I have been reading about the soon to be released Windows Vista Operating system and one thing caught my eye which un-nerved me a more than a little.

And that is in this OS system Microsoft are going to remove entirely all ability to use RPC1 drives in a way to stamp out regional viewing of movies.

This is worrying me immensly, as i am the sort who gets my movies from all over the world depending on which region is best for this movie, i.e R1-R2 and R3 for my Shaw Brothers movies.

So will this inability to use RPC1 stop AnyDVD from working at all?. As i do not have any idea how it works (i just accepted it was simply magical ) but at a uneducated guess i am thinking it makes a virtual emulated RPC1 drive while AnyDVD is running in the background?.

So if this is the case will this new movie by MS to stop all RPC1 drives cause AnyDVD to no longer work. (obviously i am hoping it wont)

But If so i was thinking, as a guess of a workaround for Vista as i have two DVD-Rom drives on my machine. Could i RPC2 hardware set one to Region 1 and set the other to RPC2 hardware set region 2 and still be able to watch my R1 and R2 movies depending on the drive i use to play them in when MS forces everyone (via lack of Security updates for XP) to use vista.

Thanks
Anthony

I'm not quite going to help you much I'm sure. But giving Microsoft's track record with operating systems, I wouldn't even think of getting Vista until SP2. By this time, there should be a "fix" to the issue you raise. MS can't force anything in my opinion. Windows 3.11 still works, and you can still get on the net with it. MS just don't support it, and they don't release any updates for it. I think I saw somewhere on MS webpage that they was going to stop support and updates for Windows 95,98,ME, and 2000 at the release of Vista. 95 and 98 already is no longer supported by MS. I was unaware of the removal of RPC1 drives. Sorry I could not help, but basically what I'm saying is if you have 2 PC's, then leave XP or whatever your using now on one machine just to copy DVD's.

2 conclusions I have come to after reading a couple of articles recently demonstrating that Microsoft and Intel have decided the RIAA and MPAA have the right to decide what will or won't run on my computer:
1. I have no intentions of migrating to MS Windows "Vista".
2. I have no intentions of ever going back to using Intel processors in my computers.

With DRM on the loose, my dedicated box runs flawlessly on 2K SP3. Don't trust SP4.

Linux anyone?

As AnyDVD emulates a RPC2 drive if you have RPC1 hardware it should work straight away. Unless Microsoft "blacklists" it in some way, of course...

You do know that AMD has similar if not the same DRM technology on their chips.

Impolite response . . . "Nonsense".

More polite open minded response . . . "What makes you say that? Back up your statement with some verified facts please?

1. Vista is garbage.

2. "Won't allow the use of RPC1 drives"?

I'll believe it when I see it. I keep hearing about how such and such hardware won't work on such and such operating system, but MS wants to sell their OS. A lot of people have old hardware.

3. Vista is utter garbage.

4. MS's hardline on content management will evaporate as soon as people start putting Vista on their machines.

I hear lots and lots of rumors that people get all bent out of shape about... and which are utterly implausible. My favorite is the "monitors that prevent you from watching protected movies". Since 99.99% of the world still uses analogue connections for their monitors, this is a completely BS rumor. And yet people talk about it as though it will happen, as though MS will use some magic juju, or ship each copy of Vista with a special film they have to put over their monitor which is made of pure Unobtanium(tm).

The same is true of ridiculous DRM schemes. Every time I hear someone say "oh, Vista won't let you play MPG files unless they're signed", I cover my mouth and *COUGH*BULLSH#T*COUGH*. There are lots of perfectly good players out there that aren't written by MS. But then the same person says "oh, you can't use the other players because MS is going to include special driver-level code that prevents you from watching videos without DRM!" *COUGH*BULLSH#T*COUGH*. That one ranks right up there with the "monitors that spy on what you're watching" myth.

5. Vista SUCKS DONKEY KONG.

Don't bother getting or installing it. Seriously. It offers no kernel-level enhancements over XP. It just has prettier (albeit more resource-intensive) UI elements. Every REAL improvement over XP has been cancelled or postponed. So in a very real way, Vista is just an add-on for XP, like the Plus! Pack. Bleh. *spits*