Macrovision

Infobox Company
company_name = Macrovision Corporation
company_
company_type = Public (nasdaq2|MVSN)
genre =
foundation = 1983
founder =
location_city = flagicon|USA Santa Clara, California
location_country = USA
location =
origins =
key_people = Fred Amoroso, President and Chief Executive Officer

area_served =
industry =
products =
services =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees = 800+ (2007)
parent =
divisions =
subsid =
owner =
company_slogan = Protect, Enhance, and Distribute Your Digital Goods
homepage = [http://www.macrovision.com/ Macrovision.com]
dissolved =
footnotes =

Macrovision Corporation is a globally-operating, U.S.-based company that develops and markets licensing, access control, and secure distribution technologies for electronically delivered creative works. This includes digital media (video, music), web publishing (text, images), and computer software (consumer software, enterprise software, and video games). The name is also sometimes used to refer to certain video copy prevention schemes developed by that company early in its history. Its customers include the majority of the Fortune 500, as well as most major movie studios, record labels, PC video game publishers, ISVs, consumer electronic device manufacturers, and IC manufacturers. [ [http://www.macrovision.com/company/242.htm?link_id=topnav Macrovision: About the Company] ]

History

Macrovision Corporation was established in 1983. The 1984 film "The Cotton Club" was the first video to be encoded with the Macrovision technology when it was released in 1985. By the end of the 1980s, most major Hollywood studios were utilizing the Macrovision technology. The technology was extended to DVD players and other consumer electronic recording and playback devices such as digital cable and satellite set-top boxes, digital video recorders, and personal media players. Macrovision has subsequently introduced products and services for facilitating access control and secure distribution of other forms of digital media, including music, video games, Web text and graphics, and computer software. On December 7, 2007 Macrovision agreed to buy Gemstar-TV Guide in a cash-and-stock deal worth about $2.8 billion.On the April 1 2008, Macrovision announced that Thoma Cressey Bravo, a private equity firm, completed the acquisition of Macrovision's software business unit for 200 million USD, in order to form a separate entity called Acresso Software. [ [http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080401/20080401006885.html?.v=1 Press Release on Yahoo! Finance site] ]

Marketing solutions

Video game

Macrovision's games division TryMedia, is a marketplace for downloadable video games for personal computers. It connects 30 leading publishers and their 300 top titles with 3,000 portals/websites in 30 countries. Its games distribution partners include Yahoo!, AOL, Earthlink, IGN, Disney and more than 300 other businesses for which the company provides a variety of distribution and security technologies and services. On February 22, 2008 Macrovision agreed to sell TryMedia to RealNetworks.

Software Publishing and Licensing

Macrovision provided the InstallShield, InstallAnywhere, and FLEXnet lines of products for software publishers and developers. Over 71,000 ISVs worldwide use Macrovision’s InstallShield and InstallAnywhere solutions for packaging, distributing, and electronically updating their software applications. More than 9,800 ISVs and enterprises have licensed FLEXnet technology for managing and enforcing licenses to their products. Many of the top 100 software publishers use InstallShield.On February 14, 2008 Macrovision agreed to sell their Software Unit to Thoma Cressey Bravo for $200 million. The deal closed on the 1st of April 2008.

Online Publishing

Macrovision develops and markets RightAccess and RightCommerce for securing the delivery of digital goods and services, particularly Web-hosted text, images, and software applications. RightAccess provides authentication, authorization, product segmentation, and delegated administration capabilities. RightCommerce enables flexible pricing and billing for web content and web applications. It supports a number of different billing models (subscription, usage-based pricing, etc.). [http://www.macrovision.com/products/1150.htm?link_id=topnav Macrovision: Online Publishing]

Digital Home Entertainment

Macrovision provides a variety of software and hardware ingredient technologies for consumer electronics devices, particularly those with video recording or playback capabilities. Its heritage product is a technology for discouraging the copying of video through analog interfaces of consumer electronic devices. A companion product called RipGuard is designed to discourage ripping of video DVDs using a personal computer. More recently, through its acquisition of Mediabolic, Macrovision has begun developing and marketing software components for enabling video playback in consumer devices. Macrovision's home entertainment technologies are incorporated into the vast majority of all DVD players, digital cable/satellite set-top boxes, personal computers, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) such as TiVo, and Portable Media Players (PMPs) such as the iPod. [http://www.macrovision.com/products/1148.htm?link_id=topnav Macrovison: Digital Home Entertainment]

