[Gary Merson]

I have been seeing a lot of misconceptions and inaccurate information about the current issues on Copy Protection. I have written extensively about it in the next issue of TPV . Here I thought it would be more useful if from time to time I would provide some updates from my vantage point.


I only have a few minutes right now before I leave for a calibration but I figured I would start with the basics.


There has been a lot of debate about the two CP formats, DVI/HDCP and IEEE1394/5C also called DTCP and why certain vendors one or the other.



DVI/HDCP is the inexpensive way for the vendors to add a digtial copy protection interface to a display device. The choice is simple. If it is an HDTV monitor, and your going to put in copy protection, then the choice is DVI.

The mpeg 2 decoder is placed in source boxes, not in the display device.


If the vendor decides to make an integrated HDTV ( built in MPEG decoder+ tuner) then the choice is equally simple. The least expensive solution is IEEE 1394 .


This is why a vendor like Sony is putting DVI in their monitors and IEEE 1394 in their integrated sets.


Mitsubishi's monitors are unique in that they can be upgraded to an integrated solution. Hence no copy protection built in, but they upgrade to a fully integrated set with IEEE1394.


When I re-post I will add some links that are very useful concerning fair use and legacy owners.

 

[DAP]

The least expensive solution for everyone is to leave out the copy protection altogether. Also it is a misnomer to call it copy protection, it does nothing of the sort. The only thing it does is access control. This is the kind of thing you want if you want to limit the utility of the hardware, & make it harder to use. There are people who still have a flashing clock on their VCRs. This crud does not help.

 

[Gary Merson]

The term copy protection is the accepted generic term used to express content and copy control.



The CEA's DTV summit website has a lot of interesting information. I asked Rep. Billy Tauzin a question about the content providers desire to implement CP in premium, cable like TBS and even network broadcasts. I also asked if Congress was aware of the public loosing the ability to use recording devices . His answer appears at this URL



http://www.ce.org/shared_files/hdtv/...etResearch.doc


For all events check out the URL below

http://www.ce.org/events/event_info/...?eventID=DTV02


You will see the various documents on the right side of the page

 

[mcuban]

how long will it take before someone creates a box that takes DVI/HDCP in, encodes it, and puts it out dual 1394 ports to a monitor and to a drive....


and thanks the content provider for going DVI and providing an uncompressed copy


m

 

[T2starr]

Quote:

how long will it take before someone creates a box that takes DVI/HDCP in, encodes it, and puts it out dual 1394 ports to a monitor and to a drive....

Excellent idea... makes me feel good that I went ahead and purchased a mits...


Go Mavs!!

 

[Larry Hutchinson]

Quote:

how long will it take before someone creates a box that takes DVI/HDCP in, encodes it, and puts it out dual 1394 ports to a monitor and to a drive....

A long time, Mark.


That would be both illegal and technically very difficult (HD MPEG encoders are non-trivail). Since the only purpose would be to circumvent copy protection, no ordinary CE company would touch it.