Movie Spy Cameras Attack The Dying Art of Camcorder Piracy

[silicon_toad2000]

The elimination of camcorder movie piracy has been high on the agenda of movie studios for many years, particularly so during the last decade. Many approaches have been tried and there are signs that in the past 5 years the problem has significantly reduced. The latest anti-cam system claims to be the most unobtrusive yet, negating the need for bag searches, cell phone confiscations or the employment of security guards

http://torrentfreak.com/movie-spy-cameras-attack-the-dying-art-of-camcorder-piracy-120426/

[White Stripes]

interesting the images of the system in use see the red anti-glare coating on the camera lens... ...methinks the pros already figured the 'fix' for this out tho...

on the subject of theaters tho.... ppl still go? last i went there was nearly as much trailers as there was movie... (and the projector was out of focus and tilted slightly to the left and the sound system kept clipping and.... er.... you get the idea...)

[silicon_toad2000]

Yeah, we have a nearby cinema that's only $8/head. I take the kids down there every few months.
The big movies we feel are worth it we pay over $20 for the local new tech cinema.
The mrs and kids saw Titanic 3D there this month.

We have a drive in close-by too, but that's more expensive than the $8 theatre so we don't do the drive in's very often.

[¿Åliçe]

My kids love going to the cinema - but it's far too expensive here and added to that, they have centralised the cinemas, so unless you live in a city you have to travel for miles.. adding to the cost.  Shame, there is no denying that watching a DVD at home is nothing like the real thing.

[Plum]

Hey, why not use this technology against itself?  Use a camera finder to find the camera finders.  Too bad there isn't a way to make them self-destruct.  This might encourage burglaries where burglars mount permanent cameras in the facility.

As for me, I don't go to theaters.  Theaters tend to attract low-life teens who target adults, and if I did attend theaters, I would stop going because of this technology.

Oh, I know a legal way to F with them.  Make clothing, hats, eye-wear, coin purses, and other things using lenses similar to camera lenses.  When many innocents are fingered, they will be forced to scrap or change the law.  Also, if you have enough fake cameras, real ones could be hidden.  That is similar to how razor blades get past metal detectors.  So if you attach a blade to a hair clip or large earring, it will be assumed the jewelry is setting off the detector.  They wave a wand over you and clear you to pass.

Messing with them using fake cameras or lenses from broken ones attached to clothing is similar to the college file-sharing laws.  Government funded universities are required to check for file-sharing and to turn offenders over to law enforcement.  One way to F with them would be to operate file-sharing, but only have open source OS distros.  You know, ReactOS, SuSe, Fedora, Red Hat Linux, Debian, Ubuntu, etc.   Then when they nail you, you sue because you were not breaking the law.

There are a number of ways to get around the campus policies.  Like why not a network or encrypted Wi-Fi access points in Ad Hoc mode to form an Intranet and maybe use a tunnel to an off-campus peer?  Unless they are monitoring airwaves not used by the university, then they would not find this.  Students would be using their own bandwidth and that of cooperating non-students right off campus.  Another way or in conjunction to the previous would be using RONJA (reasonable optical near joint access).  Just think if you could point an optical transceiver at a house off-campus and use their bandwidth or files.

Or those on campuses can use FCC loopholes to transmit internet signals using the power line, and/or the broadcast band.  A little known part of FCC law is educational institutions being able to broadcast on certain frequencies, provided the signals do not extend but so far off campus.  Or, those with licenses to do so can use packet radio in the amateur band.

[achilles]

Its really pathetic of people to upload cam recorded films to the internet. Why would anyone want to even watch such poor quality vids?!

[White Stripes]

Make clothing, hats, eye-wear, coin purses, and other things using lenses similar to camera lenses.

make anything (doesnt have to be a lens) that reflects infrared light really well and it'll set it off...

Why would anyone want to even watch such poor quality vids?!

a taste test (so to speak) ... i watched a cammed version of a film on someone elses box... ...then bought the bluray as soon as it was released... ....the RIAA/MPAA will never learn that pirates are their best customers...

[Plum]

make anything (doesnt have to be a lens) that reflects infrared light really well and it'll set it off...

Point taken, and a wonderful suggestion.  That is like the idea to share huge open source files (Linux, ReactOS, home movies, etc).  Then you get a lot of false arrests, and then the activists and allies will get involved.  Also reminds me of a method someone used on a TV show to shoplift. They wore a very reflective outfit.  The cameras could never get a clear image of them.

a taste test (so to speak) ... i watched a cammed version of a film on someone elses box... ...then bought the bluray as soon as it was released... ....the RIAA/MPAA will never learn that pirates are their best customers...

Good point too.  That was how at least one early file-sharing client justified their existence.  They would not allow files with better bit quality than 128k.  If you liked it so such that you wanted better quality, you had to buy it.

Likewise, small bands prefer file-sharing over other options to get known, and often the cartel wants nothing to do with them.  In fact, if you put your original content out there, the cartel will play dirty and accuse you of stealing their stuff, even if you wrote your own tune and lyrics.

I think even "social piracy" could help the big companies.  Now they want to sue over using a 2 second clip (though that should fall under the fair use doctrine).

[White Stripes]

Also reminds me of a method someone used on a TV show to shoplift. They wore a very reflective outfit.  The cameras could never get a clear image of them.

that (and similar) was actually an active device with infrared LEDs pointing at the wearers face... B&W security cams (at the time?) were (still are?) oversensitive to IR... CCD cells technically always have been...

interesting experiment? get your TV/VCR/DVD player remote (doesnt matter which just as long as it uses IR instead of bluetooth) and various cameras you commonly use... activate the cameras 'viewfinder' mode (so you can see what it sees) and point the remote at the cam and push a button... depending on the camera it'll show either a bright white (no filter) or dim blue (filter) blinking light....