Technology Details

RipGuard

In February 2005, Macrovision introduced their new RipGuard technology. This is designed to prevent (or reduce) digital DVD copying by altering the format of the DVD content in such a way as to disrupt the ripping software. Macrovision [http://www.macrovision.com/products/anti_piracy/ripguard.htm claims] that 97% of all current DVD rippers will not be able to copy a DVD with RipGuard technology. However, it can be bypassed with [http://www.dvdsmith.com/ DVDSmith] for Windows, [http://ripitapp.com/ RipIt] for the Mac, Slysoft's AnyDVD, Fengtao's [http://www.dvdidle.com/free.htm DVDFab Decrypter] , [http://www.ripit4me.org RipIt4Me] , or MacTheRipper 3 for Mac OS X. Macrovision released RipGuard-MOD v2.4 in May 2007. MOD v2.4 successfully disrupts some of the methods that these programs use to circumvent the copy prevention, thereby slowing down the copying process significantly. In addition, v2.4 also provides for the ability to copy prevent recordable DVDs, including dual layer recordables. RipGuard also renders the formatted section of DVDs unwatchable on some players. The audio is intact, but the image appears scrambled. This has been confirmed with Toshiba DVD/TV combo model MD20FL1. Fact|date=April 2007. The most recent version of DVDFab Decrypter has been successful at removing this protection method.

The recent proliferation of cheap DVD recorders has presented a major setback to vendors of DVD anti-copying systems, because one can make an excellent quality dub by linking a DVD player to a DVD recorder via S-video and disabling the anti-copy system with an inexpensive Macrovision removal box . One can freely copy such a dub. Although it does not have the menu structure of the original DVD release, many users consider that an improvement, since in many cases it means that the entire feature (stripped of all the "extras") can fit uncompressed on a single-layer disc. It also means one can watch the movie without having to view multiple previews or several seconds of unskippable corporate logos and copyright warnings.

Analog Copy Prevention

A DVD recorder receiving a data stream encoded with Macrovision's legacy ACP copy prevention signal will simply display a message saying the source is "copy-protected", and will pause the recording. This is achieved through a signal implanted within the offscreen range (vertical blanking interval) of the video signal—either physically recorded directly on the tape (as with VHS) or created on playback by a chip in the player (as with DVDs) or the digital cable/satellite box (as with all HDTV programs being down-converted to standard definition). NTSC and other video formats store the video signal as “lines.” A portion of these lines are used for constructing the visible image by transposing them on the screen, but there are approximately 20 to 40 lines outside the visible range that are used for different things in different countries, like closed captioning. Macrovision inserts pulses into this non-displayed area. These signals cause the automatic gain control on the recording VCR to compensate for the varying strength. This makes the recorded picture wildly change brightness, rendering it unwatchable. On most televisions, the viewer on the screen sees no effect in ordinary playback of the modified video because the signal is outside the visible area, but some TVs do not properly blank the vertical retrace and leave dotted white lines near the top of the picture. Some newer TVs also mistake the Macrovision pulses for synchronization pulses. Another modification also used in Macrovision is the addition of "colorstripes"—rapidly modulated colorburst signals.

Historically, the original Macrovision technology was considered a nuisance to some specialist users because it could interfere with other electronic equipment. For example, if one were to run their video signal through a VCR before the television, some VCRs will output a ruined signal regardless of whether it is recording. This also occurs in some TV-VCR combo sets. Apart from this, many DVD recorders mistake the mechanical instability of worn videotapes for Macrovision signals, and so refuse to make what would be perfectly legal DVD dubs of people's old home movies and the like. This widespread problem provides a legitimate basis for the sale of devices that defeat Macrovision. The signal has also been known to confuse home theater line doublers (devices for improving the quality of video for large projection TVs) and some high-end television comb filters. In addition, Macrovision confuses many upconverters (devices that convert a video signal to a higher resolution), causing them to shut down and refuse to play Macrovision content.

Some DVD players give the user the option of disabling the Macrovision technology. This is possible since the signal is not stored on the DVD itself; instead commercial DVDs contain an instruction to the player to create such a signal during playback. Some DVD players can be configured to ignore such instructions.

There are also devices called "stabilizers", "video stabilizers" or "enhancers" available that filter out the Macrovision spikes and thereby defeat the system. The principle of their function lies in detecting the vertical synchronization signal, and forcing the lines occurring during the vertical blanking interval to black level, removing the AGC-confusing pulses. They can be easily built by hobbyists, as nothing more than a cheap microcontroller together with an analog multiplexer and a little other circuitry is needed. Individuals less experienced with such things can purchase video stabilizers off the Internet. The best device for defeating Macrovision is a Time Base Corrector (TBC), although they are more expensive than the simpler video stabilizers.

Discs made with DVD copying programs such as DVD Shrink automatically disable any Macrovision copy prevention. USB-based video interfaces designed to allow DVD recording on PCs are legally required to detect the presence of Macrovision signals on any analog signals input to them, and if so, inhibit the recording.

