'DVD Jon' Launches Doubletwist: Share and Sync Protected iTunes Music

[MacRumors]

Jon Lech Johansen ("DVD Jon") launched DoubleTwist today, a venture that was originally reported back in October 2006. DVD Jon originally gained notoriety (and his nickname) for his involvement in releasing the DeCSS software that allowed the bypassing of DVD copy protection. Since then, he has made headlines with the release of QTFairUse which decoded Apple's FairPlay digital rights system for iTunes.

The early reports about DoubleTwist suggested that DVD Jon had reverse engineered Apple's FairPlay copy protection and planned on licensing it to other companies. Today's launch, however, is a much different product.

DoubleTwist states its mission is to "enable consumers to enjoy their digital media on the widest possible range of devices." To that end, DoubleTwist has introduced a product called doubleTwist desktop which allows users to sync and share media between different devices, handling the necessary format conversions transparently.

With digital media such as video from a friend’s cell phone or your own iTunes playlists, it’s a jungle out there. It can be an hour-long exercise in futility to convert files to the correct format and transfer them to your Sony PSP or your phone
...
Our goal is to provide a simple and well integrated solution that the average consumer can use to eliminate the headaches associated with their expanding digital universe.”

CNet describes how the software works:

When a device is plugged into a PC (Windows XP and Vista only right now, Mac OS X coming soon), DoubleTwist launches and recognizes all the media files on the device. Any file can be selected, dragged, and dropped into DoubleTwist to be synched up to a separate device, or shared with other users you've "friended" who also use DoubleTwist.

According to Cnet, DoubleTwist will also import and convert protected AACs (purchased iTunes songs) into MP3s so they will be playable by other devices. The official DoubleTwist site appears to downplay this functionality, only listing mp3, aac/m4a, wma, and wav amongst supported audio formats. Statements by DoubleTwist's founder, however, confirm that the software will do this, but is only capable of converting songs that you are authorized to play.

A Mac OS X client and iPhone web-app are expected in Q2 2008.

Article Link

[Eidorian]

I'll stick with ripping my CDs in Max. From what I've read it does pull of a virtual burn to CD and then rips the tracks from there.

[arn]

how their bypassing copy protection works

http://www.news.com.au/technology/st...014239,00.html

DoubleTwist's method for opening up copy-protected formats is to replay a song in fast-forward mode and capture a copy of the audio track by re-recording it.

It's essentially the same process as when a user "rips," or copies, a CD onto a computer.

"Users can only play back the music they have already purchased and they are authorized to play," said Monique Farantzos, 34, doubleTwists's co-founder and chief executive.

One hundred songs can be converted in half an hour or so.

DoubleTwist estimates the trick results in about five per cent degradation in sound-quality, similar to CD duplication.

[christall109]

Interesting.... What about video bought through the iTunes Store? I would love to be able to get that content (almost 3 full seasons of The Office) on to my Xbox 360 via connect360.

[milo]

"DoubleTwist estimates the trick results in about five per cent degradation in sound-quality, similar to CD duplication."

Huh?

CD duplication results in essentially no degradation in sound quality. Even things like errors like scratches can be corrected perfectly using error correction in the vast majority of cases. (unless they mean something else by "cd duplication")

[arn]

Originally Posted by milo

"DoubleTwist estimates the trick results in about five per cent degradation in sound-quality, similar to CD duplication."

Huh?

CD duplication results in essentially no degradation in sound quality. Even things like errors like scratches can be corrected perfectly using error correction in the vast majority of cases.

I think they're referring to burning/ripping of protected AACs. which do re-compress previous compressed music.

arn

[nxent]

yeh i figured somenoe would figure out a way to create mp3's from apple's music files this way sooner or later. the real trick, however, would be to break the video encryption apple uses.

[Harpo]

Originally Posted by milo

"DoubleTwist estimates the trick results in about five per cent degradation in sound-quality, similar to CD duplication."

Huh?

CD duplication results in essentially no degradation in sound quality. Even things like errors like scratches can be corrected perfectly using error correction in the vast majority of cases. (unless they mean something else by "cd duplication")

I think they mean the current method of removing Fairplay protection -- burn the protected AAC files to a CD and re-rip to the desired format.

Edit: Arn thought so before me.

[oban14]

Originally Posted by nxent

yeh i figured somenoe would figure out a way to create mp3's from apple's music files this way sooner or later. the real trick, however, would be to break the video encryption apple uses.

I believe this software can do that. If not, just give it a couple of months. DRM always loses eventually.

[theddie]

so i guess i am unclear on this product? it enables us to put any type of media that we have on any playback deivce? sorry for being naive but still... not too sure?

[mekopolis]

should drive more business to itunes if non ipod consumers want to purchase itunes only music

[kuebby]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

I'll stick with ripping my CDs in Max. From what I've read it does pull of a virtual burn to CD and then rips the tracks from there.

Same here, but I totally support the idea. Converting audio and video between formats has always been a pain but hopefully this will make it easier.

