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TLK914 · 13-04-2005

I have a feeling that the reason you have lockups when running AnyDVD with Xcopy Plat is simply Xcopy was designed to be a standalone decryption program (It has DeCSS built in) and it really has issues on SOME discs when you try and have another program telling the DVD where it can stick its macrovision or even attempting to access the drive its using. (ALTHOUGH, Ive had problems similar to that with OTHER programs (Nero, Decrypter) as well...when AnyDVD was running. And Nero DOESNT decode CSS, so who knows)?

You can complain all you like that AnyDVD should work perfectly with an EXTINCT program like Xcopy Platinum(Or even OTHER COMPANIES programs?), and in a perfect world maybe it should/would, but if it doesnt...then simply go down to the tray and disable AnyDVD. (You can turn it off ya know?). You MAY find that the Discs that locked up will now work fine with other programs(Xcopy or Nero). I have found that on SOME titles (Arcos?) I have to UNCHECK the AnyDVD features that alter the disc reading like GO STRAIGHT TO MAIN MOVIE(As opposed to having AnyDVD just remove macrovision and leave all else alone) and then ALL programs work fine. If I dont do this, then NONE of my outside programs, including NERO will finish a read without getting stuck on errors that simply arent really there. I can PLAY these discs...but they wont READ with a program attempting to copy them UNLESS I uncheck some AnyDVD extra features. On 1st guess this is more an issue of PROTECTION and not failure of AnyDVD/ CloneDVD? Guessing anyway. And it can be bypassed when it occiasionally happens(At least for me?)

Is this a problem overall? Generally I say NO.
I still...even at my advancing age, have enough movement left in my hand to reach the mouse right click and uncheck 2 boxes before I pass out from the strain. WOULD IT BE NICE if it autoselected this and was always right on every disc? on ALL titles? SURE. Maybe its a bootup issue that only happens once in awhile on only my machine, maybe its some rare titles (Conan the Barbarian extended edition, Alice in WOnderland) that dont allow Xcopy to play nicenice even though other discs do? I honestly dont know? But when needed, I simply uncheck a couple of boxes and try again, OR I disable AnyDVD and then reload Xcopy or Nero or Decrypter or whatever else, then re-enable AnyDVD with minimal features, and often that problem disc is no longer a problem.

These are just a few things Ive noticed using the software. You always have the option of trying other softwares for your main choice or JUST for the occaisional problem child. And Support is a WONDEROUS thing when you need it...but it sounds like you are trying to get what are sorta SALES answers from Tech Support or Vice Versa...and I can tell you...MOST companies dont cross train all employees to handle all that. Technicians dont always know how to answer WILL IT WORK WITH questions, and Sales RARELY knows how to answer WHY DOESNT IT questions. As far as support, it has more frequent updates than almost any other program on the market, so you tell me when the last tyme Icopy2 was updated twice in a month? I cant tell you what is ENOUGH support, thats a personal decision...but have you ever needed support from MICROSOFT? And your experience was? AHEMMMMMMMM

Hey, you didnt quit using windows did ya? EVEN THOUGH...

Finally, why is CloneDVD only a year of upgrades, and the the others are ongoing?
Sigh...thats one of those WHAT LIES AHEAD questions. CloneDVD is a nice and SIMPLE DVD copy/compress program. It does a very good job at making a fairly complex job simple within what are currently some basic parameters. It DOES however leave SOME things out of the loop. There are a few authoring type options that simply arent there (yet?) such as the ability to modify menus or ADD/ADJUST menus, the ability to decrypt onboard (Xcopy style) or select more advanced options for copy adjustment. These really wont be updates as much as flat out redesigns. And in the future, DVDs will in fact CHANGE. You think Sony will take the fact that ARCOS is cracked laying down? NO. It will one day CHANGE and be replaced with a more difficult protection.
So you want a guarantee that for no further money, for no further investment, for no reason other than your happiness, they will GUARANTEE you to provide future upgrades to cover any NEW protections or DVD design creations...free of charge simply bvecause you paid once maybe YEARS ago?

Again, would be nice in a perfect world. But simply not financially feasible.
I know you like Xcopy Platinum. I too keep it here for the few discs that bug CloneDVD. But I try not to use it. It locks up too much, it crashes too much, and there are some titles it WILL NOT EVER work with. 123 Studios is DEAD. whatever money they made is GONE to a lawsuit that killed them. BUT, if you could find the former creators online, do you STILL THINK they should write a patch or 2 for previous customers? Do they OWE you that because you gave em 50 or 80 or 100 bucks 5 years ago?

This world isnt perfect. Windows changes every 3 years, and MS doesnt free update more than 5 years EVER (At least not for free) without a complete version change . They force PAY UPGRADES(Buy new version) to cover new features after 3ish years. Anything else, simply is buyer beware. (You MAY be able to use some new progs on Win95 or Win98, but not their problem if you cant...buy XP they will tell you).

Same applies. In a year or 2, there may be a new VERSION of CloneDVD. It may have taken licensing of copywrited codes to guarantee it can do whatever new things it will do. It may have required hundreds or thousands of hours to create, on an entirely new engine from the current version. And it may cost more money. Such is lyfe...

I can respect you are a programmer. I can respect you know exactly what you are testing and talking about. I AM NOT a coder or programmer, never was, never will be. I depended on engineers and experts for my answer BACK WHEN I still did this regularly. I simply once checked softwares for beta issues, and wrote regular reviews online. I was ABOVE AVERAGE in posting findings...not an expert in creation or compiling. But hey, whatever gets us all from A to B...

