Some higher-end authoring programs such as DVD Maestro will allow you to enable Macrovision protection. CSS encryption can only be done, I believe, by commercial disk pressing houses, athough Maestro will set up your master for it.

Neither of these will prevent someone who is determined to copy your disk from doing so. The software is readily available for those who want to bother.

beatnik,

There are two commonly used methods of protecting Hollywood dvd's as nolonemo references: Macrovision and CSS encryption. Macrovision can be used with DVD-R(recordables), but requires a high end authoring application to accomplish. It (macrovision) is what prevents a user from hooking their dvd player directly to their VHS and making a copy (the video feed is scrambled).

CSS encryption is used to prevent direct copying of discs. This can not be performed on a recordable disc, and requires a higher end authoring application to prepare the project (usually sent to a replication house via a DLT tape) before it's replicated. The replication facility has the means of incorporating the encryption onto glass mastered discs. As nolonemo mentions, means to circumvent the encryption have been devised, and there currently is a program that allows for direct disc copying.

I do a lot of 'one offs', and the extra cost of such encryption just isn't worth it. It's unlikely that these discs are going to have mass appeal, and these protection schemes generally are pretty effective for stopping the casual copier. You make your money on creating the content in the first place. I generally toss in an extra copy for free as a backup, because the DVD-R media is more prone to damage than a Hollywood, glass mastered disc (the user will often treat the two as though they are the same).

Jim

BEST PROGRAM: DVDXCOPY
www.dvdxcopy.com

By the way Seeker was right, I did mean copy protection!