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Digital Media Faq

Music

How do I know whether my CD has copy protection on it? Copy-protected CDs often come with a label identifying them as such, though that's not legally required. Amazon.com clearly identifies CDs containing copy protection schemes, so searching there for the CD title may turn up the answer.

Ack! My CD has DRM all over it. What can I do? Not a lot. Most tools for bypassing DRM are illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, though low-tech workarounds exist. Some users have circumvented Sony BMG's copy protection by placing a strip of tape on the CD's outer edge where the data layer is, to stop the PC from reading it--but if the tape comes loose, it could gum up your CD drive. Other solutions involve drawing over the outside track with a black marker or disabling the computer's autorun feature--and thereby preventing the copy protection software from loading--by holding down the <Shift> key as the CD loads.

Can't I rip MP3s without a PC? If your MP3 player offers in-line recording, you can legally rip MP3 files directly to it from your stereo, bypassing your PC. Archos, Cowon, iRiver, and Samsung all make players with this feature. Video Without Boundaries' Flyboy portable video player can do the same with DVDs. Since this method relies on analog output and doesn't break digital encryption, it doesn't run afoul of the DMCA.

Video

My DVR has "flagged" a program I recorded and will delete it in a week. Is it still possible to keep a copy? Nope. If content owners use Macrovision's copy protection to flag a program, you can't burn a copy of that show to any other storage medium. But this affects only a small number of pay-per-view and video-on-demand programs, and it applies only to TiVo subscribers--so far. Other video recorders or TV service providers may have different rules; for example, the Dish satellite network lets you record pay-per-view programs but not its Dish on Demand movies.

I'm in the market for a new high-def display. Should I wait until the DRM dust settles before I buy? Not necessarily. Virtually all new HDTVs have an HDCP-compatible digital interface, which is the one new HD players will use. More and more PC monitors do, too; look for the term "HDCP-HDMI" in the product description as you shop.

Contributing Editor Dan Tynan writes PC World's monthly Gadget Freak column. He is also the author of Computer Privacy Annoyances, from O'Reilly Media.