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Codecs and DVDs

Jamo

By Jamo
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Jamo

Jamo

Posted
Posted

I know this thread has been posted many times, but I was just wondering what schools do for DVD playback? Currently we are buying PowerDVD OEM for each PC which needs DVD playback, and locally installing it :(. In the past I have always used MPC for DVD playback on XP but I am a little concerned about the legalities of doing this in a School.

 

Obviously a free codec like ffdshow would be ideal as it would allow editing through windows movie maker as well for MP4 files but through reading a lot of the posts on this forum I am confused about the fact that an open source implementation of it still is breaking the mpeg patent (or something like that!) making it illegal :s

 

Anyhow as you can probably see I'm mightily confused about the whole subject now!

Hightower

Hightower

Posted
Posted
I know this thread has been posted many times, but I was just wondering what schools do for DVD playback? Currently we are buying PowerDVD OEM for each PC which needs DVD playback, and locally installing it :(. In the past I have always used MPC for DVD playback on XP but I am a little concerned about the legalities of doing this in a School.

 

Obviously a free codec like ffdshow would be ideal as it would allow editing through windows movie maker as well for MP4 files but through reading a lot of the posts on this forum I am confused about the fact that an open source implementation of it still is breaking the mpeg patent (or something like that!) making it illegal :s

 

Anyhow as you can probably see I'm mightily confused about the whole subject now!

 

We use PowerDVD too as our machines each come with a license, but could VLC Media Player not be the answer you are looking for? I'm sure it's more than capable of playing DVD's (amongst 5 million other types of video format) :D

 

EDIT: Shucks, beaten to it!

Jamo

Jamo

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Posted (edited)

Yeah I've been checking that out, I've used that before as well, great program but the site states that the libdvdcss library is technically illegal in a lot of countries :s I belive that is the case over here. Glad to see that its one vote for a really good program tho :D

 

Just a sidetrack here, but it seems that the more u pay for DVD software the more slow and memory hogging it seems to be.... Weird that huh?

Edited by Jamo
Jamo

Jamo

Posted
  • Author
Posted
mmm CCCP look interesting, havent heard of that one before. Judging by what people are saying the open source implementations of the MPEG codecs are ok to use in schools? Might go for the FFDShow for a test later on.
Jamo

Jamo

Posted
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Posted
Are the codecs required to playback a dvd which are included with these solutions legally allowed though?

 

Ben

 

This is my concern :s, ive always used those codecs at home, also useful for 64bit Media Centre playback of MP4 which was a bit of a pain! Our school here is quite rightly strict on all licensing and it gets very confusing with re to these codecs. Im surprised that they can be illegal because they are built from the ground up, its not like they are using copied code to function.

psych0sys

psych0sys

Posted
Posted
Are the codecs required to playback a dvd which are included with these solutions legally allowed though?

 

Ben

 

libdvdcss, which ships with VLC (and quite a few Linux dists under GPL) has never been actually made illegal, or been challenged in court, so that at least is fine to use... at least until the MPAA or someone else get tired of banging the doors of torrent sites and looks for easier victims. ;)

 

Can't say for definite about the other codecs though. Common opinion is that K-lite and other 'popular' all-in-ones contain illegals. Try this site for a supposedly 100% legal pack of codecs:

 

Download XP Codec Pack 2.4.6 - XP Codec Pack is one of the most completed codec packs

localzuk

localzuk

Posted
Posted
The thing is libdvdcss is illegal in the USA only - as it comes under the DMCA (and any other countries with similar laws). We don't have such a law in the UK yet I don't think (have we ratified the EU Copyright Directive?).
Jamo

Jamo

Posted
  • Author
Posted
The thing is libdvdcss is illegal in the USA only - as it comes under the DMCA (and any other countries with similar laws). We don't have such a law in the UK yet I don't think (have we ratified the EU Copyright Directive?).

 

I have been browsing the net for a while now about this issue, found a couple of articles which shed... well a teeny bit of light on the situation.