I didn't see this anywhere, how can it be free? This seems like the kind of app that should cost something, at least so he can recoup the time and money he spent cracking Fairplay.

[mekopolis]

Originally Posted by theddie

so i guess i am unclear on this product? it enables us to put any type of media that we have on any playback deivce? sorry for being naive but still... not too sure?

from my understanding it will harvest all of your media files on your machine, like music, and pictures, and you select the devices that you want your media to be synced to...and it will do all the conversions like taking ACC format music to mp3 to work on a non ipod device, or taking .wma and converting it to work on your ipod

does it do video?

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by arn

how their bypassing copy protection works

http://www.news.com.au/technology/st...014239,00.html

I'm too far into the bleeding edge.

Originally Posted by kuebby

Same here, but I totally support the idea. Converting audio and video between formats has always been a pain but hopefully this will make it easier.

I didn't see this anywhere, how can it be free? This seems like the kind of app that should cost something, at least so he can recoup the time and money he spent cracking Fairplay.

To me it just seems like yet another fancy AppleScript to burn your protected music or use some minor loophole that'll go from lossy to lossy.

[mekopolis]

Originally Posted by kuebby

how can it be free? This seems like the kind of app that should cost something, at least so he can recoup the time and money he spent cracking Fairplay.

makes him more famous

bookdeal? b class movie?

or at least once he gets enough users consuming the product, revenue from advertising, or charge for updates could be initiated

[Can]

Originally Posted by kuebby

...

I didn't see this anywhere, how can it be free? This seems like the kind of app that should cost something, at least so he can recoup the time and money he spent cracking Fairplay.

This guy is FREE stuff only. He was a young hacker with ideas. Not the kind of guy that charge money for products, unless it is company related software.

[arn]

Note that this also strips Windows Media DRM. It could be a useful tool for people wanting to jump from Windows Media to iTunes or vice versa

arn

[geveke]

Originally Posted by Can

This guy is FREE stuff only. He was a young hacker with ideas. Not the kind of guy that charge money for products, unless it is company related software.

What's wrong with charging money for your work? O, I get it: better not charge money for ripping off other people's work...
I don't like DRM either, beacause it mostly benefits record companies and studios, not artists. But this isn't what is needed to make everything "fair play". I think we should pay for our tunes, but we oughta have a way to make sure the artists get paid, not the companies that made zillions on the transition from LP to CD, and then complained about digital theft. Why did they need Apple to find a solution for online music trade? Because they had no vision, they had no strategy, they were used to us handing over our money. They deserved to get punished for this. But not the artists. Let's make sure they get paid.

[happydude]

Originally Posted by nxent

yeh i figured somenoe would figure out a way to create mp3's from apple's music files this way sooner or later. the real trick, however, would be to break the video encryption apple uses.

no doubt. all i want to do is take the music videos some itunes albums come with that they don't include as AAC's and convert the sound to AAC or mp3 so i can play the music over my airtunes. for example, bob dylan's "modern times" comes with 4 amazing works as videos but i can't get the music. when i'm playing the album over airtunes, whenever the videos come up the sound stops until that video is done. to me, this is stupid. i own the freakin movie, let me play the music however i want.

[Can]

Originally Posted by geveke

What's wrong with charging money for your work? ...

Nothing is wrong with charging people for your work. Im just saying that Jon had visions with this software and that the vision was not to make money.

Note that the main functions for this software is not to cripple DRM but to be able to share digital media from/to every media device you may have.

[cyberjunky]

How will this affect iTunes, in apples agreements with major brands, are they not required to pull their media off itunes if FairPlay is defeated?

[FakeWozniak]

Originally Posted by nxent

yeh i figured somenoe would figure out a way to create mp3's from apple's music files this way sooner or later. the real trick, however, would be to break the video encryption apple uses.

iTunes has always been able to burn Audio CDs from purchased music. Then you can re-rip the AIFF files into MP3s with iTunes again. I would imagine this free program constitutes simulating a burn to a virtual CD drive through program level (as opposed to GUI level) iTunes hooks. Try running the program with iTunes uninstalled as an experiment (I won't run his program).

He won't be able to do video LEGALLY with any ease. I suppose one could simulate a video card driver and then catch the raw data. Recoding and synchronization of audio and video will be difficult.

[Di9it8]

Originally Posted by mekopolis

b class movie?

DVD Jon DVD only available on iTunes??

[elppa]

Originally Posted by cyberjunky

How will this affect iTunes, in apples agreements with major brands, are they not required to pull their media off itunes if FairPlay is defeated?

Well FairPlay™ is still in tact. This product doesn't crack or defeat FairPlay. It will not remove the DRM from a FairPlay protected track. If it did, then it would be all stations go at Apple to protect their contracts.

This is the digital equivalent of burning a disc with fairplay tracks and ripping it back onto the computer to remove the DRM. Only without the discs.

[gikku]

"You need a PC running Windows XP or Vista."

http://www.doubletwist.com/dt/Download/Index.dt