Hackers Claim HD DVD Encryption Circumvented

It hasn’t been completely verified yet, but a user named “muslix64” has posted an exploit in a thread on the Doom9 forum claiming he has been able to circumvent AACS, the encoding format used to protect HD DVD and Blu-ray content. “Muslix64” claims to have completely backed up an HD DVD movie and provides a Rapidshare link to download BackupHDDVD, a small Java-based utility that aids users to backup their HD DVDs.

This was bound to happen, so it’s not much of a surprise. At this point, I don’t think anyone will jump on the HD-DVD bandwagon simply because a crack is made available. The process to rip the disk require some time and effort, and who wants to waste cash on an expensive blank HD-DVD disc, much less the burners themselves? By the time those are within reach for most people, this “crack” will probably have evolved into a program similar to DVD Decrypter.