HD DVD is practically cracked. They’ve found the the volume unique keys for several HD DVDs by browsing through resident memory while running WinDVD. This makes the format as viable as DVD is now. This could really tip the scales for HD DVD when competing against blu ray. I don’t care about pirating anything, but I want a format I can back up. Have you seen what kids do to discs? Speaking of nifty DRM features, check out what Windows Vista will be able to do…or rather, not do. It looks like Vista will generally degrade your computer for NOT cracking an HD DVD if you’re trying to play it through component video outputs.
UPDATE: This method may specifically depend on the device ID of the PowerDVD software. This could be revoked in new HD DVD discs and would probably be changed in future, more secure versions of PowerDVD. Then, future discs would no longer work using this method. It would be amusing if the device ID for the Xbox HD DVD player or the PS3 ever got out. To disable and destroy the flagship players would be suicide.