The new AACS 2.0 encryption method used to protect Ultra HD Blu-rays from unlawful copying may have been cracked for the first time.
A report from Torrent Freak brings word that a copy of The Smurfs 2 has been posted to the BitTorrent tracker UltraHDClub.
The unscrupulous individual behind the post claims it’s the first “First Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc in the NET!” and even posts a render of the box art.
However, it’s going to take a committed Smurf enthusiast to hit the download button as the file is a whopping 53.3GB.
It doesn’t appear to be picking up much traction though with only a few seeders jumping on the private tracker. That means it’s going to take a good while before anyone with the hard-drive space can enjoy the antics of Papa Smurf and Smurfette.
While we make fun of the situation, if the poster is being truthful, the purported penetration of the AACS 2.0 tech is significant.
It was thought to be much stronger than the previous version that kept Blu-ray discs on the physical medium and not spread over the web for anyone to download.
However, even if the decryption method becomes commonplace, it appears the content owners have a built in protection against piracy on this medium: Who can be bothered to download a 50GB file, rather than just cough up a couple of bucks to rent it?
Will Ultra HD Blu-ray enjoy success due to the challenges of streaming and downloading 4K content? Or will the physical medium continue to fade? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
