The software called
Blu-ray Disc Ripper 1.4 (
download)
is believed to be one of the most widely used applications of its type and, at
least according to our knowledge, the first to support the BD-Live extension.
The basic functionality of the 37.2 KB program enables users to copy a Blu-ray
to a hard drive from the original disc, from a mounted virtual image or from
another location on a hard drive. Besides the disc users will need a key that is
unique to each movie. Users contributing to the Doom9 forum regularly publish
those keys. What makes the 1.4 release unique is the fact that copies the
'AACS' folder, which the author claims 'might' be needed 'for BD-Live enabled
titles to decrypt related downloaded content.' In effect, the ripper not only
copies a disc, but also its extended functionality, which is considered by movie
studios as one of the most important features of future Blu-ray titles.
In related news,
other users of the Doom9 forum also cracked the Blu-ray protection system BD+,
a system that was predicted to hold up for at least a decade.
Well, with terabyte drives under $100 and 2 TB drives on the way, saving these
files in a HTPC doesn't look like a bad option at all, especially after
comparing the image to a standard def movie...Neverthless, I will wait until
next year to see, what's the best option/setup for my living room.