SlySoft
Encyclopedia
SlySoft Inc. is a software company located in St. John's
, Antigua and Barbuda
. Its products consist of software to back up and convert digital media, including CDs, DVD
s, HD DVD
s, and Blu-ray Disc
s, as well as copy and back up optical media and render PC-based games playable without the disc.
circumvention that worked for any disc available; previous programs only cracked "compatible" discs using a database of known keys.
On November 8, 2007, SlySoft claimed to have completely cracked BD+
. However, this turned out to be incorrect, as subsequent versions of BD+ security code have caused SlySoft to re-design its software. On March 3, 2008, SlySoft updated AnyDVD HD allowing the full decryption of BD+, allowing for not only the viewing of the film itself but also playing and copying disks with third-party software. A third iteration of BD+ was released in November 2008, and was announced to be cracked by SlySoft with the release of AnyDVD HD 6.5.0.2 on December 29, 2008. A fourth version of BD+ security code was discovered with the movie Australia
on February 17, 2009, thwarting the effectiveness of SlySoft's software.
However on March 19, 2009, SlySoft updated AnyDVD HD to version 6.5.3.1 which allowed the decryption of the new version of BD+ used by the movie Australia
.
In November 2010, SlySoft initially announced the discontinuation of the lifetime licensing option beginning January 2011. An e-mail announcing the change ahead of time was sent to all registered customers allowing everyone the chance to purchase the lifetime option "while it is still possible;" and the notice was posted to their official forums. In January 2011, all announcements regarding the change were deleted without comment and a new structured licensing plan was put into place; including the lifetime licensing option at the highest priced tier. The new 'update service' will block free updates without the lifetime licence, but the current paid non-lifetime software licences will continue to work, sans-update, indefinitely.
St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
St John's is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. St John's is located at...
, Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands...
. Its products consist of software to back up and convert digital media, including CDs, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s, HD DVD
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
s, and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
s, as well as copy and back up optical media and render PC-based games playable without the disc.
Products
- AnyDVDAnyDVDAnyDVD is a Microsoft Windows driver allowing decryption of DVDs on-the-fly, as well as targeted removal of copy preventions and user operation prohibitions . With an upgrade, it will also do the same for HD DVD and Blu-ray. The AnyDVD program runs in the background, making discs unrestricted and...
to remove/disable DRMDigital rights managementDigital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
restrictions and user prohibited operations on DVD films, and to fix structure protections and mastering errors - AnyDVD HD - to remove DRM, lock-outs, and UOPUser operation prohibitionThe user operation prohibition is a form of use restriction used on video DVD discs and Blu-ray discs. Most DVD players and Blu-ray players prohibit the viewer from performing a large majority of actions during sections of a DVD that are protected or restricted by this feature, and will display...
s on DVD films and additionally High Definition media, specifically Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD - CloneCDCloneCDCloneCD is proprietary optical disc authoring software that makes exact, 1:1 copies of music and data CDs and DVDs, regardless of any Digital Rights Management restrictions. It was originally written by Oliver Kastl and offered by Swiss company Elaborate Bytes, but due to changes in European...
- to copy optical discOptical discIn computing and optical disc recording technologies, an optical disc is a flat, usually circular disc which encodes binary data in the form of pits and lands on a special material on one of its flat surfaces...
s in raw format - CloneDVDCloneDVDCloneDVD is a proprietary DVD cloning software, developed by Elaborate Bytes, that can be used to make backup copies of any DVD movie not copy-protected . The program is able to transcode a dual layer DVD movie to fit it onto a DVD-R, DVD+R or DVD+R DL disc...
- to copy non-DRM DVD movies to the hard disk or Single or Dual-Layer DVD blanks (sold also by Elaborate Bytes AG) - CloneDVD mobile - to convert DVD files to mobile video players like the iPodIPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
or the PlayStation PortablePlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004... - Game JackalGame JackalGame Jackal is a PC application developed by Antiguan-based company SlySoft that allows users to play PC game titles without the need for the game's media to be in the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive...
- to create CD profiles so a disc isn't required when starting the game - Game Jackal Enterprise - extended version of Game JackalGame JackalGame Jackal is a PC application developed by Antiguan-based company SlySoft that allows users to play PC game titles without the need for the game's media to be in the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive...
with additional features such as automatic distribution of game profiles to client machines - Virtual CloneDrive is a disk image emulator. It is designed for mounting images created by the SlySoft programs CloneCDCloneCDCloneCD is proprietary optical disc authoring software that makes exact, 1:1 copies of music and data CDs and DVDs, regardless of any Digital Rights Management restrictions. It was originally written by Oliver Kastl and offered by Swiss company Elaborate Bytes, but due to changes in European...
(.CCD files) and AnyDVD HD (*.ISO files), it can also mount BIN formats.
