Dolby will "...offer its customers the option of Philips CineFence anti-piracy watermarking technology" eh? Hey, here's a thought, what happens if the cammers opt out of this? And how would that pinpoint the exact location the cam was done? Sounds to me like that could be a massive invasion of privacy meriting yet another class action lawsuit.

I'm reasonably sure the technology is imperceptible without electronic aid, but if I ever spot signs of watermarking during my cinema-going experience which distract from the show, I'm going straight to the ticket counter for a refund.

Dolby chooses...

Seems to me this kind of watermarking is to punish theater owners for not being agressive enough to stop someone from recording a movie in one of their theaters. Shouldn't bother the consumer except for maybe theater owners patting them down before being allowed to watch a movie and walking up and down the aisles with flashlights grabbing anyone who looks like the might be holding something other than a pop or a bag of popcorn.

Originally posted by btfan:

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Dolby chooses...

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thanks man, wrote that item at like 5am here so never noticed ;-)

I'd much prefer to see cinemas using (invisible) watermarking technology instead of being searched on entry or having the ushers wandering up and down every so often.

I'd be willing to bet that some of the theater owners get paid good money to let the odd cam slip by

If theaters ever get to the point of doing airport security checks upon entry and ushers walking the aisles, this will be the day that I stop going to the movies. I've already got a nice home theater setup and seeing a movie now or later really doesn't bother me.

Cant find a spec on CineFence, however I assume its a better effort than the daft Dot system.

Anyway thinking out loud, its not going to be long before someone works out how a way to use something like virtualdub filter to detect it in the frame and then just drop it out with logo away or something similar.

Im assuming its not placed at a set time or even at a certain place in the picture, but its got to be something pretty major to survive rhe transcodes.

Just guessing i would assume that the code probably has a marker some set frame before or after the actual watermark, which would mean the waterwark could be suttle but would only be able to be found once you located the marker was located and new you knew where to look.

Or even multiple points, which could then be checked against a formula to provide a video frame refrence.

If you didnt have the formula u wouldnt know where the watermark was.

Anyway just something to munch on...
Anyway

You wont be searched, but they will probably start taking IDs since they can pinpoint where the CAM vid occurred. Next it will be blood and urine specimines.

If they want to begin to motivate and satisfy movie watchers a simple thing can be done. When you purchase the ticket at the theater a voucher is given to you, this voucher is for the dvd when released free of charge for buying the ticket. This would be good motivation to get more people to go to the theater instead of waiting a couple months for the dvd release to rent from blockbuster/netflix. Customers dont want to pay twice to see one movie. Its either at home or at cinema, not both. Their crying will never end.

mmm i like that idea sssharp. Not sure it would be feasible financially though. It would cost a lot to print non forgeable vouchers, perhaps they could have it as an option, you could pay for the cinema, or pay cinema+fee and get a voucher for the dvd, perhaps if you filled in a form there and then, and the then the dvd would be posted to you. means you don't have to carry vouchers around and stuff. Or they give you like a rewards card which you swipe when you visit, and it gets you free dvds or something, sounds like the perfect tie in with those post to your door video rental outlets.

With regards to the water marking, perhaps it's audio rather than video based, it's easier to watermark audio IMHO.

I don't know why they don't just get a massive infrared stobe going off in the theaters, invisible to humans, massively irritating to cam corders (get your video camera/phone cam/webcam and record you pointing a remote control at it and pressing the buttons, now imagine that at strobe flash levels)

Originally posted by magnets:

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I don't know why they don't just get a massive infrared stobe going off in the theaters, invisible to humans, massively irritating to cam corders (get your video camera/phone cam/webcam and record you pointing a remote control at it and pressing the buttons, now imagine that at strobe flash levels)

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That's a really good idea. Maybe they don't because they haven't thought of it. And that's a little know fact that cameras (without IR filters) pick up those faint light waves that the human eye has to be adjusted to pitch black to see.

i thought dolby was cross all products. watermarking is only goin to cause cracks created.