DVDFab (UI/General) Get rid of, or mofify, online license checking

[MrVideo]

There was another thread regarding this, but it has been closed for a while now.

I too do not like the online license verification, not because of any concern about privacy, as any program could send user data to a server without the user even knowing about it. The concern is about lack of n internet connection.

While the later versions have improved connection timeouts to the server(s), it will never overcome an issue where there isn't an internet connection available. That renders DVDFab9 totally useless. We users have paid to be able to use the program 24x7, yet there are times where not is not always possible.

Then there is the possibility that while my internet connection may be working, the connection to the DVDFab9 server(s) might not be. Never say never that the feed to the server(s) can't go away because of some unforseen problem or that the server farm actually goes down. Again, never say never. Those who have have learned their lesson the hard way.

I can understand the need for the protection against theft of their program, but to do so at the expense of the paying customer isn't right either.

Here is a potential tradeoff: Have a 30 day timer in the product, whereby every time that a connection is established, the timer gets reset and if a connection can't be made, see if the 30 days has timed out.

As pointed out in the other thread, this "feature" is not popular and is causing some loyal users to defect. Obviously DVDFab already has the money from those users, since this is a lifetime update product, but word gets around real fast these days, which could result in potential future customers going elsewhere.

Please take the complaints about this "feature" seriously.

FYI: this also applies to the need to contact the server(s) regarding data for decrypting, etc.

[James Jr]

I too do not like this feature.

When my subscription runs out and its not changed i will go with a competitor.I Will not buy another subscription with dvdfab.

[signals]

As has been pointed out many times in the past year, this requirement is not likely to be removed, and I have no idea if it will be modified. An internet connection is a clearly stated system requirement and is listed on the website where you purchased the product. There are no privacy issues with online verification, it does not send ANY personally identifiable information to the server, it just checks to see if the license is valid and gets decryption information (from a different server) if you are using a Blu-ray as Source. If you would rather pay 3-5X the cost of a DVDFab renewal for some other product because of online licensing, I have to wonder if your problems with it are due to some other unknown motive. All Blu-ray decryptors use some sort of online database, so that is a non-issue as well.

[broderp]

A workaround would be to use v8 when you don't have a connection. Except for blu-ray copying this all but eliminates the need for internet.

[tkemmann]

I too would like to see the software login at startup be removed. I purchased a lifetime license for version 8 approximately 2 years ago. Living in a rural area where the Internet connection comes and goes is a significant problem for me using version 9. And, unless I am mistaken, DVDFab did not have nor detail at the time that I purchased my license that a mandatory Internet connection was required. For better or worse, DVDFab has severely limited my lifetime license.

[signals]

See post #3, there is nothing more to add at this time. Except to wonder how you can browse websites or use email or post here with such a bad internet connection.

[Swifty]

Agreed...

I did not log onto the forums to complain or search complaints, I was looking to see if anyone else had a problem with a backup of a certain movie and ran accross this by chance.

Signal, I read post 3 and your post as well that was extremely rude about not being able to post with a bad connection, I live in a fairly large city and my interne goes out sometimes, I also have friends that live way out in the woods that have severe issues with spoty connections yet they can still send emails and browse at times. In fact my friend that introduced me to DVDFab lives in Austraila and has a good amount of trouble with his internet. Maybe the poster went to a library or sent this from work or a friends house. You owe the guy an appology.

I would not normally comment about something like this however your rude comment has compelled me to do so.

I am also a lifetime member of over 3 years, it was stated when I joined that I would get lifetime upgrades and did NOT state that you would ever need to have internet access to use the program, that im my opinion is a breech of contract.

With that said, I know that it's because of piracy of DVDFab and I understand your position, however as posted above I think that a time limit for the license checks it is a valid approach, it should be very feesable to give the checks a time limit of even a standard trial offer should not be a problem if it will satisfy your member base, I do believe that most members wil be ok with that and the piracy would still be set back in there unlawful use of DVDFab.

As for having to get information off a server to copy blu-rays, version 8 never had that problem, however, I also can understand why it is needed as new anti-backup protection is always evolving. If it won't copy a blu-ray without the server info then you can easily add a warning like you did about Cinvia before you created a permanent fix and let the user decide if they wish to proceed. And before you decide to say that can't be done without internet access, you can add that feature for new copy protections when the user updates the DVDFab program and or when they are acutually able to get online for the license check.

