# Has the HD-DVD Spec been Cracked? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 1, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-hd-dvd-spec-been-cracked/386342 "2007-01-01T20:25:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xiix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d6d6ee/32.png) [@xiix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xiix)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-hd-dvd-spec-been-cracked/386342/1 "2007-01-01T20:25:36Z")
Oh dear, looks like I’m going to have to walk on very thin ice again in order to post a simple query. Before you respond to this thread, please keep in mind that the SDMB policy is that no discussion that may aid the illegal circumvention of Intellectual Property laws is permitted on this board!!! That being said, it would appear that mainstream media ([example](http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/27/aacs-drm-cracked-by-backuphddvd-tool/) have started covering a story about the HD-DVD specification (more specifically AACS DRM) having been cracked ala DECSS for dvds. So my question is simply, is this for real? Has the multi-million dollar effort from Hollywood studios to protect their IP been completely subverted? Is this new development equivilent to deCSS? \*\*MODS: \*\* Please, please, before you lock this thread, consider that I am only asking for clarification of a mainstream news story that covers an issue that effects a great many people. I am not interested nor do I condone the discussion of illegal methods of copying protected content. Rather, I just want to know whether the cat is out of the bag on a major issue for anyone that enjoys movies (as the ramifications of a full-crack are very significant for the future of the specification). Please don’t lock this thread without careful consideration! ---
**Author:** ![xiix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d6d6ee/32.png) [@xiix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xiix)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-hd-dvd-spec-been-cracked/386342/2 "2007-01-01T20:31:33Z")
I feel it might be smart to better cite my claim of mainstream media coverage and so: [New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/01/technology/01hack.html) [International Herald Tribune](http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&fp=4599e27af1694daf&ei=I2-ZRdOIMbn6sAGapZXVDQ&url=http%3A//www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/01/business/dvd.php&cid=1112283309) [Fox News](http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/1-0&fp=4599e27af1694daf&ei=I2-ZRdOIMbn6sAGapZXVDQ&url=http%3A//www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C240077%2C00.html&cid=1112283309) ---
**Author:** ![xiix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d6d6ee/32.png) [@xiix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xiix)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-hd-dvd-spec-been-cracked/386342/3 "2007-01-02T04:45:57Z")
150 views…0 replies? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-hd-dvd-spec-been-cracked/386342/4 "2007-01-02T06:26:01Z")
[Here](http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061228-8510.html) is a more technical article on the subject. You still need the encryption keys, which is always the tricky part. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-hd-dvd-spec-been-cracked/386342/5 "2007-01-02T10:20:18Z")
Even if it _hasn’t_ been cracked as of yet, it is only a matter of time before it is. There’s no way to completely prevent a dedicated hacker from finding out how to crack your encryption standards, and that’s assuming someone involved with the creation of it doesn’t get cheesed off and leak pertinant info about it on the web. One would think that after the debacles Sony’s various copy protection schemes they’d have learned their lesson by now, but obviously not. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-hd-dvd-spec-been-cracked/386342/6 "2007-01-02T14:16:59Z")
Well, they have learned some things from the DVD debacle. They have a much better way to revoke keys that have been publicly released.