The torment of the Studio protecting films downloaded over the Internet may be at an end as they discover a new protection system that works and they seem to be all signing up to it.

This is good news for the consumer, until you read on. The system is called Qfix and uses the pre-existing CSS protection system which studios have been reluctant for CinemaNow Amazon's Unbox and Movielink to use because of their piracy fears.

Now though Qfix has been in use for a small service and it appears that it's working well enough for the studios to sign up to it.

Qfix uses the electronic key that is already within your DVD drive to unlock a digital key on the DVD disc. The problem is that to place the key on the disc you need new DVD's and Burners, so it's not quite home technology just yet.

However there is a way through. According to the story in Yahoo Movies, special kiosks could burn the discs for customers, some burners can have a firmware update applied, and a Qfix partner, Plextor, is already looking at producing a USB DVD burner that produces the new format.

I think the kiosk idea is an interesting one, so long as they load them with content, or even provide an internet connection direct to wads of films, but they really need to break the home consumer market and get going.

For the consumer though, you're going to be stuck with Windows Media System and the opportunity to burn the content no more than twice.

All in all, is this a system you would use at home?