 

The Legality or Illegality of w32codecs and libdvdcss2 « UbuntuCat

 

libdvdcss - SWiK

 

It seems that the program is both legal and illegal, it is not related in any way to DeCSS which was the one which was actually contested in court and until something happens re the courts it seems to remain a grey area. O dear it seems my research has left me further confused lol o well, nearly time to eat my pot noodle that will solve the issue for a while :D

 

According to the lower website, its not illegal yet in the US, but it "possibly" breaks the DMCA rules!

 

I hate the word possibly!!

psych0sys

psych0sys

Posted
Posted

Hopefully we don't get DMCA style handcuffs! But even in the DMCA there are limitations which basically say that even though decrypting software (creation/use of) is illegal, you can only be prosecuted if someone is actually being harmed or damaged financially by it, i.e. making copies and distributing, etc.

 

What you should be concerned about is our copyright laws, as long as you're playing legally owned content on your PC, you'll be fine. If you're not, then why worry about what player it is anyway...

mb2k01

mb2k01

Posted
Posted

We have license (which I can't think the name of at the min) which allows films to be shown in an education enviroment - however, even this only applies when the film is being shown for some educational purpose!

 

....so you can imagine how unpopular I was when I pointed out to the staff that end of term videos should not be screened as they are for entertainment, not education! (Luckily the SMT at the time backed me up!)

 

Good point. It's amazing how many teachers "didn't see" the big WARNING - This movie is not licenced to be shown in prisons, hospitals, oil rigs, schools, etc. etc. - at the start of a film.

 

But, going back to the OP's question I tend to use whatever DVD software came bundled with the laptop - usually Power DVD.

 

We hope to phase out DVD playing by replacing laptops with Netbooks (no DVD drive!) and any legitimate media going on our Media Server.

Jamo

Jamo

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Good point. It's amazing how many teachers "didn't see" the big WARNING - This movie is not licenced to be shown in prisons, hospitals, oil rigs, schools, etc. etc. - at the start of a film.

 

But, going back to the OP's question I tend to use whatever DVD software came bundled with the laptop - usually Power DVD.

 

We hope to phase out DVD playing by replacing laptops with Netbooks (no DVD drive!) and any legitimate media going on our Media Server.

 

Netbooks are interesting little things! Going for Windows or Linux ones?

  • 2 months later...
matt_shore

matt_shore

Posted
Posted
I know this thread has been posted many times, but I was just wondering what schools do for DVD playback? Currently we are buying PowerDVD OEM for each PC which needs DVD playback, and locally installing it :(. In the past I have always used MPC for DVD playback on XP but I am a little concerned about the legalities of doing this in a School.

 

Obviously a free codec like ffdshow would be ideal as it would allow editing through windows movie maker as well for MP4 files but through reading a lot of the posts on this forum I am confused about the fact that an open source implementation of it still is breaking the mpeg patent (or something like that!) making it illegal :s

 

Anyhow as you can probably see I'm mightily confused about the whole subject now!

 

I've been contemplating the idea of a Tversity server. Basically making a media streaming server on your local network. You can add all your movies and teaching resources and to a directory then let all members of staff stream directly from the server. Plus the extra genius behind this being - I bet your local authority block youtube, but as we all know a valued teaching resource. In Tversity you can add links to you tube (you can setup the server with user name and password for the proxy for unfiltered internet access) check it out and let me know what you think.

 

Almost forgot to mention it also re-encodes the files so no need for codecs :D

 

Matt

matt_shore

matt_shore

Posted
Posted
We've been doing something along these lines for many years, for free, using Unreal Media Server. It streams the videos to the teacher's machine and only requires the Unreal ActiveX CAB and the codec for the file played (usually DivX).

 

I noticed you're at Handsworth Grange, I used to go there when it was Beaver Hill! Are you the new NM?

 

From what I gather this method requires only windows media player on the client machine. It requires no additional codex for the client machine because it would all be re-encoded by the server. I believe the youtube application side would aid teaching and learning.

 

Haha, nahh... I'm just a Senior Tech... Used to work at Birley Community College... One day I might be lucky enough to become a NM

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