DVD Software Support for Compaq Portables | 4 |
Although the design rules imposed on CSS licensors are many, one rule that is most relevant is playback restrictions on regionalized content. In order to facilitate geographically staggered movie releases, DVD video titles are released for specific geographic regions as defined in Table 1. While DVD movie content may be released for multiple regions, CSS design rules require that any system capable of playing CSS encrypted content must only be capable of playing one region.
TABLE 1 - REGION DEFINITIONS
Region 1 | Canada, US, US Territories |
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Region 2 | Czech, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Gulf States, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, |
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, | |
| Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, UK, Greece, Former Yugoslav Republics, Slovakia |
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Region 3 | Burma, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam |
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Region 4 | Australia, Caribbean (Except US Territories), Central America, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, South |
America | |
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Region 5 | CIS, India, Pakistan, Rest of Africa, Russia, North Korea |
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Region 6 | China |
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Furthermore, software applications using CSS encryption technology cannot be distributed via uncontrolled, publicly available mediums like the Web.
Both of these factors present challenges to companies like Compaq selling computer- based DVD movie playback solutions. Challenges not only in distributing software and ensuring customers are able to playback movies from their region, but also providing reasonable protection against unlawful circumvention of CSS encryption.
The initial implementation strategy adopted for Compaq Armada and Prosignia portables allows the user to make a
[PRT015A/0199]