Technical qusetion about the copy protections on PlayStation 2 DVDs

[Outpost Omega J 44]

This is something I've been curious about for a while, and given this is a website that deals in pirated software, I'm hoping somebody here knows the answer.

 

As of when the PlayStation 2 was the current PlayStation console, any attempt to use a Windows computer to make a copy of a PS2 game DVD would fail (while I figure this is highly unlikely, I suppose it is possible that trying again using modern computers would result in a functional disc, but I no longer have a PS2 to try with). Can anybody explain why it fails without getting overly technical?

 

As I understand it, the basic structure of the data surface of a DVD (and CDs for that matter) are a series of concentric circles. Each circle is divided into reflective and non-reflective segments. The disc drive attempting to read the disc checks not the segment it self but the transition from one segment to the next to determine a "0" or a "1". Same to same is a "0" and one option to the other is a "1" (I may have that backwards).

 

Shouldn't the disc copy contain the same set of reflective and non-reflective surfaces? If I were to theoretically physically compare the original disc with the copy disc (not that I actually have the patience to examine 8 GBs of "0s" and "1s"), shouldn't they be the same? Even if the PS2 and a Windows PC don't speak the same language, they are using the same "written alphabet". I.E. I don't need to speak Spanish to copy the letter "A" from one document to another. "A" is still "A" regardless of whether or not the document is in English or Spanish. As such I'm capable of copying a Spanish document without actually understanding what I'm writing. What is NOT copying that gives away the fact the copied disc is not an original PS2 disc?

 

Like I said, I'm not looking for an overly technical explanation, or how to convince my computer to actually make a functional copy, just a high concept explanation of why it isn't working.

[Ivan 148]

On most simple level, CDs and DVDs physically contain more data that's within official specification or even read during normal use (It is actually possible to write 738MB of data on 700MB CD drive in process called "overburning", but the closer you get to that limit, the higher the chance of error). What is relevant to us is that innermost circles contain things like vendor information, maximum write speed compatibility and so on - there's no way to write any data there using DVD writer. Commercial DVDs are made in specialized factories and bench-pressed, meaning that SONY had complete freedom in putting in that "extra" space whatever they want, and that's where region-lock information, and decryption codes/DRM are. When you copy data from PS2 on home DVD-burner, you copy the actual game data, but are unable to copy that extra information, which console checks for during the boot up.

[Outpost Omega J 44]

Decades later, and I finally have an answer! Thank you!