My old Pioneer Elite Pro-610HD TV, with its still-beautiful 1080i picture, has only component inputs for HD. No DVI or HDMI.

I'm finally getting around to shopping for a high-def DVD player and have been stopped in my tracks by all the disclaimers by both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD makers that their players "may" send a maximum of 480p via component when playing "some" "copy-protected" high-def discs.

I assume they're referring to the Image Constraint Token? Was this ever implemented in any HD discs? If so, is there a list of ICT-hobbled discs? Or has it turned out to be a non-issue?

Better yet, are there any HD disc players which ignore the ICT and are capable of sending 1080i full-time over component?

I'm not an expert, but I believe the current situation is thus:

- The ICT token reduces maximum resolution to 960x540p (1/2 of 1080p) over component if the token is enabled.

- I can only remember a single title with the ICT enabled (referenced here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-698692.html))

I believe all HD players are required to acknowledge the existence of ICT. Fortunately we are a few years away from any practical reality of this becoming a problem (if we aren't there are going to be some very unhappy Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on owners if and when such a day arrives).

I think the warning you are reading is actually about DVDs.

While everyone loves to hate on AACS it does beat out CSS in resolution support. CSS supports a maximum output resolution of 480p over analog outputs, where AACS permits 1080 over analog outputs as long as the ICT isn't set and if it is, the res is still 540p.

The warning is so people don't buy a player as an upconverter for DVDs and discover it only works over digital outputs.

Thanks for the replies. Just to clarify that the issue I'm seeing in the manufacturers' warnings really is the ICT...

The user manual for the Panasonic DMP-BD10 says
Regarding the high definition video output: Some discs prohibit high definition video output from COMPONENT VIDEO OUT terminals. In this case, video resolution is converted and output as 480p.
The user manual for the Toshiba HD-XA2 says
HD DVD and DVD video disc creators have the option to include copy protection instructions in their discs that prohibit the output of some standard video or high definition video (original 720p, 1080i or 1080p or up-converted 480i or 480p) from the COMPONENT OUTPUT jacks. If such instructions are present in the disc you are playing, you must use the HDMI OUTPUT jack to view the disc in a high definition format and the COMPONENT OUTPUT jacks, if activated, will output video only in 480i or 480p resolution.
These are both exact quotes. No mention of 540p and, of course, no technical jargon such as ICT or AACS appear anywhere. Are they still talking about ICT, or something different?

The major studios have agreed not to enable ICT until a few years from now. 2011 I think.

These are both exact quotes. No mention of 540p and, of course, no technical jargon such as ICT or AACS appear anywhere. Are they still talking about ICT, or something different?
This sounds like ICT, yes.

Per the spec, it allows up to 540p, but realistically they'd probably just output it at 480p, since they are not bound explicitly to provide that resolution (and in fact most displays wouldn't know what to do with a 540p signal anyway).

I assume they're referring to the Image Constraint Token? Was this ever implemented in any HD discs? If so, is there a list of ICT-hobbled discs? Or has it turned out to be a non-issue?
It's a non-issue. By the time ICT becomes fully implemented everyone will already have HDMI-capable displays.

The major studios have agreed not to enable ICT until a few years from now. 2011 I think.
I've heard this a number of times now, but even after going through a lot of google searches the best I can find goes along the lines of "Hollywood has reportedly..." Is there anything definitive in writing or quoted by a reliable source?" I doubt that the studios would do it in mass, but there is nothing to prevent any studios from implementing the flag tomorrow. My guess is that none of the studios even care right now with the number of titles and disc volumes that are "exposed." They are much more interested in getting HD broadly adopted to that they can get the benefits of better DRM than DVD.

Assuming that component output is not a major source of piracy, I suspect that the studios may be a very long time in turning on the ICT flag.

There will be non-HDMI/HDCP displays around for a long time and there will be little interest in annoying those customers.

Miata. Definitive (as in rule) no, because legally they can and all players must. It is more of an agreement, everyone realizes ICT won't help adoption and that it won't help with protection so they are all happy with not using it. But if something makes it look like a good choice (even less likely today since it is easier to copy the digital then the picture over component) then they can always change their mind

They're delaying it until they can afford the loss in a class-action suit from analog-only HD owners who can no longer view HD movies in HD. Could be 2020 :)