HighDef Content to Require New Monitors

QT writes "Ars Technica has an interesting article on how HDCP figures into Microsoft and Apple's future OS plans. Not only will future HD content not play in pure HD on most existing monitors (it will be degraded, or not shown at all), but high-end monitors today don't support HDCP yet. HDCP has been coming for 3+ years, but geek fantasy items such as Apple's $3,000 30" Cinema Display don't even have support for it yet! The end result is that when Windows Vista ships (and Apple's next OS), most people won't be able to watch protected HD content on their computers."

My god: it's struck already!

[gardyloo (512791)]

Nothing for you to see here. Please move along.

No, only what he THINKS Apple will do

[SuperKendall (25149)]

Yes Microsoft has plans to incorperate full-on video DRM.

But Apple has never said they will - this article just postulates they will have to.

Well, before ITMS would not people have also postulated that it would be impossible for Apple to sell songs without DRM that would restrict CD burning? After all, that was the standard of the time.

Some companies are smart enough to realize that obsoleteing millions of monitors is Not Smart, and will avoid doing so if they can. And Apple has shown they can avoid the more onerous restrictions set forth by giant industries that would rather have it otherwise. And making millions of computer monitors obsolete is right up there in terms of gall.

So the story poster would have been wise to note the speculative nature of the topic instead of proclaiming it as fact from Apple.

Re:No, only what he THINKS Apple will do

[Wesley Felter (138342)]

I wonder how long before we have a box which sits between your monitor and your video card which reports itself as HDCP compliant, but in reality outputs a digital signal for recording.

The box [spatz-tech.de] exists already, but it's illegal thanks to the DMCA.

Mounts as drive

[SuperKendall (25149)]

Sorry, but I can get them out easily as the iPod simply mounts as a drive and I can copy what I like out. Yes the filenames are obscured but since the ID3 data lives in teh file it's a moot point. 3rd party tools just make it a little handier.

Circumvention

[Adrilla (830520)]

Well from simply reading the summary it sounds like all the protection is being held in the OS, therefore couldn't an Open Source OS circumvent this protection. Just load it up in Linux and none of us nerds have anything to worry about. In fact, we could put it in Linux rip off the DRM and burn it to whatever media we need, then we're home free for whatever format we need, DVD, CD, Blu-Ray, even playable back in Windows and Mac.

Re:Circumvention

[sqlrob (173498)]

You need the driver that authenticates to the display. I doubt very much that will be (legally) in any OSS drivers.

Re:Circumvention

[mcelrath (8027)]

Then I will never, ever use it. I will never purchase hardware which makes me jump through hoops to do legal things.

And to the content industry, I will never buy or rent, or watch your content on these terms. You will be replaced by artists who do not insist on such things.

-- Bob

more of the same

[mkcmkc (197982)]

I will never purchase hardware which makes me jump through hoops to do legal things.

I certainly sympathize, but you do realize that all (legal) DVD players already have this property...

Mike

Re:Circumvention

[chill (34294)]

Look up "Trusted Hardware" and you'll have your answer.

The black magic needed to run those components dealing with DRM most likely will NOT be open sourced, or made available to FOSS programmers.

FOSS will be limited to "degraded" output -- until it is hacked. Then the lawyers will be turned loose...

Wait for it...

[by Anonymous Coward]

and DVDJon, our Lord and Saviour, will break this nonsense scheme in 3..2..1..

Good

[by Anonymous Coward]

That means nobody will watch "protected HD content," thereby killing this idea from the get go.

1. Load gun.

[pair-a-noyd (594371)]

2. Aim at foot.
3. Pull trigger.

Re:1. Load gun.

[R3d M3rcury (871886)]

4. Sue gun manufacturers.
5. Profit!

(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

correction

[Lumpy (12016)]

The end result is that when Windows Vista ships (and Apple's next OS), most people won't be able to watch protected HD content on their computers LEGALLY."

about 30 days after the first piece of media is released I'll be able to watch it under linux and BSD in full resolution as someone will have foundand released a crack/hack/mod/whatever.

They are wasting their time trying to "protect" this stuff. all they are doing is finding new ways to piss off the legit consumer.

