Report, edit, etc...Posted by Golden-Fist on 2006-03-07 at 22:40:33
QUOTE(IGN.com)
Next-Gen DVD Copy-Protection Debacle
Hollywood screws 3 million HDTV owners, sucks in general.
by Gerry Block
February 24, 2006 - In perhaps the greatest disservice to the general consumer market yet perpetrated by players in the electronic entertainment industry, it has been revealed that next-generation DVD technologies (HD-DVD and Blu-ray) will only function with monitors and HDTVs with HDMI or DVI connections.
What does that mean to you? If you purchased an HDTV more than a couple of years ago, chances are you are using Component Video (the red, green, and blue plugs) to connect HD sources to your TV. Component Video is an analog transmission, which means that it can't work with the absurdly stringent AACS copy-protection Hollywood has insisted be integrated into the new formats. Thus, no HDMI input on your TV, no hi-def DVD for you. If you don't have a compatible TV, you'll either receive a massively downgraded sub-720p resolution version of the content, or what the studios are suggesting, a warning screen followed by nothing.
Who's to blame for screwing some 3,000,000+ HDTV owners in America that were good consumers and early adopters who purchased TVs without HDMI? A group put together by the major movie studios called Advanced Access Content System (AACS). AACS was responsible for the Reuters report last week that speculated that Sony would miss its spring launch date for the PS3, due to the fact that the AACS had still not finalized the technicalities of the protocol. After a good six months of deliberation since version AACS v.0.9 was put into testing, and only 2 or 3 months away from the supposed release of the first HD-DVD and Blu-ray players, AACS has finally made the baby step of offering provisional licensing to the likes of Sony, Toshiba, and the other early manufactures of hi-def DVD solutions.
Even if you've got an HDTV with HDMI or DVI inputs, it's unlikely your TV has more than one.[/u] Just about every HD source these days is best in HDMI, so what are you going to do when both your cable box and next-gen DVD player/PS3 need the same plug? HDMI switchers or enabled receivers are not cheap, or even easy to find. [u]In addition, it would appear that every component involved in the transmission of an HD-DVD/Blu-ray signal must make use of Intel's HDCP technology. This extra level of protection works with the AACS protocols on a hardware level.
Why is this bad? Say you decided to be future proof and purchase a high-end AV receiver with HDMI connections and up-scaling capabilities. Seemed like a good idea last week, but not anymore. Unless it supports HDCP, and it doesn't, because no manufacturers have made HDCP models yet, you won't be routing your HD-DVD or Blu-ray player through it.
Perhaps you're a progressive type and decided to make your media center PC centric. You're screwed too. Even if you purchased a high-end ATI or Nvidia graphics card advertised as HDCP compatible, that all it is: compatible, not compliant. HDCP chips must be bios flashed at the factory, and though these new "compatible" cards have space for a TI HDCP chip, none have them yet. In addition, every link in the chain must be HDCP ready, and only a very few PC monitors have adopted the standard. Get ready to buy both a new high-end graphics card and a new monitor if you want hi-def DVD for your PC.
It gets even worse. At the same time the AACS story came to light, it was discovered that the first wave of next-gen DVD players will not support the "managed copy" option that so many proponents of the new technologies have been hyping. Now that it is apparent Hollywood is willing to absolutely screw more than three million early-adopting consumers (who are probably also some of the best DVD-buyers) is it wrong to be skeptical that the "managed copy" features aren't quite going to be as fully-fledged as we all have hoped, if and when they actually appear? Expect massive downgrades in resolution to be the major movie studio's requirement for any content they allow to escape from the closed AACS-HDCP loop.
This is a dark day for the entire consumer electronics industry. Huge manufacturers like Sony and Toshiba have allowed Hollywood executives to punish consumers for the studios' inability to protect their own content in the wild. Despite the fact that the relationship between movie piracy and the floundering movie theater receipts of recent years has not been proven to be direct, Hollywood is applying an iron fist in their aim to control the next generation of the home-theater experience. You know those previews on DVDs that you can't skip through? That's only the beginning of the ways Hollywood wants to control your entertainment experience.
Consumers shouldn't take this lying down. The difference between HD-DVD and Blu-ray quality and normal DVD isn't huge, especially in light of the rather nice results produced by up-scaling DVD players available today from Oppo, Sony, and others. Should we allow movie studios to force their biggest fans, the early adopters of HDTV and related accessories, to buy entirely new entertainment systems? Is the upgrade even worth it?
