Lately I often come across movie files that require me to type in a password after downloading them via a torrent off some site. It usually seems to be a password from cryptoguardian.com. Right now I have an AVI file that wants me to type a password in. To obtain the password, I need to go to their site and complete a sponsor offer (going to cost some money). I'm sure the movie data really is in this video file (I say this because a lot of forums where this is brought up they say it's a scam) because this file is still about 875mb.

Does anyone know if AVI format supports this kind of password block or similar? Before I tried combing the internet for hours looking for the true answer, I figured I'd see if anyone here knew more about it.

Update: I figured I'd look around anyway. I found this:
http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/fdd/fdd000025.shtml

The AVI movie file I downloaded starts off with "RIFF" when I checked it out with a hex editor. Still looking, I'll update post if I find anything useful.

What player are you using to play it?  What about a player that doesn't support DRM (for instance, I think VLC Media Player doesn't)?

Ermmm .avi files can't have passwords, and usually even if theres a movie in the file there, its the wrong one with just the file name changed.  Those password sites are always scams as far as I know.

[quote author=MyndFyre[vL] link=topic=17888.msg182150#msg182150 date=1238986636]
What player are you using to play it?  What about a player that doesn't support DRM (for instance, I think VLC Media Player doesn't)?
[/quote]

I've tried VLC and QuickTime, the same screen appears asking to go to cryptoguardian.com for the password.

[quote author=Hostile link=topic=17888.msg182151#msg182151 date=1238987230]
Ermmm .avi files can't have passwords, and usually even if theres a movie in the file there, its the wrong one with just the file name changed.  Those password sites are always scams as far as I know.
[/quote]

It's not an AVI file. It's a RIFF file. RIFF files are designed to store certain kinds of video content (AVI included) as well as other kinds of data when needed. According to the specification, a RIFF file can allow the end user to enter string commands in order to perform a particular task:
http://www.kk.iij4u.or.jp/~kondo/wave/mpidata.txt

It's most likely WMV.  I wouldn't go for it; if video IS there, it's definitely encrypted, you probably can't get the encryption key unless you install the cryptoguardian tool, which will probably contain a trojan....

[quote author=MyndFyre[vL] link=topic=17888.msg182154#msg182154 date=1238988346]
It's most likely WMV.  I wouldn't go for it; if video IS there, it's definitely encrypted, you probably can't get the encryption key unless you install the cryptoguardian tool, which will probably contain a trojan....
[/quote]

I don't think it's a scam, per se. cryptoguardian does not want me to download anything from them. I have to complete an offer. Probably pay a trial fee for some useless product that will charge a huge fee in usually 7 days if I don't cancel prior to day 7. A certain word on the confirmation page after completion of the offer is supposed to contain the password.

The RIFF chunk in this file contains:
"RIFF\x14\x93\xBD6AVI"

Then it moves onto two LIST chunks and then what looks like thousands of padded 0's. Looking at the RIFF chunk, I have some reason to believe it really is an AVI file.

Update: After getting confused by looking over that first specification I posted (because it's a piece of shit document), I went to Google and found this:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd318189(VS.85).aspx

Seems pretty easy to follow after looking over this. Depending on how difficult it turns out to be, I would like to be able to find a way to extract the video data from these types of files, if possible.

It also appears that possibly all AVI files are RIFF. I'm going to then assume there is definitely a way to extract the movie data from this one that is asking for a password.

Update2: After continuing to look into it (and after getting distracted by theYNC), I found out that this video file is strictly video. There is a AVIMAINHEADER structure that defines global information about the entire video. After looking at the file in a hex editor, the dwStreams member of AVIMAINHEADER represents the number of streams used. If it is strictly audio or video, it's equal to 1. So a movie would obviously have 2 streams, both audio and video (who watches movies without sound these days anyway?). This file that wants a password only contains a value of 1 for the dwStreams member. This is one clue toward expecting this file to be a pile of shit if I take this research any further.

My other AVI movie files contain a value of 2 for dwStreams. The only AVI where dwStreams is 1, is in this cryptoguardian one. I think I've cracked the case!

erm, if its not a scam to give you a trojan (and further seed the trojan'd file) then its likely one to get your personal identity or money. -don't do those, you'll probably regret it.
2: you may be on the case for working around it, but like he said, its probably a .wmv, which is even more reason not to. They most likely just renamed the file.
The guys who really put out good copies, do not do that stuff to thier work, its always someone else.

Just keep in mind when it comes to movies:
When its been released on dvd, you'll always have good copies the day after it's release.
When movies come out in the theaters, you'll always have a Cam/Telesync release the next day.
What rarely happens:
The DVD gets printed and some worker steals one to release the DVD early.
A "screener" comes out, which is an early release from the studio leaks it way out.
A movie gets printed to film, but halted to distribution (possibly for political reasons) and it makes it way out.
If I remember correctly, CAMs are just camcorders from someone sitting in the theater (which is why it may be shakey or you'll see someone stand up in front of it.
Telesyncs on the other hand are supposed to come from theater employees that have access to a stable camcorder, and hook the sound input directly to the projector. This is actually the more common one, since most people working in movie theaters are either younger(immature) and can get the movie releases the night before, and stay in a completely empty theater. (I had a buddy manager when I was younger who would get a few of us friends to go catch a new movie on a Thursday around midnight after close up.)
So if you're trying to snatch a movie a week before it hits theaters, just realize what you're actually trying to assume has taken place.

The file is indeed an AVI. I read the file data according to the documentation for it. It's an AVI. dwStreams is set to 1, meaning it has only video or just audio. A real movie has dwStreams equaling 2 (I checked other movies of mine and this proved to be true). This file asking for a password plays a several minute clip of the screen asking for a password. Which explains why dwStreams is set to 1, because it just has video.