Copy Bluray movies to HDD and watch them on TV

You'll have to go to other, more popular forums to discuss that. No circumvention of the copy protection policies of any company's media is allowed here.

When you do get the files you want on a HD, both the Seagate GoFlex and the Western Digital TV Live can play them.

You might want to consider a network drive (NAS), so you can store them in one palce and play them in multiple locations.

Will - Our friend just wants to setup a media server to avoid popping discs. That's fairly common now; the days of the 5-disc changer are long over. I don't see the copyright violation in copying your own stuff for private use (and if there is one, the industry is more screwed up than I thought).

Udesha - Wish I could answer more fully but I'm headed the same direction with my library eventually, also searching for answers. But the BluRay Writer kinda stood out for me ... wouldn't a Reader be enough in this case? (if that's all you want it to do)

It is illegal at this point to copy dvds and blu ray movies, because you have to bypass copy protection to do it. Period. Every disc has an FBI warning, and in it, it says it's illegal to copy even without monetary compensation. You own the disc. You don't own the movie. The studios own the movies.

No matter how bad you want it to be legal, it's not. They usually don't pursue you if you're not selling them though.

Besides that, it's against the forum rules to discuss how to do this. Ask an admin...........

Yes, portability is becoming more and more common, which is one of the reasons newer titles often include a "Digital Copy" disc that facilitates the transfer of the movie to other hardware devices.  The copying or "ripping" of any other DVD or Blu-ray disc media is and always has been in violation of copyright policies.

There has been SOMEWHAT of a change in how we will discuss this here.  Because several large studios have backed Portable Direct and Remote Direct File play, (the keys being Microsoft, Sony and Warner).  And since they are now committed to your right to archive; and have provided tools to play back these archived formats natively, the end user is in a different situation..   Many states have moved to try and clarify your rights under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. 

But under the new UltraViolet agreement between studios and providers, the lines are now blurry enough that it's hard to see what has legal weight.  As I've said in the HTPC forum: if you are copying discs you do not own, or if you are distributing discs, you are a pirate.  You fall on the wrong side of law on that point, you should be busted. 

With UltraViolet, Microsoft and Sony's new stream aware, it's very hard (read: Impossible) for a studio to come to you and say: we provided you the tools, and now we're unhappy you used them.  Even Warner now pays for a device that plays full MKV with DTS-MA/DD-HD supports through a subdivision..

In the end, they can't have it both ways.  And they really don't want to.   Since the rulings last summer, they've tried their damnedest to do whatever you can to make sure you buy media.

So, your question: are there ways to do this: yes.   Will we discuss it: yes.. to some extent, in the HTPC forum.   What we won't discuss: we aren't getting into recommending pay softwares; we aren't going to talk about anything but media you physically own; downloading or any of that outside of legal sources if forbidden and should be.. and we aren't discussing changing or altering that media - with the exception of for a portable device (as all companies now provide that). 

But it's a tricky line.  

Because no studio has ever went to fight an end user on preservation of their own data, it's kind of the test case that will ever happen.  Both sides have too much to lose.  But companies that try to sell you means to do it?  You're finally coming up with some that have more then just the blind-eye to/from a studio, and unlike 3 years ago, they aren't facing the guillotine.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Moxley 

It is illegal at this point to copy dvds and blu ray movies, because you have to bypass copy protection to do it. Period. Every disc has an FBI warning, and in it, it says it's illegal to copy even without monetary compensation. You own the disc. You don't own the movie. The studios own the movies.

No matter how bad you want it to be legal, it's not. They usually don't pursue you if you're not selling them though.

Besides that, it's against the forum rules to discuss how to do this. Ask an admin...........

FYI, the keys and codes for HD-DVD were publically released.  So if you're trying to archive HD-DVD, then there is no dispute or discussion. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattCR 

There has been SOMEWHAT of a change in how we will discuss this here. 

There may be in future. (It's being discussed right now.) There hasn't been yet. HTF Rule 5 remains unchanged.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Reuben 

 

 

There may be in future. (It's being discussed right now.) There hasn't been yet. HTF Rule 5 remains unchanged.

Yeah, I was thinking that an Admin or a Mod would tell us if the rules had changed.

My apologies, I was instructed incorrectly, apparently :) 

We can't discuss that here! Read the rules. See what Michael said above..............

If you ignore the rules, they may ban you. Wait and see how the talks go, and if they change the forum rules.

Yes.  Let's just exercise some patience.

As Michael stated above, the issue is being discussed.  But, as you might imagine, the issue is complex. 

