Blu-Ray Conversion heads up

[Dustin Grush]

I was able to purchase and install a key this afternoon so it seems that it is working, at least for now.

[Ryan Gallagher]

ATTN: It appears the developer has returned long enough to install the September Beta key on the forum page.
I haven't dug in the forum yet to learn if payments for perpetual keys are functioning again.

[Carsten Kurz]

As I said, it will keep track of dates it was operating. Before I bought a temporary license, I had to keep track with the modified date, so that when I changed it, it would never fall back before the last adjusted date. Because MakeMKV will remember the date it ran last time. Not rocket science, but if you miss it once, your installation is done until you get a new key. You have no second chance to readjust the time.

Given the fact that temporary keys exist for many many years, I think this is a method that makes sure that people update often. Which is necessary for this type of program in order to be able to crack new encryption keys/methods on new discs.

[Ryan Gallagher]

I just did a test rip at home using the date workaround. I already had the last beta key associated to MakeMKV. All it required was indeed temporarily setting the Windows Settings date back to before July 31 manually (before launching MakeMKV). If it's a fresh install, I would set the date before doing the install and key. Though probably just doing it before a launch where you associate the beta key would work too.

If that is all it took to keep beta keys alive makes you wonder why he even bothered with keys at all? If he ever opted to exit beta and charge for all versions, the all too easy date workaround would have made forcing adoption difficult.

In an IT managed windows domain without user admin privs, this workaround might be quite a bit harder. Pretty sure system date/time changes are one of those that would ask for privilege escalation. Or perhaps your only machines to run it on have other tasks that really need the date/time to be accurate.

There are now several "flavors" of efforts in that forum to automate this process with "loader" scripts/executables for windows probably to ensure compatibility with other pre-existing automated ripping tasks/tools, or just desire to be lazy and not poke windows settings constantly. (by god don't trust any of these enhancements without a scan for viruses... this situation is ripe for trojans and ransomware insertion).

[Ryan Gallagher]

On that forum, it's been some time ago, that Mike made a post explaining that this was a rip-off of MakeMKV, and provided a way to run a command and actually see the familiar user interface.
Maybe they changed it since then. I don't know.
It is probable, for someone to make or publicly share a key generator, as you describe. Yet, I am trying to say that it would be a pity, if all that knowledge shared in the forum ends up at the internet archives.

(P.S. It's a really old announcement, seemingly from 2010. See: "Scam alert - leawo blu-ray ripper".)

Thanks, I figured most "shiny" looking alternatives were just a quick UI slapped ontop of a less than legit version of MakeMKV. But if they do the business and can still be installed, and are still being maintained, they might inherit "some" legitimacy were MakeMKV to become abandoned.

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

On that forum, it's been some time ago, that Mike made a post explaining that this was a rip-off of MakeMKV, and provided a way to run a command and actually see the familiar user interface.
Maybe they changed it since then. I don't know.
It is probable, for someone to make or publicly share a key generator, as you describe. Yet, I am trying to say that it would be a pity, if all that knowledge shared in the forum ends up at the internet archives.

(P.S. It's a really old announcement, seemingly from 2010. See: "Scam alert - leawo blu-ray ripper".)

[Ryan Gallagher]

Or drives for a personal computer. And talking about missing DCP options, have you tried to find a copy of "The Wall"...?

In the sad event of "mike admin"'s peril, I am afraid that the forum will be the next thing that will vanish, along with the updates and the chance to purchase or beta use.
It remains to be seen.

No, but this season our "problem" 35mm screenings relevant to finding BR quality digital backups were: "House Party" (no BR/DCP), "Now and Then" (no BR/DCP), and "Strange Days" (No DCP, which only had a non region 1 option BR).

I think it's too soon to worry about Mike's situation, as others have pointed out he's known to go off radar for periods. But others have speculated that if it becomes abandonware someone will likely have a keygen for it in pretty sort order. But the longer problem of abandonware still persists. IMHO he should have switched to an open source + donations model eons ago... but to each their own.

