New version of DRM removal tools ("DeDRM")

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I can think of all sorts of reasons. One might be that, given the fact that images appear to be stored in a separate "sidecar" file in the new format, they're now delivering books with image resolutions tailored to the capabilities of the specific device the file is being sent to. That would be a very smart move.

But if the images in the eBook are too small, all Amazon would be doing is scaling the images up and not providing the best quality images. The publisher should be providing high resolution images and not amazon scaling up low resolution images.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But if the images in the eBook are too small, all Amazon would be doing is scaling the images up and not providing the best quality images. The publisher should be providing high resolution images and not amazon scaling up low resolution images.

How do you know that they're not? Maybe that's one of the requirements for the new format?

Shari

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by shalym

How do you know that they're not? Maybe that's one of the requirements for the new format?

Shari

Exactly. To say that Amazon have been "silly" on the basis of zero information is, well, silly.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

@lkmiller did you try importing a kepub into Calibre from 3.17?

Yes, with 3.17 the plugin lists the books as usual, but won't import the DRMed books. When I tried, it gave an error about encryption.

I had my old setup file (downloaded last Sept), and reinstalling that got things working with Obok again. Whatever version that was, it only updated to 3.15. I don't know when or if Kobo ever released 3.16. If it exists, presumably it would still work, but it would probably want to update to 3.17.

[darryl]

It's fun to speculate, but in my own case it is a simple sign of my impatience. The fact is that we all face a frustrating time while the various experts work on the hdx format and the kobo desktop changes. The situation at present is worrying, not so much in the short term but definitely in the medium to long term. Adobe has new drm which it would have implemented already but for customer complaints, but it is sitting there just waiting to be turned on. Obok is no longer working with kepubs, and we don't know why. And Amazon, which many were thinking of as a final refuge, now has the new .kfx format, which we know next to nothing about yet.

I will be much happier when we start to see some progress. My thanks to all those who will be working on this.

[HarryT]

We've only been seeing the kfx files for a couple of days. It's bound to take time for people to try and reverse engineer the format.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I can think of all sorts of reasons. One might be that, given the fact that images appear to be stored in a separate "sidecar" file in the new format, they're now delivering books with image resolutions tailored to the capabilities of the specific device the file is being sent to. That would be a very smart move.

I can think of at least one case where this would be bad for users if not handled well. I read books that occasionally have maps or diagrams that are hard to read on my kindle even when they take up the full screen. It is nice to tap and hold in order to magnify those in order to see the details. If they limit the resolution of images to full screen then that will no longer work for me.

ETA: On the other hand it makes sense to drop color info in images sent to monochrome devices.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I can think of at least one case where this would be bad for users if not handled well. I read books that occasionally have maps or diagrams that are hard to read on my kindle even when they take up the full screen. It is nice to tap and hold in order to magnify those in order to see the details. If they limit the resolution of images to full screen then that will no longer work for me.

ETA: On the other hand it makes sense to drop color info in images sent to monochrome devices.

Yes, I hope images won't be limited for the same reason. For me it's not that I occasionally need to zoom, it's that I usually need to zoom.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by darryl

It's fun to speculate, but in my own case it is a simple sign of my impatience. The fact is that we all face a frustrating time while the various experts work on the hdx format and the kobo desktop changes. The situation at present is worrying, not so much in the short term but definitely in the medium to long term. Adobe has new drm which it would have implemented already but for customer complaints, but it is sitting there just waiting to be turned on. Obok is no longer working with kepubs, and we don't know why. And Amazon, which many were thinking of as a final refuge, now has the new .kfx format, which we know next to nothing about yet.

I will be much happier when we start to see some progress. My thanks to all those who will be working on this.

Suddenly, having a fallback makes a bit more sense, no?

[PandathePanda]

Originally Posted by HarryT

True, although I've never personally encountered one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ag=untagged-20

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Please note, it appears that with Kobo's latest desktop release they have changed their proprietory DRM. Therefore the latest Tools (or any version of the Tools containing 'obok') won't work.

Refer Alf's blog.

EDIT
Obok is not working if you upgrade to Kobo Desktop 3.17.

Apprentice Harper on Alf's blog advises:
"I can confirm that Kobo Desktop 3.17 has changed the way the encryption key is stored, so that the obok plugin doesn’t work at present. It is still possible to download Kobo Desktop 3.15 from the Wayback Machine at

https://web.archive.org/web/20150505.../kobosetup.exe

Initial tests suggest that it is just the way the key is stored that has changed, not the key itself nor the encryption method used."

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by PandathePanda

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ag=untagged-20

It looks like the only thing you can't use this book on is K4PC. It's available for old eink Kindles and on phones, so it doesn't appear that format is the problem.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by PandathePanda

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W4H757I/?tag=untagged-20

This is another. What the two have in common is that they are graphic novels. Why that would disqualify K4PC and not E-Ink Kindles I have no idea.

[TimW]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

It looks like the only thing you can't use this book on is K4PC. It's available for old eink Kindles and on phones, so it doesn't appear that format is the problem.

It won't work on K1 or K2, but it will work on on a KK. So, I imagine it's KF8. However, that's not why it won't download to Kindle for iPhone/iPod. It will go on Android phones or the Fire Phone but not K4iPhone? That's entirely arbitrary, no idea why.

Add link to book.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by TimW

It won't work on K1 or K2, but it will work on on a KK. So, I imagine it's KF8. However, that's not why it won't download to Kindle for iPhone/iPod. It will go on Android phones or the Fire Phone but not K4iPhone? That's entirely arbitrary, no idea why.

Add link to book.

If you download these to your PC for transfer to an E-ink Kindle, they are KF8. However, I believe the version that downloads to directly to devices is .AZW6. High resolution images are stored seperately. I think this allows a special zoom function for the comics. I know Kindle for PC doesn't support that. I don't know about the iphone app.

They could at least just send the KF8 file to Kindle for PC instead. If you run it through Alf's tools, it will open in K4PC.