Ricoh's latest DVD+R media for recording of digital broadcasts are compliant with the VCPS (Video Content Protection System) for DVD+R/RW and DVD+R DL.
The company will begin shipments of the new 16x DVD+R media to hardware manufacturers in Japan next week.
VCPS is a technology for encrypting video recordings on DVD+R/+RW discs. VCPS enables direct digital recording of "copy-once" content from satellite and cable sources.
The Video Content Protection System (VCPS) allows cable content marked as "copy once" to be burned onto VCPS-enabled DVD+R and DVD+RW optical digital media. The implementation of VCPS in DVD+R/+RW equipment and discs is not mandatory, but equipment and discs without VCPS capability are unable to record or playback digital TV broadcast in the USA that is protected with the Broadcast Flag.
VCPS protects the video recording by encrypting the MPEG2 streams on DVD+R, DVD+RW and DVD+R DL discs. The main techniques are:
- A 128-bit AES cipher encrypts the disc sectors that contain MPEG2 video. VCPS-capable blank DVD+R/+RW discs contain a Disk Key Block, coded in the track wobble (ADIP).
- VCPS-capable recording equipment and playback equipment need a Device Key embedded in the product.
- VCPS-capable recording and playback equipment use their Device Key to calculate the encryption key of the MPEG2 stream from the Disk Key Block.
The Disk Key Block that is coded in the track wobble (ADIP) of VCPS-capable recordable discs is written together with the address information on the stampers that are used in replicating blank recordable discs.
Note that a VCPS-capable disc can also record unprotected video. It is also possible to mix unprotected and protected recordings on the same disc. The unprotected recordings in the DVD+VR format will play in all DVD players, while the protected recordings obviously need VCPS-prepared playback equipment.
Ricoh has applied a new technology on the stampers in order to manufacture the new VCPS media. HP and Philips are the companies behind the VCPS, formerly called Vidi, and offer licensing for the technology.