Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: AMC calls FBI to arrest a Google Glass user

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Community » Film-Yak » AMC calls FBI to arrest a Google Glass user (Page 4)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4

Author

Topic: AMC calls FBI to arrest a Google Glass user

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 01-31-2014 02:38 PM

quote: Edward Havens
Hard drives can be and are shared, sometimes between competitive theatres. I've had to borrow hard drives from my competition, when my hard drive was faulty, and I've had to loan my hard drives to my competition when theirs were faulty.

I guess the KDMs they give theaters are not hard drive specific.

| IP: Logged

Terry Lynn-Stevens
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1081
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2012

posted 01-31-2014 02:55 PM

quote: Bobby Henderson
I guess the KDMs they give theaters are not hard drive specific.

KDMs are not hard drive specific, KDMs are always for the server. A KDM works for one server.

| IP: Logged

Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-31-2014 06:04 PM

Really? We're going over how KDM's work?

What is this? 2004?

A KDM works for one server, for one CPL, for a specified window of time. All of the stars must be in perfect alignment.

| IP: Logged

Edward Havens
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 614
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Mar 2008

posted 01-31-2014 06:11 PM

Thank you sincerely, Brad. I was not aware of this.

| IP: Logged

Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 01-31-2014 08:20 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, the DCP is an identical set of files that is copied onto an assload of hard drives that are then distributed around various theatres all over the place, just like film prints used to be. It doesn't matter which copy you get - they're all the same. The KDM, however, is unique to each theatre, server and booking, and sent separately to that theatre. Once loaded into the server, it enables the DCP to be played during the dates of the bookings.

Does the DCP/KDM combination cause the server or projector to generate unique visual watermarks that can then be picked up from a camcordered pirate and used to determine the precise auditorium (or even, if the system allows, an individual screening, say, the 6.20pm show on January 31, 2014) in which the recording took place?

| IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-31-2014 08:21 PM

Note...the KDM can "check" the entire "Trusted Device List" which can include the projector, server, sound processor (the CP850 has to be a trusted device since it gets to "see" the raw data). At any point, the studios could force a match up on all TDLs though they would be really stupid to! But that won't stop them...they put KDMs on movies that are long on home video in High Def BluRay form! It makes zero sense! Heck it all but encourages exhibitors to "make their own DCPs" from BluRays to avoid the hassle.

But yes, the projector and server are actively watermarking the image and, in some cases sound such that a bootleg can be traced to the theatre, screen and time of day.

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 01-31-2014 08:38 PM

quote: Bobby Henderson
I'm just amazed that anyone would even want to buy handheld camcorder footage of a movie theater screen.

I don't think that people do. I mean why would you if you can torrent the same shitty footage for free? I've never heard of stuff like that being for sale unless it's from China somehow. Maybe there's part of piracy I don't know about where this stuff actually sells to incredibly stupid people.

| IP: Logged

Frank Cox
Film God

Posts: 2234
From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada
Registered: Apr 2011

posted 01-31-2014 09:36 PM

I'm really curious as to how that watermarking is done, since I just can't figure it out. In the days of film I used to see the occasional "sparkle" on a few prints, and assumed that this was some sort of watermarking, but I've never seen anything like that on a DCP.

Do they do the subliminal message thing and just mark a single frame once in a while? And how in the world do you watermark sound? Play a high pitched tone that you can't hear?

I have received the odd key that says "watermark off". I've never noticed any difference between a "watermark off" movie and anything else.

I understand that the objective of watermarking is to do it in a way that you don't notice it, but I still don't understand how it works. Watermarking would be pointless if the mark wasn't captured by the bad-guy when he records the film on his low-resolution camera and sound rig, so it can't be that well hidden, can it?

| IP: Logged

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 01-31-2014 09:58 PM

quote: Joe Redifer
I don't think that people do. I mean why would you if you can torrent the same shitty footage for free? I've never heard of stuff like that being for sale unless it's from China somehow. Maybe there's part of piracy I don't know about where this stuff actually sells to incredibly stupid people.

The FBI and MPAA are acting like bootleg camcorder footage of theater screens is a multi-billion dollar business. Some of this crappy handheld video does wind up on DVDs and passed around in flea markets or out of the trunk of someone's car. The suckers paying for the discs are buying the content sight unseen.

From what I've seen of this stuff, it appears most of these camcorder bootleggers are doing the sneaking around and posting torrents all for bragging rights. I think it's pretty stupid to waste two hours of watching handheld footage of a movie screen. But it's even more stupid to tape the content and then get nothing out of it other than getting an ego stroked.

In movie piracy the ultimate coup is getting hold of a screener DVD or Blu-ray disc before the movie is released in theaters. That's what has real monetary value. It's worth replicating on disc at a mass scale. It's what anyone searching for torrents of pirated movies wants to download. The FBI has at least made some efforts at busting illegal disc sales operations. The MPAA acts like screener discs are not a problem at all.

| IP: Logged

Harold Hallikainen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 906
From: Denver, CO, USA
Registered: Aug 2009

posted 01-31-2014 10:55 PM

They do seem to be chasing down screener piracy. I remember one in the news a few years ago. Then there's also this recent story.

On watermarking, here are a couple patents.
Patent 8452971 - Watermarking based on average luminance.
Patent 8428299 - Describes methods of placing marks on copied video that are not visible on the original video playback. Based on color or luminance variation frame to frame such that the eye averages the color or luminance to the correct value while a comcorder does not. This patent is an improvement on these techniques to minimize the possibility that the mark is visible to a legal viewer.

Harold

Edited to fix broken link

[ 01-31-2014, 11:45 PM: Message edited by: Brad Miller ]

| IP: Logged

Edward Havens
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 614
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Mar 2008

posted 02-18-2014 06:09 PM

And now, Google has updated its Glass site with some friendly DOs and DON'Ts, including "Don't be a Glasshole."

"In places where cell phone cameras aren’t allowed, the same rules will apply to Glass. If you’re asked to turn your phone off, turn Glass off as well. Breaking the rules or being rude will not get businesses excited about Glass and will ruin it for other Explorers."

Google Glass

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-18-2014 10:01 PM

That's kind of funny, they expect Glass to become a mainstream device and they also expect people to be polite. HAHAHAHA! Like that is ever going to happen.

| IP: Logged

Lyle Romer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1400
From: Davie, FL, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 02-18-2014 11:42 PM

What happens when people start walking into public bathrooms wearing Google glass?

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-19-2014 01:50 AM

I guess that would also "ruin it for other Explorers."

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.