Posted by Jeff Rife on 03/09/06 06:11

AZ Nomad (aznomad@PmunOgeBOX.com) wrote in alt.video.dvd:
> >Yes, actually, it *was* possible to force a particular section of a
> >laserdisc to "play" without being able to fast forward. It was never
>
> bullshit. No LD player locked out the user from skipping a section.

It's correct that no disc was programmed to do this, but it could have
been.

If you have ever watched extras on laserdiscs, at times the video pauses
automatically (on fully standards-compliant players). This is because of
coding in the VBI that the player picks up. There is also a code for
"play now". If you apply the "play now" code to a frame, then whatever
you are doing when you hit that frame (fast forward, etc.) will be
overridden and the disc would drop into "play" mode.

So, if you apply "play now" to every frame in the entire sequence you
don't want skipped *and* don't provide chapter stops, then there is
little the user could do except watch (although holding down fast forward
would probably get you moving a bit faster, as the players were slow to
react to the VBI codes at times).

--
Jeff Rife | copy protection: n. A class of methods for
| preventing incompetent pirates from stealing
| software and legitimate customers from using it.
| Considered silly.
| -- Jargon File version 4.4.6

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