AACS and BD+
SlySoft was the first to offer AACSAdvanced Access Content System
The Advanced Access Content System is a standard for content distribution and digital rights management, intended to restrict access to and copying of the "next generation" of optical discs and DVDs. The specification was publicly released in April 2005 and the standard has been adopted as the...
circumvention that worked for any disc available; previous programs only cracked "compatible" discs using a database of known keys.
On November 8, 2007, SlySoft claimed to have completely cracked BD+
BD+
BD+ is a component of the Blu-ray Disc Digital Rights Management system. It was developed by Cryptography Research Inc. and is based on their Self-Protecting Digital Content concept...
. However, this turned out to be incorrect, as subsequent versions of BD+ security code have caused SlySoft to re-design its software. On March 3, 2008, SlySoft updated AnyDVD HD allowing the full decryption of BD+, allowing for not only the viewing of the film itself but also playing and copying disks with third-party software. A third iteration of BD+ was released in November 2008, and was announced to be cracked by SlySoft with the release of AnyDVD HD 6.5.0.2 on December 29, 2008. A fourth version of BD+ security code was discovered with the movie Australia
Australia (2008 film)
Australia is a 2008 epic historical romance film directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. It is the second-highest grossing Australian film of all time, behind Crocodile Dundee. The screenplay was written by Luhrmann and screenwriter Stuart Beattie, with Ronald Harwood...
on February 17, 2009, thwarting the effectiveness of SlySoft's software.
However on March 19, 2009, SlySoft updated AnyDVD HD to version 6.5.3.1 which allowed the decryption of the new version of BD+ used by the movie Australia
Australia (2008 film)
Australia is a 2008 epic historical romance film directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. It is the second-highest grossing Australian film of all time, behind Crocodile Dundee. The screenplay was written by Luhrmann and screenwriter Stuart Beattie, with Ronald Harwood...
.
Licensing
On December 1, 2008 SlySoft announced it would for the first time begin charging its customers for updates to its software.In November 2010, SlySoft initially announced the discontinuation of the lifetime licensing option beginning January 2011. An e-mail announcing the change ahead of time was sent to all registered customers allowing everyone the chance to purchase the lifetime option "while it is still possible;" and the notice was posted to their official forums. In January 2011, all announcements regarding the change were deleted without comment and a new structured licensing plan was put into place; including the lifetime licensing option at the highest priced tier. The new 'update service' will block free updates without the lifetime licence, but the current paid non-lifetime software licences will continue to work, sans-update, indefinitely.
See also
- AnyDVDAnyDVDAnyDVD is a Microsoft Windows driver allowing decryption of DVDs on-the-fly, as well as targeted removal of copy preventions and user operation prohibitions . With an upgrade, it will also do the same for HD DVD and Blu-ray. The AnyDVD program runs in the background, making discs unrestricted and...
- CloneCDCloneCDCloneCD is proprietary optical disc authoring software that makes exact, 1:1 copies of music and data CDs and DVDs, regardless of any Digital Rights Management restrictions. It was originally written by Oliver Kastl and offered by Swiss company Elaborate Bytes, but due to changes in European...
- CloneDVDCloneDVDCloneDVD is a proprietary DVD cloning software, developed by Elaborate Bytes, that can be used to make backup copies of any DVD movie not copy-protected . The program is able to transcode a dual layer DVD movie to fit it onto a DVD-R, DVD+R or DVD+R DL disc...
- DVD ripperDVD ripperA DVD ripper is a software program that facilitates copying the content of a DVD to a hard disk drive. They are mainly used to transfer video on DVDs to different formats, to edit or back up DVD content, and to convert DVD video for playback on media players and mobile devices...
software with similar features - DVD ShrinkDVD ShrinkDVD Shrink is a freeware DVD transcoder program for Microsoft Windows that uses a DVD ripper to back up DVD movies. The final versions are 3.2.0.15 and 3.2.0.16 ; all other versions, such as DVD Shrink 2010, are scams...
- HandBrakeHandBrakeHandBrake is a general-purpose, open-source, cross-platform, multithreaded video transcoder software application. HandBrake was originally developed by titer in 2003 as a general-purpose video transcoder to make ripping a film from a DVD to a data storage device easier...
- K9CopyK9copyK9Copy is a free, open source DVD backup and DVD authoring program for Unix-like operating systems such as GNU/Linux and BSD. Licensed under the GNU General Public License, K9Copy is free software.-Features:...
Further reading
- "Appapalooza", Computer Power User (CPU), October 2009 • Vol.9 Issue 10, Pages 60–70
- "What's Happening", Computer Power User (CPU), January 2008 • Vol.8 Issue 1, Pages 6–11
- "What's Happening", Computer Power User (CPU), March 2009 • Vol.9 Issue 3, Pages 9–16
- "The Bleeding Edge Of Software", Computer Power User (CPU), February 2009 • Vol.9 Issue, 2 Page 72