Also, there are some less popular alternatives out there, I know nothing about this one but claims to support encrypted blu-rays:
https://www.leawo.com/blu-ray-ripper/

And I shudder at the thought, but there is always the screen record or output record methods if you have a functioning PC based BR playback method. 1:1 record time would be quite a burden though.

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

[...]optical professional blu-ray players may not be a thing one can buy in the not too distant future.

Or drives for a personal computer. And talking about missing DCP options, have you tried to find a copy of "The Wall"...?

In the sad event of "mike admin"'s peril, I am afraid that the forum will be the next thing that will vanish, along with the updates and the chance to purchase or beta use.
It remains to be seen.

[Ryan Gallagher]

See, I knew this was a sticky topic in some ways. Both in that Randy and my joking about trade solutions could be taken too literally, those two posts were thick with sarcasm but does not always work the same online.

And Martin’s point about distributor prohibitions of that conversion method specifically.

To be clear, I know there are places that will skirt the rules with exhibiting Blu-ray content, even as far as not getting exhibition rights to the film. But that not our case. Our entire Blu-ray (and DVD before that) was aquired for backup media to 35mm/70mm, or as the primary media when neither prints or DCPs are an option, but still paired with an exhibition payment to the relevant parties.

Our specific need for MakeMKV has only been when the only Blu-ray source gettable is for another region. Which I had to do at home until recently. But having the capacity at work has made the DCP conversion method more tempting, optical professional blu-ray players may not be a thing one can buy in the not too distant future.

[Martin McCaffery]

At least one of the big distributors specifically prohibits exhibitors from making DCPs of BluRay/DVs. How they would know if you did is left as an exercise for the reader.

[Steve Guttag]

To be clear, the use of MakeMKV does not imply any form of copyright infringement...however your description of use of the program in exchange for copies of copyrighted works is. If I wanted to convert my disc collection to MKV for use on my computer while I'm working...it would be like any other form of making a backup copy. Only one paid for copy is in use at a time. It matters no if I watch it on a TV with a Blu-ray player on my computer via the MKV file...I'm watching the content I paid for.

So, as to not contributing to MakeMKV or DOM is not a valid excuse, with reference to being something shady. Playing copyrighted content that is not licensed for public use is a violation of copyright...be it DCP, MKV or Blu-ray. It isn't the medium, its the content itself.

So, if they don't want to pay for it...that is the real reason.

[Carsten Kurz]

You can not simply set back the time for MakeMKV to work again - you need to follow certain rules, because it not only checks absolute times, but also when it was last run. So you need to keep track of the date and your usage, as otherwise it will still report a expired key or demands a new installation. Get a perpetual license and peace.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Well... You could pay him for letting you use his license key by letting him raid your Blu-Ray collection and he could pay you back by ripping any of the movies he borrows and making them into DCPs so that you can keep them in your archives, ready to play when needed.

Tit for tat! Everybody wins!

Appropriate, cause he's the guy that would have to furnish the massive local file server to house them all.... of which we have none. Maybe we can spin this into getting everything I want. lol

[Randy Stankey]

The same IT guy has a perpetual license at home... and made the same offer you did Steve, LOL. Except his payment would be "built in", he's long drooled over our blu-ray shelves in the booth.

Well... You could pay him for letting you use his license key by letting him raid your Blu-Ray collection and he could pay you back by ripping any of the movies he borrows and making them into DCPs so that you can keep them in your archives, ready to play when needed.

Tit for tat! Everybody wins!

[Ryan Gallagher]

I, personally, years ago, just bought the license. I've also, personally, donated to DOM...if for no other reason, these guys deserve compensation for the work they do. I only ever use them something like 1-2 times a year...if that. This stuff just isn't all that expensive and, in the case of Make MKV...the license is perpetual (just like in the olden days):

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So...are you wanting to "rent" computer time on my registered version

Because of the nebulous legal territory... no one with purchasing power here was eager to pay for such a thing right away. But they were willing to look the other way if it was installed and in use. lol.

The same IT guy has a perpetual license at home... and made the same offer you did Steve, LOL. Except his payment would be "built in", he's long drooled over our blu-ray shelves in the booth.