The MPAA maintains it has every right to limit copying of movies, comparing DVDs to pay-per-view where the consumer is allowed to view the movie in question but nothing more. Many are concerned that the organization is attempting to quash fair use by disallowing consumers to make personal copies.

On the other hand the ease with which Macrovision and other copy-prevention measures can be defeated has prompted a steadily growing number of DVD releases that do not have copy prevention of any kind, CSS or Macrovision.

United States fair use law, as interpreted in the decision over Betamax (Sony Corp. v. Universal City Studios), dictates that consumers are fully within their legal rights to copy videos they own. However, the legality has changed somewhat with the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act. After April 26 2002, no VCR may be manufactured or imported without Automatic Gain Control circuitry (which renders VCRs vulnerable to Macrovision). This is contained in title 17, section 1201(k) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. However, there are a number of mostly older VCR models on the market that are not affected by Macrovision.

On October 26 2001, the sale, purchase, or manufacture of any device that has no commercial purpose other than disabling Macrovision copy prevention was made illegal under section 1201(a) of the same controversial act.

In June 2005, Macrovision sent a cease and desist letter to "Lightning UK!", the maker of DVD Decrypter, a program that allows users to backup their DVDs by bypassing CSS and Macrovision. They later acquired the rights to this software and withdrew it from circulation on the internet.

In June 2005, Macrovision sued Sima Products under section 1201 of the DMCA, claiming that Sima's video processors provided a way to circumvent Macrovision's analog content protection (ACP). As of June 2006, Sima received an injunction barring the sale of this device, while the court proceedings continue. [ [http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060816-7517.html Digitizing video signals might violate the DMCA] ]

CD Copy Prevention

TotalPlay, formerly called Cactus Data Shield (CDS) is a form of copy control for audio compact discs developed by Midbar Tech, now owned by Macrovision. There are several types, commonly described as CDS100, CDS200 and CDS300. However, there are about seven subtly different versions of CDS200. CDS200 discs are usually labeled as 'copy controlled' (CCCD). (They are officially not designated CDs). CDS300 discs are labeled as 'content protected'. CDS300 discs cannot be ripped by iTunes in particular. However, they contain copies of the music in low bit-rate WMA format, which can be burned to a CD no more than three times.

CDS300 was rebranded "Totalplay" in 2005 and contained a Windows CD software driver that denied access to the audio portion of the music disc. Apple computers were immune to CDS300. However, it could still be copied on the Windows platform by using the Musicmatch player and others.

CDS100 is incompatible with many CD players, particularly car CD players, which generated negative press around 2002. The company claims this was fixed in (modern versions of) CDS200.

Notable acquisitions

* In 2000, Macrovision acquired Globetrotter, creators of the FLEXlm, which was subsequently renamed Flexnet.
* In 2004, Macrovision acquired InstallShield, creators of installation authoring software.
* In 2005, Macrovision acquired ZeroG Software, creators of InstallAnywhere (direct competition to InstallShield MP (MultiPlatform)), and Trymedia Systems.
* In 2006, Macrovision acquired eMeta.
* On January 1, 2007, Macrovision acquired Mediabolic, Inc.
* Macrovision announced its intention to acquire All Media Guide on November 6 2007.
* On December 7, 2007, Macrovision announced an agreement to acquire Gemstar-TV Guide.
* On December 19, 2007, Macrovision purchased BD+ DRM technology from Cryptography Research Inc.

See also

* CSS and DeCSS
* Copy prevention
* DRM
* DTCP ("5C")
* eMeta eRights - Macrovision's access control and commerce solution for digital media
* FLEXlm & FLEXnet - Macrovision's computer software license manager
* InstallShield - Macrovision's installation authoring software
* SafeCast - Macrovision's software copy prevention scheme
* SafeDisc - Macrovision's CD copy prevention scheme

References

* [http://www.repairfaq.org/filipg/LINK/F_MacroVision.html Fil's FAQ-Link-In Corner: MacroVision FAQ]
* [http://www.mpaa.org/DVD_FAQ.asp MPAA | DVD Frequently Asked Questions]
* [http://columbiaisa.freespaces.com/dvd_macrovision2.htm Columbia ISA: Macrovision Details]
* [http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080214/macrovision_acquisition.html?.v=1 Macrovision Agrees to Sell Software Unit]
* [http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20080223/tc_cmp/206801470 Realnetworks Acquires Game Distributor From Macrovision]

External links

* [http://www.macrovision.com/ Macrovision | Homepage]
* [http://finance.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ%3AMVSN Macrovision | Stock Quote]
* [http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question313.htm Howstuffworks: "How does copy protection on a video tape work?"]
* [http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060816-7517.html Ars Technica: "Digitizing video signals might violate the DMCA"]