I saw this note from a company:

"Please note that all our products are produced and treated with the patented "Media-Technik" process.

This special treatment usually distorts sound/video quality if copies are made, and which allows our technicians to determine whether or not copying (or burning/ripping to a computer, DVD, or mp3 player) has been attempted in the event of return, exchange, or refund.

Copying these products is not only against the law, but it voids all guarantees and warranties.

Fortunately, 98% of our customers are thrilled with the quality and value of the information that we provide, keep and use the materials and make subsequesnt purchases from us.

However, of the 2% who opt for refunds, we have found that over one-half to have copied or attempted to copy the material and then retuned them for refund.

It is for this that reason that we converted to the Media-Technik process for all our programs beggining in late-1997.

It is now our policy to expose all returned material to the Media-Technik analasis meter and to refuse refunds in instances where copying of the material is evident.

Our chief technician has over 15 years experience in media manufacturing and duplication, and has been certified by the Media-Technik corporation as an analyst."

Sounds like complete and total bunk to me, but I thought I'd ask some folks who know more than I do. Is there anything to this?

100% Bs

To my knowledge, a pressed DVD is fixed and cannot be altered in any way. Only if special materials are used, something like this can be registered, but this is more in the physical features of the materials used, rather than the contents of what was pressed on the disc. And even if this is the case, I am sure that these materials are also subject to other influences that may affect the process.

Only thing I can imagine is that traces will be left on your PC if you try to make a copy, but this is something that can be traced on your PC, not the physical disc....

But then again, I could be wrong...

This is false, ripping a dvd is no different then as if you were to watch it only the output goes into a forum of a image. Think about it you are only using a read head in either process.

That's pretty well what I figured and my B.S. detector was going off the chart when I read it. The other thing I just noticed was that they'd been using this technology since 1997. I thought in passing that it might be something new, but there damn sure wasn't anything like that back then.

Thanks for the input fellas!

Any coating on it would react the same way to playing as to ripping. maybe some way to leave a telltale of high RPM operation could be devised, but that would be neutralised by riplocked drives.

Seems like pure FUD

I did think "spyware" - actually that could be effective if you signed up online and used the same PC to rip, otherwise there would be no way of identification.

Of course, if it's a DVD containing DRM'ed files of another type, then it's down to how their DRM works, but that would be detection of DRM key acquisition attempts for the copy, rather than any supposed trace left on a DVD.

Sounds like utter b.s but...

What company said this anyway ?

The company is Noble Learning Systems. They produce a variety of martial arts related videos. They're generally over-priced and over-hyped, but pretty decent information-wise. For example, I just sent back a $127 DVD workout program. It was a good program, just not worth $127. Knock about $90 off the price and it would be a keeper.

I'm guessing that they're getting a lot of returns and they suspect that people are just copying their stuff and sending it back, hence the fire and brimstone warning to scare people into keeping the product. With the prices they charge, I can't say I'm surprised. They're practically begging people to copy their stuff due to exaggerated claims and the pricing.

I also just received my crappy $127 dvd set about the 15-minute workout hell, and I am sortof pissed that I wasted my money on this. I have just realised his testimonials come from his friends, arghh!! I might do a charge-back....

But, I dont even want to look at the dvd because it gets me annoyed that I was ripped so much.... And no one on eBay would ever buy it for more than $5...

I remember years ago when ripping PS1 disks on a Mitsumi CR-4801TE cdr drive, there would be track lines on the black surface of the disk afterwards that would not wipe off.

I have not seen this since and it was only with this drive.