13-04-2005	#8 (permalink)
TLK914 New on Forum Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 26	Re: Any DVD Free Trial Download I have a feeling that the reason you have lockups when running AnyDVD with Xcopy Plat is simply Xcopy was designed to be a standalone decryption program (It has DeCSS built in) and it really has issues on SOME discs when you try and have another program telling the DVD where it can stick its macrovision or even attempting to access the drive its using. (ALTHOUGH, Ive had problems similar to that with OTHER programs (Nero, Decrypter) as well...when AnyDVD was running. And Nero DOESNT decode CSS, so who knows)? You can complain all you like that AnyDVD should work perfectly with an EXTINCT program like Xcopy Platinum(Or even OTHER COMPANIES programs?), and in a perfect world maybe it should/would, but if it doesnt...then simply go down to the tray and disable AnyDVD. (You can turn it off ya know?). You MAY find that the Discs that locked up will now work fine with other programs(Xcopy or Nero). I have found that on SOME titles (Arcos?) I have to UNCHECK the AnyDVD features that alter the disc reading like GO STRAIGHT TO MAIN MOVIE(As opposed to having AnyDVD just remove macrovision and leave all else alone) and then ALL programs work fine. If I dont do this, then NONE of my outside programs, including NERO will finish a read without getting stuck on errors that simply arent really there. I can PLAY these discs...but they wont READ with a program attempting to copy them UNLESS I uncheck some AnyDVD extra features. On 1st guess this is more an issue of PROTECTION and not failure of AnyDVD/ CloneDVD? Guessing anyway. And it can be bypassed when it occiasionally happens(At least for me?) Is this a problem overall? Generally I say NO. I still...even at my advancing age, have enough movement left in my hand to reach the mouse right click and uncheck 2 boxes before I pass out from the strain. WOULD IT BE NICE if it autoselected this and was always right on every disc? on ALL titles? SURE. Maybe its a bootup issue that only happens once in awhile on only my machine, maybe its some rare titles (Conan the Barbarian extended edition, Alice in WOnderland) that dont allow Xcopy to play nicenice even though other discs do? I honestly dont know? But when needed, I simply uncheck a couple of boxes and try again, OR I disable AnyDVD and then reload Xcopy or Nero or Decrypter or whatever else, then re-enable AnyDVD with minimal features, and often that problem disc is no longer a problem. These are just a few things Ive noticed using the software. You always have the option of trying other softwares for your main choice or JUST for the occaisional problem child. And Support is a WONDEROUS thing when you need it...but it sounds like you are trying to get what are sorta SALES answers from Tech Support or Vice Versa...and I can tell you...MOST companies dont cross train all employees to handle all that. Technicians dont always know how to answer WILL IT WORK WITH questions, and Sales RARELY knows how to answer WHY DOESNT IT questions. As far as support, it has more frequent updates than almost any other program on the market, so you tell me when the last tyme Icopy2 was updated twice in a month? I cant tell you what is ENOUGH support, thats a personal decision...but have you ever needed support from MICROSOFT? And your experience was? AHEMMMMMMMM Hey, you didnt quit using windows did ya? EVEN THOUGH... Finally, why is CloneDVD only a year of upgrades, and the the others are ongoing? Sigh...thats one of those WHAT LIES AHEAD questions. CloneDVD is a nice and SIMPLE DVD copy/compress program. It does a very good job at making a fairly complex job simple within what are currently some basic parameters. It DOES however leave SOME things out of the loop. There are a few authoring type options that simply arent there (yet?) such as the ability to modify menus or ADD/ADJUST menus, the ability to decrypt onboard (Xcopy style) or select more advanced options for copy adjustment. These really wont be updates as much as flat out redesigns. And in the future, DVDs will in fact CHANGE. You think Sony will take the fact that ARCOS is cracked laying down? NO. It will one day CHANGE and be replaced with a more difficult protection. So you want a guarantee that for no further money, for no further investment, for no reason other than your happiness, they will GUARANTEE you to provide future upgrades to cover any NEW protections or DVD design creations...free of charge simply bvecause you paid once maybe YEARS ago? Again, would be nice in a perfect world. But simply not financially feasible. I know you like Xcopy Platinum. I too keep it here for the few discs that bug CloneDVD. But I try not to use it. It locks up too much, it crashes too much, and there are some titles it WILL NOT EVER work with. 123 Studios is DEAD. whatever money they made is GONE to a lawsuit that killed them. BUT, if you could find the former creators online, do you STILL THINK they should write a patch or 2 for previous customers? Do they OWE you that because you gave em 50 or 80 or 100 bucks 5 years ago? This world isnt perfect. Windows changes every 3 years, and MS doesnt free update more than 5 years EVER (At least not for free) without a complete version change . They force PAY UPGRADES(Buy new version) to cover new features after 3ish years. Anything else, simply is buyer beware. (You MAY be able to use some new progs on Win95 or Win98, but not their problem if you cant...buy XP they will tell you). Same applies. In a year or 2, there may be a new VERSION of CloneDVD. It may have taken licensing of copywrited codes to guarantee it can do whatever new things it will do. It may have required hundreds or thousands of hours to create, on an entirely new engine from the current version. And it may cost more money. Such is lyfe... I can respect you are a programmer. I can respect you know exactly what you are testing and talking about. I AM NOT a coder or programmer, never was, never will be. I depended on engineers and experts for my answer BACK WHEN I still did this regularly. I simply once checked softwares for beta issues, and wrote regular reviews online. I was ABOVE AVERAGE in posting findings...not an expert in creation or compiling. But hey, whatever gets us all from A to B...