in the film industry (should be pretty obvious), but I've seen enough movies (or at least a few movies enough times) to hopefully be able to contribute in some way.

Paul, professional what? Weenie shakers? I've got to do an animated gif you you shaking that weenie. Every time I see it, I get the urge to make one, and then put you and Joe R. in an animated light-weenie battle.

I prefer to think of film-tech as a representative cross-section of village idiots, gearheads, and geeks, myself included.

David scratched the following into the electron stream:
"I'm a newbie here, so if I get out of line, feel free to let me know!"

David, I'll save you from having to wait around:

"Perhaps I am an exception to the rule when it comes to piracy. I only pirate that which I enjoy (or think I will enjoy)"

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You're out of line. If you want to pirate stuff for your own personal use, and you don't see anything wrong with it, then do it. If you get caught with your hands in the cookie jar, you can deal with that as well. Don't expect anyone to approve of it, no matter how noble your actions.

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Fair enough. I don't expect anyone to agree with my statements, nor approve. I was just trying to illustrate my point that I didn't believe that Hollywood is suffering as much as they would like us to think.