How does copy protection for optical media work?

[Sdw]

The consoles nowadays refuse to run binaries that aren't signed, and unless an exploit in exisiting code is found you can't run your own code.

But how does that stop the one thing that console manufacturers want to avoid most - piracy?
I mean, when you want to a pirate a game you don't want to run unsigned code, you want to run the already signed code that is the orignal game.

I think that the 360 does some check on media flags to avoid running a DVD-R copy of a game, this stops (well, atleast until the DVD-FW hacks came out) the average Joe from downloading and burning a copy.
But what is stopping some big-business chinese pirates with access to a pressing plant to press identical DVD copies of the original game? Are the 360/PS3 game DVDs physically different from a 'normal' DVD-ROM?
Or am I missing something fundamental?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

But what is stopping some big-business chinese pirates with access to a pressing plant to press identical DVD copies of the original game? Are the 360/PS3 game DVDs physically different from a 'normal' DVD-ROM?

In PS3's case, yes - they use a blue laser To date all PS3 games have been on BRDs, which eliminates copy piracy. I don't know the tricks used to stop direct disk-copies though.

 

[Sdw]

In PS3's case, yes - they use a blue laser To date all PS3 games have been on BRDs, which eliminates copy piracy. I don't know the tricks used to stop direct disk-copies though.

I actually thought that the PS3 could have games shipped on DVD aswell, but maybe that's not the case.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Technically you could, but Sony's not letting 'em yet for numerous reasons.

 

[deathkiller]

But what is stopping some big-business chinese pirates with access to a pressing plant to press identical DVD copies of the original game?

It's very hard to export and distribute pirated games from China. I think that in Hong Kong you can buy pirated PS2 games that run on a standard PS2, but, when the alternative of modding the console and burning DVD-R exists, the whole pirate game exporting operation is just not worth it.

 

[ERP]

Write Once and R/W optical media has an identiier burned into it before you ever see it.
So the OS can simply ask if it's a pressed disk.