Finally, now there's a legit way of ripping DVDs and playing them back on your desktop or laptop computer. Real Networks unveiled its RealDVD software, which is able to make an exact copy of a copy-protected DVD and then add another DRM layer for easing industry concerns about piracy.

Subsequently, the ripped DVDs can be played back using Real's software on any computer running Microsoft Windows. Only one computer can have a copy of a specific DVD, and to transfer the ripped DVD to other computers, users have to buy additional licenses of the software, which come at a discount.

The whole idea is to give users a more convenient way of storing and playing their collection of DVDs, without having to actually carry around the physical discs. The downside is that RealDVD makes exact copies of the discs, without adding newer, more powerful compression, which means that each DVD will take at least 4GB for single layer and up to 8GB for double layer discs.

Real Networks offers a fully functional, anonymous demo for 30 days, which enables users to try the software before they pay the introductory price of $29.99, though that will rise to $49.99 later on.

DVDs are protected by the Content Scramble System (CSS), a weak, proprietary 40-bit stream cipher algorithm introduced in 1996 and compromised soon after its release. Freeware software, considered illegal by the industry, can remove Macrovision, Content Scrambling System (CSS), region codes, and disabled user operations (UOPs) from protected discs, in reasonable time.