HDCP via Display Port

There is a big brouhaha happening because users feeding VGA devices over Display Port from the new MacBooks are having iTunes Video content refuse to play as the external displays are not HDCP compliant. One would think that this would affect Apple Cinema Displays over DVI as well, but the articles so far have not been very detailed. This is a recent version of the story from Macrumors.

While the predictable result has been a massive hue and cry about people not being able to watch their bought and paid for material (I'm with them there), this does indicate that in the future the new Display Port Macs should be capable of playing the heretofore AppleTV only HD movie rentals and potentially support Blu-ray as well to HDCP compliant displays.

It will be interesting to find out exactly what Apple has implemented in OS X, iTunes and hardware when the dust settles. One immediate question is whether HDCP works correctly when connected via Display Link to DVI to HDMI to HDTVs.

I think the answer is clearly "yes". The new 24" Apple Cinema Display has speakers (alas), so audio is going via Display Port.


So far as an updated Mini -- clearly all Macs going forward will have Display Port (Mac Pros may keep a DVI as well, or maybe simply go dual Display Port). So anything that works on a new MacBook now will work on a future Mini.

Apple released a Quicktime update yesterday (available through Software Update) that fixes the Display Port HDCP issue with iTunes SD movies.

Also, speaking of DRM, there are indications that the non-EMI major record label war against Apple (offering DRM free music to everyone BUT Apple/iTunes) is crumbling. A bunch of Warner and Sony albums have been spotted in iTunes Plus (Gnarls Barkley's St. Elswhere for example) and there are rumors of ongoing talks between Apple & the majors. If music DRM goes away completely, that would be HUGE, leaving the final battle to be the release of Lossless albums/tracks.