DVDFab Blog

StealthyClone anti-protection




Intro

For a while Blu-ray discs only used the protections that they were designed with: AACS (mandatory) and BD+ (optionally). Because they failed to do the job, studios started to look in other directions: some used audio watermark known as Cinavia, some used structural protection, much like the ones used for DVDs (eg. ARccOS, RipGuard, etc).
For Blu-ray, it was Sony DADC division that created the Screen Pass protection, which was adopted by Eagle Pictures (Italy), Summit Entertainment (USA/Canada) and others (see the table below).

How it works

Sony DADC Screen Pass is a Java based (BD-J) structural protection and it tries to determine if the disc that is played is original or it is a clone. In the later case, the user receives a black screen with a message (Protection card) saying that the original disc should be used, no ripping tools allowed, visit something.continuemovie.com etc. and playback is either stopped or affected (segments of the movie are swapped around, repeated or in wrong order).
Also the users that don’t use clone mode and backup Main Movie only (no Java running, no active protection) are having a problem with picking the right Title/playlist for some movies, because the disc is filled with fake playlists with the same runtime, but subtle differences.
When AACS, BD+, region code, etc. are removed, tools like DVDFab and DVDFab Passkey need to hide some files and modify others from the original disc. The protection looks exactly for such changes in structure, hence the name: structural protection. For some time, DVDFab tools had a per-movie approach, because they were few.

StealthyClone

It is time for a generic anti-protection that will make the cloned disc appear as if it was the original one, hiding the fact that it was unprotected.
DVDFab presents StealthyClone anti-protection the world’s first truly generic approach to deal with Sony DADC Screen Pass and other structural protections that may appear. This way, users that want to keep the original menus and artwork of the disc are not forced to give them up any more, because the protection is rendered useless.
When the protected disc is trying to find out if it’s original and is asking through Java means about various files and performs checks on them, StealthyClone is hooked in and answers well. This way, the protection cannot tell if it is a clone or not and will continue with the correct playback of the movie.

Correct Main Playlist

Not only the Full Disc (clone mode) users will be satisfied with that. DVDFab has now a new, better-than-ever, algorithm to select the correct playlist when in Main Movie mode from the hundreds of fake ones. All the playlists in gray are very much likely to be fake.