So don't buy their crap

[maynard (3337)]

Seriously. Hollywood has an organized boycott coming for this. Not only are they screwing every HDTV owner who lacks HDMI or DVI/HDCP inputs (a huge number of sets were sold with component only inputs), but now they plan to screw computer owners over too. Just don't buy their shit. Let the new Blu-Ray and/or HD-DVD decks sit unsold on shelves for a year or two and watch the these cartels shit their pants with all that unsold inventory. Maybe they'll even respond to consumer wishes afterward!

But it won't happen spontaneously. An organized boycott is the only solution. --M

What this will cause

[CrystalFalcon (233559)]

1) Ordinary people won't bother watching HD content on their computers - it will be too cumbersome.

2) Pirates won't care, as always, ripping to DivX or whatever and then watching as usual.

3) Ordinary people will discover DivX rips (family, friends of pirates) and watch HD content, not knowing that they're not supposed to. The pirates will mumble something about bad big corporations but they won't really care as long as they can watch the latest episode of Lost.

When Will These Idiots Get It?

That's OK, I wasn't going to pay for it anyway...

[javaxman (705658)]

The end result is that when Windows Vista ships (and Apple's next OS), most people won't be able to watch protected HD content on their computers.

That's OK, I was planning on boycotting and/or stealing and/or disabling the DRM on any such protected content anyway. If they don't want me to see it, I'll avoid buying it, thanks anyway. I'd download or create ripped DRM-less versions if forced too.

Spending a lot of time and effort downloading or ripping content will still be a lot cheaper than buying a multi-thousand-dollar monitor. Besides, most NTSC content is acceptable anyway...

Re:That's OK, I wasn't going to pay for it anyway.

[MightyMartian (840721)]

Actually, I was just considering not watching TV or movies any more, reading a good book and using my computer to access a few forums and do some writing. The kind of output coming out of the entertainment industry is so bad nowadays that I can't imagine anyone putting any effort into protecting it, or stealing it. It's all crap, and it isn't worth consideration. The whole battle seems like a bunch of silly bastards battling over who gets to eat the most shit from the dungpile.

Content should be free then!

[Spy der Mann (805235)]

If they want us to invest so much money in friggin' DRM'ed players, why don't they just give away their content in lo-res so only those wh ocan afford it, will be able to see the HD?

I ain't spending any money on a HD movie if all i'm getting is lowdef. If I already paid for it, why should spend even more? I just hope someone declares DRM to be inconstitutional or something...

score!

[justforaday (560408)]

Score one for the little guy!

And by "little guy" I mean "multinational media conglomerate."

Brilliant!

[Retired Replicant (668463)]

"The end result is that when Windows Vista ships (and Apple's next OS), most people won't be able to watch protected HD content on their computers."

And thus prompting people to search for ripped/pirated HD content that is free of HDCP. Brilliant!

"..won't be able to watch protected HD content.."

[Brian Stretch (5304)]

..until it shows up on Bittorrent an hour later.

C'mon, there has to be someone in Hollywood smart enough to figure out that copy protection this draconian is going to seriously encourage cracking? Wouldn't it make more sense for them to do everything possible to make it easier for their paying customers to get to their content rather than making it more irritating, unreliable, and expensive?

Oh, right. Oh well, not much worth watching anyhow.

Dear MPAA/RIAA

[circletimessquare (444983)]

If it is something that has to be visible to the human eye, your DRM can be broken.

If it is something that has to be audible to the human ear, your DRM can be broken.

Welcome to the age of computers, have a nice day.

Dell 2005FPW Users Already Effected

[SlashdotOgre (739181)]

The popular Dell 20" wide screen (2005FPW) is already a victom of this. The monitor's native resolution is 1680x1050 and so it should be able to render 720p without a problem. However, you can't get HDTV content from either digital cable or directv receivers via DVI. Currently, going analog via Component In will get you HD, but unfortunately the monitor only offers DVI, VGA, S-Vid, & Composite. I use a Component to VGA transcoder, but the solution is neither cheap nor elegant.

Re:Microsoft?

[OG (15008)]

The idea is that Vista will determine whether or not your system has an HDCP monitor. If it does not, it will either play the video at non-HD quality (downsampling, I suppose) or not play it at all. Thus, the OS will force you to upgrade your monitor to an HDCP compliant one if you want to watch HD.

Microsoft could choose not to implement this, thus allowing HD to be viewed on Legacy monitors.