I moved the thread here to the HTPC area.

I would like to apologize for the confusion.  We have a great moderating team here and they do a great job or contributing to the site, and enforcing the rules.  I also appreciate our members like those of you in this thread who not only spend a lot of time helping members with their HT issues, but help them understand our culture and rules.  You have all done that here.

We are in the process of rewriting rule 5 to allow for discussion of how to put movies you have purchased on your Media Center PC, iPad, etc.  That rewrite probably wont be complete until late next week.  Discussion of bootlegs, torrents, etc will still be prohibited.

I take responsibility for the (lack of) way this was communicated.  That isn't how we like to role out rule changes, Apologies again to not only the members, but the moderators involved for the confusion.

This thread can continue while the rule rewrite is under way.

Ncgosh-

I don't want to get into the technicalities of how you do this.  Because some of that involves things that I think even after a rule change we might not discuss.   But as to your key question, what kind of hardware do you want - I think that's a critical one.

No matter your end goal of DVD/BD on an HTPC, you need to look for those with a high read rate and low noise.   So whether you are watching the film from a BD or DVD or otherwise, you should really look at it this way:  LiteOn and LG drives make for some of the best performers - no matter what your goal.  Their fast read rate + low noise means they aren't going to make your HTPC loud and slow.   Add to that they are low cost.

You'll find that BD/DVD do well in that environment, those are good to consider.

Right now, Windows Media Center is the best way to manage these formats; all of the native players for BD are Windows MC based.  While content can be viewed in others (like XBMC, etc.) the convenience level definitely revolves around Windows7 MC.   We're working up guides on that.

Some of your questions, for now, are best handled in private messaging.

All good info. Thanks to everyone.

Small tanget (that hopefully isn't worth an entire/separate thread back in the original forum): Since I'm new here and much has been made above of the forum rules (people here even know them by rule number?), I went looking for them.  I figured something so well known should be easy to find, but I can't find them after a more-than-reasonable time reviewing the forums area looking specifically for them.

I would have expected them either at the top of the forum hierarchy somehow, or as a sticky in the beginner/general/welcome area.  Maybe I've got a blind spot or having a brain fart here, but I can't imagine where else I'd be expected to go first to find the rules of the road.  So, I have 2 intents here:

1) I truly want to read these well known rules BUT I don't want someone to send me a link ... that would indicate to me that every HTFnoob would have to post/ask upon first visiting to find the rules, which is an unreasonable expectation (and increases useless posts).  I want to know how someone just walking into this town would locate them when casually looking, if not stumble upon them without looking for them, the latter of which is how I sense that folks here would probably want it.

2) This is also serves as general feedback that the rules are not easy to find for someone just off the street, unfamiliar with the culture here, and considering becoming a part of it.  Things are always easy to find when you already know where to look.

Steve:

First, I have often shared your concern about the HTF's rules not being easy-to-find.

That being said, I'm not sure exactly what you want to have happen as a result of your post.  Your feedback will be noticed (you can count on that).  And I'm sure we will have another look at the situation.

So, I won't send you a link.  But...I WILL tell you that if you look in the signature of any moderator/owner on the forum, you'll find what you are looking for.    (And a few of us have posted in this very thread). 

Feel free to continue to give us feedback on this or any other issue as a new member.  We've been going through some big changes recently and would love to hear from some new members about their impressions.  We'd really appreciate it. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon 

I'm not sure exactly what you want to have happen as a result of your post.

Thanks, Mike.  This is all good.

For #1, I didn't find them immediately because I couldn't see any sigs at all.  I poked around, found the setting where sigs were hidden for me (I don't remember doing that, but I don't trust my memory 100% anymore anyway), and then I could see what you were talking about.  Hey, I even followed Rule 1 without knowing it was a rule!   

For #2, as long as y'all recognize a newbie's POV on this and will consider a change (based on possible hidden sigs, dependence on seeing Moderator posts on first arrival, and expectations at most other forums), that's all I was looking for there. That's enough new member feedback for 1 thread. Thanks again! - Steve :^{D

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpacemanSpiff 

 

  Hey, I even followed Rule 1 without knowing it was a rule!  

You see?  You're a natural HTFer! 

As I said earlier, I agree that the rules ARE hard to find.  They are listed under "Terms of Service" in our "Articles" section of the forum.  One needs to know a thing or two about the forum before being able to find them...without a doubt.  hence why us moderators have the link to the Rules in our signatures. 

Thanks for the feedback and let us know when anything else crosses your mind that you think might be helpful.