Discs with Sony DADC Screen Pass protection: 1
Title Country Studio Release Runtime Fake playlists
BandSlam Italy Eagle Pictures 13jan2010 111 min yes
House on Haunted Hill Germany Ascot Elite Home Entertainment 2 21oct2010 92 min yes 3
Twilight Saga: Eclipse Italy Eagle Pictures 04dec2010 123 min yes 3
Sammy’s Adventures 3D Italy Eagle Pictures 01apr2011 85 min yes
King’s Speech Italy Eagle Pictures 11may2011 118 min
The Fighter Italy Eagle Pictures 15jun2011 115 min
Lord of the Rings trilogy (Extended version) UK Entertainment in Video 27jun2011 726 min
Holland A-film 2 28jun2011
Italy Medusa Video 28jun2011
Australia Roadshow Entertainment 2 29jun2011
Greece Odeon 2 04jul2011
Norway Svensk Filmindustri 2 12jul2011
Finland 12jul2011
Denmark 12jul2011
Sweden 13jul2011
Belgium Cinéart 2 13jul2011
Source Code USA Summit Entertainment 26jul2011 94 min yes
Canada Entertainment One yes
Sanctum Italy Eagle Pictures 07sep2011 108 min
Sanctum 3D Italy
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Italy Eagle Pictures 07sep2011 108 min
The Next Three Days Italy Medusa Video 07sep2011 135 min
Limitless Italy Eagle Pictures 21sep2011 105 min
Gooische Vrouwen Holland BFD Home Entertainment 21sep2011 108 min
Once Fallen Italy Eagle Pictures 26oct2011 93 min
Final Destination 2 Italy Eagle Pictures 09nov2011 90 min yes
Final Destination 3 Italy Eagle Pictures 09nov2011 93 min
The English Patient Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 30nov2011 162 min
Equilibrium Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 14dec2011 107 min
Kate & Leopold Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 07dec2011 119 min
Warrior USA Lionsgate 20dec2011 140 min yes
Hypnosis Italy Eagle Pictures 11jan2012 100 min
Scream Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 25jan2012 111 min
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 25jan2012 95 min
Master and Commander Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 25jan2012 138 min
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 1 USA Summit Entertainment 11feb2012 117 min yes 3
Canada Entertainment One
Italy Eagle Pictures 01mar2012
I Soliti Idioti Italy Medusa Video 22feb2012 90 min
Ligabue Campovolo 2.0 3D Italy Medusa Video 07mar2012 109 min
The Three Musketeers (2011) USA Summit Entertainment 13mar2012 110 min yes
The Three Musketeers 3D (2011) USA yes
Nova Zembla 3D Holland BFD Home Entertainment 21mar2012 108 min
This Must Be The Place Italy Medusa Video 21mar2012 118 min
Dragon Eyes UK G2 Pictures 09apr2012 88 min
Vacanze Di Natale A Cortina Italy Filmauro 11apr2012 113 min
The Awakening Italy Eagle Pictures 18apr2012 107 min
Anche Se è Amore Non Si Vede Italy Medusa Video 18apr2012 99 min
New Kids: Nitro Holland BFD Home Entertainment 25apr2012 77 min
Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright Italy Eagle Pictures/Multivision 03may2012 94 min
Black Gold Italy Eagle Pictures 03may2012 130 min
Jackie Brown Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 03may2012 155 min
Cop Land Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 03may2012 105 min
Shaolin Soccer Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 03may2012 90 min
The Faculty Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 03may2012 104 min
Rounders Italy Eagle Pictures/Miramax 03may2012 121 min
Transit UK G2 Pictures 07may2012 84 min
Dolfje Weerwolfje Holland BFD Home Entertainment 09may2012 95 min
Midnight in Paris Italy Medusa Video 09may2012 94 min
The Grey UK Entertainment in Video 21may2012 117 min
Carnage Italy Medusa Video 23may2012 80 min
The Inbetweeners Movie Italy Eagle Pictures 06jun2012 98 min
Immaturi – Il Viaggio Italy Medusa Video 06jun2012 94 min
Good Deeds USA Lionsgate 12jun2012 110 min yes
Cool Kids Don’t Cry Holland Dutch Filmworks 2 03jul2012 100 min
Man on a Ledge Italy Eagle Pictures 04jul2012 102 min
Benvenuti al Nord Italy Medusa Video 11jul2012 110 min
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Italy Medusa Video 25jul2012 128 min
The Hunger Games USA Lionsgate 18aug2012 142 min yes
UK 03sep2012 yes
Posti In Piedi In Paradiso Italy Filmauro 29aug2012 119 min
Safe USA Lionsgate 04sep2012 94 min yes
Blade II UK Entertainment in Video 17sep2012 117 min
Blade Trinity UK Entertainment in Video 17sep2012 122 min
The Cabin in the Woods USA Lionsgate 18sep2012 95 min yes
Madea’s Witness Protection USA Lionsgate 23oct2012 114 min yes
The Expendables 2 USA Lionsgate 20nov2012 102 min yes
Canada yes
UK yes
To Rome With Love Italy Medusa Video 04dec2012 112 min
The Possession UK Lionsgate 21jan2013 93 min
The Words Italy Eagle Pictures 23jan2013 103 min
Alex Cross USA Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate 05feb2013 101 min yes
Canada Entertainment One
Madea Gets A Job USA Lionsgate 05feb2013 143 min yes
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 2 USA Lionsgate 02mar2013 115 min yes
Canada Entertainment One yes
Italy Eagle Pictures 06mar2013
The Tall Man UK Koch Media 11mar2013 106 min
The Master UK Entertainment in Video 11mar2013 137 min
Killing Them Softly UK Entertainment in Video 25feb2013 97 min
Italy Eagle Pictures 27mar2013
Silver Linings Playbook UK Entertainment in Video 01apr2013 122 min
The Blue Lagoon eu+jp Sony Pictures 22apr2013 105 min yes
The Last Stand USA Lionsgate 21may2013 107 min yes
Canada
UK 27may2013
Italy Filmauro 18jun2013
Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor USA Lionsgate 09jul2013 111 min yes
Now You See Me USA Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate 03sep2013 115 min
125 min
yes
Canada Entertainment One
Peeples USA Lionsgate 10sep2013 95 min yes
The Artist and the Model Spain Cameo 20nov2013 104 min yes
Red 2 USA Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate 26nov2013 116 min yes
Canada Entertainment One
The Bridge: Season 2 Holland Lumière 04dec2013 10×57 min 810,700,802,780
693,813,820,780
805,740
You’re Next USA Lionsgate 14jan2014 94 min yes
Canada Entertainment One
Riddick France Metropolitan 18jan2014 119 min yes
Instructions Not Included USA Lionsgate 21jan2014 122 min yes
Escape Plan US Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate 04feb2014 115 min yes
Canada Entertainment One
Ender’s Game US Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate 11feb2014 114 min yes
Canada Entertainment One
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire US Lionsgate 07mar2014 146 min yes
Canada Entertainment One
nordic Nordisk Film Distribution
Mexico Quality Films 14mar2014
UK Lionsgate 17mar2014
France Metropolitan 27mar2014
American Hustle UK Entertainment in Video 28apr2014 138 min yes
The Legend of Hercules 3D USA Lionsgate 29apr2014 98 min yes
Canada Entertainment One
Swelter France Seven7 18jun2014 96 min yes
Reasonable Doubt France Seven7 18jun2014 88 min yes
Necronomicon France Metropolitan 18jun2014 96 min yes
Her UK Entertainment in Video 23jun2014 126 min yes
Vampire Academy France Metropolitan 07jul2014 104 min yes
The Single Moms Club USA Lionsgate 22jul2014 111 min yes
Divergent USA Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate 05aug2014 139 min yes
Canada Entertainment One
Italy Eagle Pictures 27aug2014 yes 3
The Quiet Ones UK Lionsgate 18aug2014 98 min yes
USA 19aug2014
Canada Entertainment One
Draft Day USA Lionsgate 02sep2014 109 min yes
Canada Entertainment One
Brick Mansions Italy Eagle Pictures 08oct2014 90 min yes
3 Days To Kill Italy Eagle Pictures 05nov2014 117 min yes
Sabotage France Metropolitan 08sep2014 109 min yes
The Rover France Metropolitan 13oct2014 102 min yes
The Expendables 3 USA Lionsgate 25nov2014 126 min
131 min
yes
Canada Entertainment One

Note 1: the information in above table is by no means complete, they’re just examples.
Note 2: some studios had just one-movie test release with this protection.
Note 3: of all the discs released for same movie in a country, not all of them may have fake playlists.
Note 4: in teritories where the movie is not released by the above mentioned company, usually it’s safe to say that the Blu-ray does not have this protection.