January 22, 2007 at 16:36HDCP Content Protection System Launched on Population
When the first protected DVD discs with supposedly “impenetrable” protection were hacked in 1999, for the representatives of the techno-elite this was yet another proof that any protection would be hacked sooner or later, so some experiments in this area are simply meaningless. However, the media business industry made the exact opposite conclusion. They took hacking DVDs as a challenge to creating a better content protection system, writes Ars Technica .
The next-generation content protection system should be complex and pervasive. All output devices, including televisions, monitors, and even speakers, should fall within its scope. This is the system Intel developed : it is called HDCPwhich means High Definition (Digital) Content Protection. Technology is being promoted among equipment manufacturers by Digital Content Protection, LLC , a subsidiary of Intel.
We already talked about how HDCP technology is implemented in the Vista operating system . But you need to understand that the plans of HDCP developers go much further: they dream of distributing HDCP to all equipment.
Back in 2004, the US Federal Communications Commission adopted the HDCP specifications as a standard. At the same time, HDCP has many opponents. Some of them speak out against this technology in principle, while others blame the specific implementation of HDCP, which causes many problems, for its weaknesses. For example, TiVo digital set-top boxes with built-in HDCP protection may not work if they consider that your TV is not sufficiently protected.
Thanks to Vista, HDCP technology will get a second life in 2007. For many users, this is bad news, because computers without HDCP support will now become unsuitable for viewing protected content. Even the most expensive equipment, including a high-definition television with a price of several thousand dollars, can turn into useless trash if it does not have HDCP support.
PlayStation 3 game console owners are already reporting problems using some HDTVs. During the game, the sound may disappear, and the picture starts blinking and turns off (see video).
No one knew what was happening until the journalists from Popular Mechanics conducted a special investigation . They found that Westinghouse TVs are having problems due to the malfunctioning of the HDCP / HDMI technology built into the PS3. The TV simply does not have time to respond to constant requests from the HDCP driver. The owners of such TVs will have to change the firmware (this can be done independently using a USB drive).
Have you ever imagined that you have to change the TV firmware so that you can play football on it? Soon this will not surprise anyone. Similar problems arise with the latest generation of Sony Blu-ray players, Sharp televisions, and other devices with HDCP support. Well, welcome to the era of secure content, where we are all held for beta testers.
The next-generation content protection system should be complex and pervasive. All output devices, including televisions, monitors, and even speakers, should fall within its scope. This is the system Intel developed : it is called HDCPwhich means High Definition (Digital) Content Protection. Technology is being promoted among equipment manufacturers by Digital Content Protection, LLC , a subsidiary of Intel.
We already talked about how HDCP technology is implemented in the Vista operating system . But you need to understand that the plans of HDCP developers go much further: they dream of distributing HDCP to all equipment.
Back in 2004, the US Federal Communications Commission adopted the HDCP specifications as a standard. At the same time, HDCP has many opponents. Some of them speak out against this technology in principle, while others blame the specific implementation of HDCP, which causes many problems, for its weaknesses. For example, TiVo digital set-top boxes with built-in HDCP protection may not work if they consider that your TV is not sufficiently protected.
Thanks to Vista, HDCP technology will get a second life in 2007. For many users, this is bad news, because computers without HDCP support will now become unsuitable for viewing protected content. Even the most expensive equipment, including a high-definition television with a price of several thousand dollars, can turn into useless trash if it does not have HDCP support.
PlayStation 3 game console owners are already reporting problems using some HDTVs. During the game, the sound may disappear, and the picture starts blinking and turns off (see video).
No one knew what was happening until the journalists from Popular Mechanics conducted a special investigation . They found that Westinghouse TVs are having problems due to the malfunctioning of the HDCP / HDMI technology built into the PS3. The TV simply does not have time to respond to constant requests from the HDCP driver. The owners of such TVs will have to change the firmware (this can be done independently using a USB drive).
Have you ever imagined that you have to change the TV firmware so that you can play football on it? Soon this will not surprise anyone. Similar problems arise with the latest generation of Sony Blu-ray players, Sharp televisions, and other devices with HDCP support. Well, welcome to the era of secure content, where we are all held for beta testers.