Next-gen DVD is looking pretty questionable at this point. Not only do we have a format war to deal with, we've got Hollywood's accounting departments in charge of deciding the minutia of how we're able to enjoy the content we pay for. No copy protection scheme yet developed has been able to stand up to the genius of the hacking collective, and it's unlikely that even AACS and HDCP will last for long. Just long enough, perhaps, to strangle what remains of the traditional disc-based content distribution model and open the door for ubiquitous digital content and on-demand distribution.
Hollywood screws 3 million HDTV owners, sucks in general.
by Gerry Block
February 24, 2006 - In perhaps the greatest disservice to the general consumer market yet perpetrated by players in the electronic entertainment industry, it has been revealed that next-generation DVD technologies (HD-DVD and Blu-ray) will only function with monitors and HDTVs with HDMI or DVI connections.
What does that mean to you? If you purchased an HDTV more than a couple of years ago, chances are you are using Component Video (the red, green, and blue plugs) to connect HD sources to your TV. Component Video is an analog transmission, which means that it can't work with the absurdly stringent AACS copy-protection Hollywood has insisted be integrated into the new formats. Thus, no HDMI input on your TV, no hi-def DVD for you. If you don't have a compatible TV, you'll either receive a massively downgraded sub-720p resolution version of the content, or what the studios are suggesting, a warning screen followed by nothing.
Who's to blame for screwing some 3,000,000+ HDTV owners in America that were good consumers and early adopters who purchased TVs without HDMI? A group put together by the major movie studios called Advanced Access Content System (AACS). AACS was responsible for the Reuters report last week that speculated that Sony would miss its spring launch date for the PS3, due to the fact that the AACS had still not finalized the technicalities of the protocol. After a good six months of deliberation since version AACS v.0.9 was put into testing, and only 2 or 3 months away from the supposed release of the first HD-DVD and Blu-ray players, AACS has finally made the baby step of offering provisional licensing to the likes of Sony, Toshiba, and the other early manufactures of hi-def DVD solutions.
Even if you've got an HDTV with HDMI or DVI inputs, it's unlikely your TV has more than one.[/u] Just about every HD source these days is best in HDMI, so what are you going to do when both your cable box and next-gen DVD player/PS3 need the same plug? HDMI switchers or enabled receivers are not cheap, or even easy to find. [u]In addition, it would appear that every component involved in the transmission of an HD-DVD/Blu-ray signal must make use of Intel's HDCP technology. This extra level of protection works with the AACS protocols on a hardware level.
Why is this bad? Say you decided to be future proof and purchase a high-end AV receiver with HDMI connections and up-scaling capabilities. Seemed like a good idea last week, but not anymore. Unless it supports HDCP, and it doesn't, because no manufacturers have made HDCP models yet, you won't be routing your HD-DVD or Blu-ray player through it.
Perhaps you're a progressive type and decided to make your media center PC centric. You're screwed too. Even if you purchased a high-end ATI or Nvidia graphics card advertised as HDCP compatible, that all it is: compatible, not compliant. HDCP chips must be bios flashed at the factory, and though these new "compatible" cards have space for a TI HDCP chip, none have them yet. In addition, every link in the chain must be HDCP ready, and only a very few PC monitors have adopted the standard. Get ready to buy both a new high-end graphics card and a new monitor if you want hi-def DVD for your PC.
It gets even worse. At the same time the AACS story came to light, it was discovered that the first wave of next-gen DVD players will not support the "managed copy" option that so many proponents of the new technologies have been hyping. Now that it is apparent Hollywood is willing to absolutely screw more than three million early-adopting consumers (who are probably also some of the best DVD-buyers) is it wrong to be skeptical that the "managed copy" features aren't quite going to be as fully-fledged as we all have hoped, if and when they actually appear? Expect massive downgrades in resolution to be the major movie studio's requirement for any content they allow to escape from the closed AACS-HDCP loop.
This is a dark day for the entire consumer electronics industry. Huge manufacturers like Sony and Toshiba have allowed Hollywood executives to punish consumers for the studios' inability to protect their own content in the wild. Despite the fact that the relationship between movie piracy and the floundering movie theater receipts of recent years has not been proven to be direct, Hollywood is applying an iron fist in their aim to control the next generation of the home-theater experience. You know those previews on DVDs that you can't skip through? That's only the beginning of the ways Hollywood wants to control your entertainment experience.
