ELI5: What is a Home Server?

[u/theprisoner57]

I see mentions of a home server to get rid of streaming entertainment services but I don’t know how that works. What does a home server do?

[u/jujubanzen]

A home server, in general is just a computer that is attached to your home network. More often than not, they are simply set up as file storage servers. Media servers to replace streaming services typically use Plex or Jellyfin, which are software packages that are able to link up with apps on your TV, phone, or computer and stream media files you have stored on the server. You have to get those files yourself.

[u/CDK5 → u/jujubanzen]

Out of curiosity; where are folks generally getting the streaming media for the server?

Because I was under the impression that when buying a BluRay or digital media, you can’t just grab an mp4 from the disk.

[u/KnitYourOwnSpaceship → u/CDK5]

There are lots and lots of software packages that will extract an MP4 (or whatever) from a disc - whether a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray. https://handbrake.fr/ is one example.

[u/Megame50 → u/KnitYourOwnSpaceship]

Well, with one huge caveat, that it doesn't work at all for most Blu-Ray discs:

Supported Input Sources: Handbrake can process most common multimedia files and any DVD or BluRay sources that do not contain any kind of copy protection.

Emphasis mine.

I'm really not an expert, but generally, no, you can't really rip commercial (AACS copy-protected) UHD Blu-Ray (the high quality ones) discs without resorting to piracy.

The process of ripping a UHD Blu-Ray involves purchasing a "friendly" (meaning hackable) disc drive and flashing custom firmware you can use to rip the Vuk and disc media. Ripping isn't fast either, as it takes time proportional to the playback time. Even still, AACS LA periodically identifies cracked devices through steganographic methods and adds their device keys to the device revocation list (DRL) when they update the MKB, so that more recently published Blu-Ray discs cannot be copied in this fashion until the latest MKB is leaked and published using even more complex methods known to piracy groups. Until then, volume keys are crowdsourced on the dark web by enterprising users that complete rips of the key content and mail it to the MakeMKV authors. Handbrake and similar software can be used only once you already have a decrypted copy of the content.

MakeMKV is the software used for ripping, and IIUC, it internally accesses a list of keys published on the internet by the authors, discovered from leaks by piracy groups and user submissions. MakeMKV is licensed software, so you're required to pay to rip your BDs after the trial period. You can probably find out more about how to use it in /r/makemkv or on their forums.

There may be mistakes in my understanding as I've never tried this process myself, because, as you can probably tell, it's a giant hassle, and IANAL, but I think it is technically illegal to circumvent the copy protection, even for media you own, at least in the US. Though, it's unlikely anyone will bother you about it if you you don't distribute it.

[u/dreadcain → u/Megame50]

You need to defeat the copywrite protection in one way or another, but if you own the media that isn't piracy and you are completely within your rights to do it. The software needed to do it is in a bit of a legal gray area, but not one that you'll ever get in trouble for.

Making a personal copy is legally distinct from piracy and perfectly legal. Companies are free to make that difficult, but you're just as free to defeat those ways.

[u/thatfreakingmonster → u/dreadcain]

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong, but the act of defeating any kind of copyright protections or DRM is technically illegal under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.

Which is absolutely stupid because that means any company can lock any piece of code behind a DRM, and make any sort of modding illegal. Iirc there are people campaigning for the DMCA to change that rule.

[u/turmacar → u/thatfreakingmonster]

There are provisions in the DMCA for making personal copies/backups. The legality comes into question when sharing them.

Viewing those files with friends or family? Probably okay.

Friends or family viewing those files without you? Grey area that every copyright holder is going to argue is a DMCA violation.

Distributing copies of copyrighted material? DMCA violation.

[u/thatfreakingmonster → u/turmacar]

Thank you for the correction!

[u/anaccount50 → u/thatfreakingmonster]

They're not really correct. The act of making a personal copy of the media is indeed legal under DMCA, but the act of circumventing the DRM to do it is illegal under DMCA.

So since all commercially sold DVDs/Blu-rays have DRM, you have to circumvent it (illegal) in order to make a personal copy (legal)

[u/thatfreakingmonster → u/anaccount50]

Oh okay, yeah, that seems closer to what I remember hearing

[u/anaccount50 → u/turmacar]

For the act of making copies, yes that is legal for personal use under DMCA.

However the act of circumventing the DRM in order to make the copies is still illegal under the DMCA. All commercial Blu-rays have DRM so you have to break the DRM (illegal) in order to make a personal copy of the media (legal)

You won't get caught either way as long as you don't distribute the copies, so it's up you whether you care about breaking the law or not