Longhorn to Require Monitor-Based DRM

Mr_Silver writes "Engadget has an interesting article regarding a new feature in Longhorn entitled PVP-OPM (Protected Video Path - Output Protection Management) which detects the capabilities of the display devices you are using and manages how (and if at all) content is sent to it. In short, this means that if Longhorn detects that your monitor is not "secure" enough, then your premium video content won't play on it until you buy one that is. Who gets to decide? The content providers of course." From the article: "So what will happen when you try to play premium content on your incompatible monitor? If you're "lucky", the content will go through a resolution constrictor. The purpose of this constrictor is to down-sample high-resolution content to below a certain number of pixels. The newly down-sampled content is then blown back up to match the resolution of your monitor. This is much like when you shrink a JPEG and then zoom into it. Much of the clarity is lost. The result is a picture far fuzzier than it need be."

Comments

Piracy is like terrorism - it can't be stopped.

[moxley]

The fact is piracy has always been and will always be. Even back in the early 80s when I had an Apple II (not a plus, not an "e") somehow my very straight laced dad always ended up with games for me on floppy diskettes which originated at the computer store which mentioned "Pacific Coast Pirates" and other such groups. --- --I think it's a perfect analogy: Just like the politicians who manipulate the public with fear and convince them to give up their liberties for false security, promising to "win the war on terrorism" when it cannot be "won" anymore than the "war on drugs" can be won with prohibitionist policies. If someone wants to hurt people bad enough (especially if they are willing to die)- they will find a way, and imprisoning the public is no way to provide safety. It only gives the govt more control. ---- - crippling growth and technology in order to stop some people (mostly people who wouldn't or couldn't afford to purchase anyway) from getting free software is utterly ridiculous. There is so perfect security, and one of two things will happen - either I will suck so bad nobody will want it. OR people will figure out a way around it. Why waste people's time and good will treating them like they cannot be trusted and as such deserve to have partially crippled products.

This is OT - Sorry

[Xiaran]

OK. THe orginal was a joke... but it makes me think of another point. I like in London. The news sources I use are primary the BBC, reuters and occasionally CNN. I can no longer stand most American news sorces any more. They go crazy bat shit everytime some 18 year old gets kidnapped but dont really seem to report that much when another bomb goes of in Basra.

I was surfing around the place on the 7th and watching BBC as many Londoners where. