So, it's come to our attention ('our' being a company that develops Blu-ray movie discs for the studios) that the Xbox One can't play movies off BD-R or BD-RE. This is a deliberate anti-piracy tactic put in place by Microsoft. Is there anyone here that's working with a DevKit that can test and see if this limitation is removed on the DevKits? We're guessing that we might have to go that route for testing movies on the platform, but if the restriction still exists there then there would be no point... (We've reached out to our Microsoft contacts about this, but I figured asking here might actually be faster...)
For quick questions I sometimes try facebook or twitter. Even the big companies reply with good answers, and you can supply more details ofcourse. I have no xone knowhow, so cannot answer your question, but instead of me tweeting a MS dev or MS directly, you could ofcourse try yourself (maybe start a quick testkit recieve route (Asuming MS has solutions for companies like yours) ) Remembering the files Ive got for HD-DVD testing on the 360, its posible that there is a (hidden) program on their http://connect.microsoft.com/directory/ website for blu-ray Xbox one testing.
Unfortunately not. Since about a week ago I've been accepted into several partner programs, Microsoft Domains, App Hubs, pretty much all dev tools / forums including phone, desktop, console + unity assets and even the upcoming XBLIG program for Xbox One. The only thing I haven't been connected with is the Xbox ID assets (requirements for this program are heavily reliant on small game companies with a popular roster of past games practically). I don't see any mention of such Blu-Ray tools on MS-Connect, Xbone docs, nor other MS networks. So unless it's XBID specific (Which I seriously doubt) it's not there. Sony owns the rights to Blu-ray practically, I doubt it is Microsoft's position to intentionally disable the use of burnable Blu-ray media. For one thing Microsoft allows data discs and burnable DVD media for the 360; thus, they would have no reason to change policy for Blu-ray as it isn't necessarily a security risk. Mastered discs are produced much differently than burnable media. Otherwise, people wouldn't need to modify drives and other hardware to play games off this type of media. Furthermore in relation to Blu-ray movies, burnable media wouldn't be purchasable at all if there was intention to block such discs. That being said, the current Xbox One public dashboard is heavily lacking in middleware and apps to allow any media to be played from state disks and burnable media alike. I believe the issue here is the Xbox One is still taking baby steps and just currently lacks support...
The PS3 dev kit didnt play Blurays at all, they had a special BR Dev (not sure of the proper name, authoring kit perhaps?). As lllsondowlll said, the Xbox (and PS4 to a point) are simply not complete yet. And Id wager licensing has a large part to do with movie support for Blurays, but who knows
Yes, it is Microsoft's position to deliberately block burnable Blu-ray media. It's clearly stated on their website: http://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/apps/watch-bluray-dvd-movies It's a decision made by Microsoft. Hopefully it's one they will choose to reverse someday (the hardware will read the discs fine), but for now I was hoping they'd provide some way for the studios to test Blu-ray functionality on their system... At this point in the release though, they may not really care being more focused on other things... Yeah, the PS3 is called the A/V Test Tool. Looks like a normal Test on the outside, but will _only_ play Blu-ray movies (no games of any kind), and can even play them over a network instead of physical discs. We have several of them... There isn't a PS4 version of the A/V Test yet, so we are just using retail for that (which has limitations for testing purposes, but still works...) For the 360, as mentioned above, there was special software for emulating HD-DVD discs over networks or off of hard drives, but I don't think that was available at launch, so it's likely something that will come with time. Licensing has nothing to do with it. You don't license Blu-ray movie playback off replicated discs and BD-R separately, and any software or hardware player (that can read the discs) will play back the content natively. It has to be deliberately programmed to recognize content on a BD-R and then stop playing it. When you put a BD-R of a Blu-ray movie in an Xbox One for the first time, the system recognizes it as a Blu-ray movie, and prompts you to download and install the Blu-ray player (which isn't natively installed on the system). So it knows _exactly_ what's on the disc and can read it fine. Then after it's installed and tries to play, you get the error code for attempting to play off burnable media... It's on purpose, and they don't _intend_ to change it... But they didn't intend for the system to be useable off-line either, so there's always the possibility that they will change it.
If that was the case, they'd allow BD-Rs to play and not allow encrypted retail discs to play... If they put a Blu-ray player on the device, it has to include Cinavia. I think this is why you have to download a Blu-ray player app though, so they only have to pay the licensing fees for any Xbox Ones that actually download the app. If you never put a Blu-ray movie in the system, Microsoft never has to pay the licensing for the format on that machine as it's never actually 'become' a Blu-ray player.
I feel as if there may have been some misunderstanding of the information you have cited. This is a completely understandable assumption to make as I too had initially, yet incorrectly, drew this conclusion. Needless to say, I was aware of the information provided by this page prior to this discussion but did not include it as it is not relevant --bare with me. The Xbox page cited is very vague and misleading as it clumsily phrases the restrictions of the "Blu-ray player". The page fails to clearly identify/distinguish exactly what is being implied --the app or the entire console?--. For example, the statement "The Blu-ray player on the Xbox One console only supports mastered Blu-ray discs and DVDs." is making reference to the software app titled "Blu-Ray Player"; however, the page lacks additional elaboration pertaining to the future of data discs. Furthermore, public information is very scarce covering: the particulars of this restriction, Microsoft's overall policy for BD-R on the console, and use of media files. Already one of the defined limitations cited on that page is inaccurate and does not apply across the system; thus, proving my point as to why that xbox page should not be considered as the official policy on console-wide restriction. Despite what the statement cited in your link claims "Xbox One console only supports mastered Blu-ray discs and DVDs", DVD-R's run on the console without issue nor restrictions of any kind. However, the Blu-Ray Player application does not support anything other than standard BR movies at this time. Be mindful current limitations may not necessarily be policy and are subject to change. Microsoft is still developing, polishing, and refining the foundation of the OS; thus, one cannot expect additional features to be implemented this early in the stability-focused phase. Microsoft has made statements addressing the concerns over the console's lack of media file playback support. As it is well known by now, Microsoft's Xbox One has not publicly provided an application which functions as a file browser for either flash and/or optical media --Skydrive seems to be the current workaround for this. Xbox One will be implementing this functionality within the near future alongside an update. That being said, I am unsure to the degree of freedom this feature will entail. It could be that only CDs, DVDs, and USB media will be supported; alternatively, it could be that all media including BD-Rs may be supported as data/storage discs for avi, wmv, mp3, mp4, and Mkv file types. As I said before, It is still too early to make assumptions. Wait it out until Microsoft makes a public statement concerning BR media restrictions and long term policies. Otherwise, keep an eye out for Xbox.com's update changelog in the coming months. Either way you can be rest assured that this method of media playback wouldn't fall under the blu-ray player category; thus, it is entirely possible for a "media library" type app to blossom. Even then you may only be restricted to using BD-R media much like a flash drive. P.S. Unfortunately for your line of work, optical media is increasingly being phased out in favor of cloud, service streaming, and flash storage. The latter three may take precidence over BD-R I suspect and may take a bit of waiting. I dug up all the information I could for you which is summarized above and detailed below. Hope this helps! Sources: Working DVD-R confirmation http://forums.xbox.com/xbox_forums/...support/f/4274/p/1642796/4316073.aspx#4316073 Working DVD-R confirmation + Initial BD-R missing support. Theory suggests Microsoft unprepared for DRM policy change. http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/xbox-recordable-201311293478.htm Flash/Optical (data disk/disc) Media Library announced as "Not (available) at launch" - Future Implementation implied. https://twitter.com/albertpenello/statuses/402673349106475008
On the Xbox 1...oh, sorry, that term is ambiguous now. Starting over... On the 2001 Xbox, Microsoft had the drive manufacturers code into their firmware the inability to read CD-R disks for security reasons. This made little sense, particularly because CD-RW, DVD±R and DVD±RW weren't blocked at all, and their games were on a DVD-based format (DVD-X2 in their documents). Even some of the leaked security documents didn't explain what the point of blocking CD-Rs was, but mentioned that that security was there. Blocking BD-Rs on the XBone seems like a repeat of this behavior, for who knows what reason. There are only a few things I can think of that would motivate such a move. If the device can't play BD-Rs and can't play movies from other media types, then it does not need Cinavia from a DRM standpoint. Whether that's true from a licensing standpoint I don't know. The other theory is to make it difficult to launch attacks on the Blu-ray player. Blu-ray players have an attack surface a mile wide, because of the complexity of the format and the fact that you have a Java interpreter on there. It'd take just one bug to start some kind of ROP attack, and with a lot of effort, other bugs in the kernel and/or hypervisor, and plenty of luck, you might break through. By the way, is the XBone the first time Microsoft has distributed Java since Windows XP Service Pack 1?
There's no misunderstanding (or assumptions), it is a deliberate block by Microsoft (I have that information from more sources than just the website, but the website is the only publicly available information that can be shared...). That doesn't mean it's permanent (hopefully they will change their minds), but for now it is as-intended. The hardware can read the BD-R format just fine. Put a BD-R of a movie in the system, and it will launch the Blu-ray player app (or prompt to install it), so it can read the disc and knows exactly what is on it. It just won't play it. As you mentioned, it's a software limitation, not hardware, they can easily change it. I like the idea of this being a cheaper alternative to licensing Cinavia... Hadn't thought of that, but no one has admitted to it either. As for DVD-Rs still working, part of the problem there is that commercially replicated DVDs don't have to have any form of encryption or copy protection applied to them. It's completely optional. So, checking a DVD-video structure for CSS encryption would prevent many commercial DVDs from playing. It's the DRM that the software is looking for in order to block burnable discs, so that's why DVD-Rs aren't limited (I think there's other ways they could check for replicated vs burned discs, but encryption seems to be what they've chosen). Replicated Blu-ray discs _have_ to have AACS encryption applied to them, so if you have a Blu-ray disc that's not encrypted, it's a burned disc (or has the DRM circumvented in some way). I have not, however, seen any information on whether other types of data on BD-Rs is accessible. It's possible this was put in universally to attempt to avoid piracy of all types (movies and games), not sure about that as movies are my only concern. (And optical discs aren't going anywhere anytime soon. 1080p content isn't streamable with any acceptable quality yet (to videophiles at least), so you can bet 4k is no where close. There's a whole new disc spec being prepared for 4k content. If you think HD cable looks good, then you really aren't the target audience for high-quality disc-based video with lossless audio... Unfortunately the general masses are happy watching movies on iPads and listening to MP3s... Video and audio quality is going to be a lost art soon. The fact that 4k TVs are being sold now with upconverters to watch your existing Blu-rays kind of proves that...)
The point of that block was prevent people from using pirated AUDIO CDs with the XBOX for audio riping. The point of the official statement at the support page is mention that XBOX ONE won't play loose video files written to a media disc. By mastered disc it means a disc that has DVD-Video or BD-Video structures generated by a mastering program. Maybe someone try a video disc mastered with NERO in it and see if it works ? I honestly see no practical reason they would block such discs from working. Now saying they're keeping the device from working with Matroska files to prevent movie piracy actually make sense.