As a poster pointed out too, you already have lifetime members money so you may not feel inclined to appease them on this matter, however you're always coming out with new products to buy. How many of the people that you upset by being rude and not addressing thier concerns do you think will buy those or tell others that may buy about your products?

If you doubt my memebership send me an email at my registered email and I will prove that I bought the program, if you don't have access to that then leave me a private message with an email that I can return to you and I'll send you a copy of the invoice.

I expect that you will take this post as an insult instead of constructive critisim so I am making a copy of all the posts in this thread, if you are rude to me or remove this post as inappropriate then I will send all this informatin via certified letter to the company, it may not do any good but I will do it.

[GregiBoy]

@Swifty....

I do not think Signals was being rude but was just stating the facts and as this forum is staffed by volunteers, your suggestions/complaints are likely to receive any attention by the developers and I suggest that you email Fab directly. You may get a better hearing.

That being said, I totally agree with what is being said about the enforced logon and I think something like a 7 day grace period should be given, not 30 like this:-

Fab starts up
Checks for rego
No internet
Sets counter for 7 day grace period
When 7 day grace period expires, Fab is unusable until next connected to the internet when grace period is reset.

The world is not wired like it is assumed to be in the current registration system.

On the Blu-ray decryption issue though, I totally agree with the centralised approach that Fab has taken but maybe an option could be given to update the key database locally, not the program.

I can remember back to the old days of Fab 3 when you practically had to update the program every day because of new title releases and I certainly do not wish to go back to that scenario.

[CBR929]

@Swifty....

I do not think Signals was being rude but was just stating the facts and as this forum is staffed by volunteers, your suggestions/complaints are likely to receive any attention by the developers and I suggest that you email Fab directly. You may get a better hearing.

That being said, I totally agree with what is being said about the enforced logon and I think something like a 7 day grace period should be given, not 30 like this:-

Fab starts up
Checks for rego
No internet
Sets counter for 7 day grace period
When 7 day grace period expires, Fab is unusable until next connected to the internet when grace period is reset.

The world is not wired like it is assumed to be in the current registration system.

On the Blu-ray decryption issue though, I totally agree with the centralised approach that Fab has taken but maybe an option could be given to update the key database locally, not the program.

I can remember back to the old days of Fab 3 when you practically had to update the program every day because of new title releases and I certainly do not wish to go back to that scenario.

I agree totally!!!
There should be something implemented to use a timer feature.
CBR929

[90312]

Swifty, criticism is never constructive unless requested. Even then, because of its insulting nature, must be handled delicately. If you offer unrequested criticism you may rightly expect an abrupt response. Especially true on an issue that has been beat to death like this one.

[GregiBoy]

What a load of codswallop!!! A spell checker would help also!

I expect that you will take this post as an insult instead of constructive critisim so I am making a copy of all the posts in this thread, if you are rude to me or remove this post as inappropriate then I will send all this informatin via certified letter to the company, it may not do any good but I will do it.

[signals]

I had not seen this, it is codswallop defined!

@Swifty
Mind your own business. If you have a disagreement with a forum policy, you may send it privately to me, one of the moderators or Fengtao himself. You do not appear to have ever read the general policies of the forum. Other users do not need for you to take up their cause or defend them and we certainly do not need lessons in moderating or administering this forum. Neither of these things are valid uses of this facility.

[diffie]

Issue with license checking as standard user

When I run dvdfab 9 (9.0.5.5) as regular standard user it is not able to detect the available Internet connection (standard Ethernet behind a NAT broadband router, win7_64SP1).
If I run dvdfab as admin it works fine.

[signals]

DVDFab must be installed and run as administrator.

[MrVideo]

DVDFab must be installed and run as administrator.

First off, no program should force a user to log in a administrator to run a program like DVDFab. Only programs that deal with setting system parameters, or accessing restricted system parameters should require the user to log in a administrator.

Internet access is not an administrator restricted system operation. So, needing admin permission seems really strange.

That said, a user can set up their Windblows computer so that logging in a admin is not required. Fine print: the following info involves M$ installed through XP Pro. I suspect that the following will still work with later M$ versions, but I've not tested it.

The simple trick is that when installing M$, and if you are the only user on the system, by setting up the system to only be yours, you are automatically also the admin. It also means that you don't have to log into the system every time you restart it.

I've never had to do it, but I understand that you can set up users to be part of the admin group of the system. After doing that and DVDFab still refuses to work for you, then DVDFab needs to rethink the need for admin premissions.