Consumers shouldn't take this lying down. The difference between HD-DVD and Blu-ray quality and normal DVD isn't huge, especially in light of the rather nice results produced by up-scaling DVD players available today from Oppo, Sony, and others. Should we allow movie studios to force their biggest fans, the early adopters of HDTV and related accessories, to buy entirely new entertainment systems? Is the upgrade even worth it?
Next-gen DVD is looking pretty questionable at this point. Not only do we have a format war to deal with, we've got Hollywood's accounting departments in charge of deciding the minutia of how we're able to enjoy the content we pay for. No copy protection scheme yet developed has been able to stand up to the genius of the hacking collective, and it's unlikely that even AACS and HDCP will last for long. Just long enough, perhaps, to strangle what remains of the traditional disc-based content distribution model and open the door for ubiquitous digital content and on-demand distribution.
Way to screw over 3 million people.
The good news is that Microsoft just made 3 million new customers for sticking with DVD9 format instead of Blu Ray (What Ps3 uses). They just got a huge edge, one they didn't even expect.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Revelade on 2006-03-08 at 00:18:05
I'm not really a TV person, but yea, this does sound pretty bad.
I don't feel I need to have the latest in gizmos or whatever. I'm content with what I have.
I don't think this is just limited to games. I'm going to move it over to general.
I don't feel I need to have the latest in gizmos or whatever. I'm content with what I have.
I don't think this is just limited to games. I'm going to move it over to general.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by RexyRex on 2006-03-08 at 00:50:15
A bit old news, but this sure sucks for people who are way into HDTV. I've seen it a couple times, and to be honest, I didn't see anything really amazing. I'm not buying a new TV or moniter to watch an HD-DVD. However, if they start selling only HD-DVD's...then yeah, I, and a ton of other people are REALLY screwed. 
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Mr.Camo on 2006-03-08 at 00:51:52
I heard, the more HDTV you have, the bigger your wang.
Anyway, I'm not into HDTV, I prefer computer TV with HDTV.
EDIT: Wow, the word p3n1$ is censored, I'd prefer to use the word p3n1$ more than wang.
Anyway, I'm not into HDTV, I prefer computer TV with HDTV.
EDIT: Wow, the word p3n1$ is censored, I'd prefer to use the word p3n1$ more than wang.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by DT_Battlekruser on 2006-03-08 at 01:16:02
Doesn't sound worth trying to get rid of my old trusty CRT analog TV.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Lithium on 2006-03-08 at 01:49:25
Dude. I bought my HDTV Xcanvas a few months ago! iam lucky iam not screwed!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Rantent on 2006-03-08 at 01:49:41
I'd still prefer an HDTV to the 18" thing I have now. Although I haven't spent any money on a tv, so I can't complain. 
TV's not that cool anyway.
TV's not that cool anyway.Report, edit, etc...Posted by n2o-SiMpSoNs on 2006-03-08 at 15:42:32
<3 xbox 360 ^_^
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MyStIcAl-MySt on 2006-03-08 at 15:44:59
I'm not suprised to hear this kind of news. It is merely something to make money. As I'm sure these new HDTV's cost more then before.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by chrono_seifer on 2006-03-09 at 00:35:46
QUOTE(MyStIcAl-MySt @ Mar 8 2006, 02:44 PM)
I'm not suprised to hear this kind of news. It is merely something to make money. As I'm sure these new HDTV's cost more then before.
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uhh sounds taht way to me too , bs its horrible that they plan on screwing
us over that way thats lame really btw when does taht ps3 coming out>?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by TheDaddy0420 on 2006-03-09 at 01:08:30
I heard Samsung is making new versions of their HDTVs with chips and stuff inside that automatically expands your TV when new things come out or something.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by nimadude on 2006-03-09 at 02:35:30
My 55" Sony WEGA supports HDMI, so I'm fine 
So what that I only have one port? I will only really need it for movies anyway.
So what that I only have one port? I will only really need it for movies anyway.Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wilhelm on 2006-03-10 at 06:16:48
Man. Well, considering I don't have 700$ to waste on an HDTV, a PS3, and the additional protection bull, they can shove it. I'm sticking with PS2 and standard TVs.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Deathawk on 2006-03-10 at 15:19:35
My biggest TV is like 19 inches, ~ 15 years old, stupid CRT. It's seriously time to get a new one, because I can't stand watching TV on that thing anymore. But anyway, I'm fine with regular DVDs, I don't need a BluRay or HDVD(or whatever?)player.