Roxio Inc. has released a new backup utility for DVD burner-equipped Macs called Popcorn. Powered by the same engine that used in Roxio’s popular Toast software, Popcorn copies DVD-Video discs, though Roxio is careful to point out that Popcorn does not copy encrypted or copy protected DVDs — in other words, almost all of the commercial movies sold on DVD at retail stores.
Popcorn can compress a 9GB dual-layer DVD-Video disc to a standard 4.7GB disc and provides users with copy summary information including the video, audio and language formats. It can also copy the entire disk or just movie, audio and language information. Popcorn supports multi-channel audio, multi-language content, NTSC and PAL video formats, and widescreen or pan and scan aspect ratios. You can even print out a label and jewel case cover for your archive DVD.
So, without the ability to copy encrypted or copy-protected DVD-Videos, what’s the point of having Popcorn? Roxio spells it out in their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, right before they mention the existence of so called “ripper” or decryption software: “Some commercial DVDs, public domain movies, your home movies created with Toast, iDVD or DVD Studio Pro, and content that you have recorded on your set-top DVD recorder are not CSS protected. You can use Popcorn to copy these discs.”
System requirements for Popcorn call for a G3 or faster; Mac OS X v10.2.8 or later; 200MB of free hard disk space for installation; 15GB of temporary free space for DVD-Video content storage; a DVD recorder and blank recordable DVD media. Popcorn costs US$49.95; users of Toast Jam, Apple iLife, DVD Studio Pro and Mac OS X in the United States are eligible for a $10 mail-in rebate.