If you own the disc, the argument is simple: AACS does not stop piracy. Pirates simply download the decrypted file from Usenet or Torrents within hours of release. AACS only hurts legitimate owners who want to use Plex, Emby, or Jellyfin to watch their movies on an iPad or a smart TV that lacks a disc drive.
MakeMKV is excellent, but it isn't magic. For brand new discs released in the last 48 hours, there is a period where even LibreDrive struggles. makemkv aacs
But every time you hit "Backup" and watch the progress bar climb, remember: You are watching a war in real-time. The drive is lying to the disc. The software is lying to the drive. And in the middle of it all, a tiny piece of code is ensuring that your right to own culture survives the age of streaming. If you own the disc, the argument is
Around 2018, something shifted. The developer behind MakeMKV (known only as "mike admin") introduced . MakeMKV is excellent, but it isn't magic
The software that protects your right to back up your $30 4K disc is the same software that your antivirus might flag as "hacktool" – not because it is malicious, but because it injects code into optical drive firmware.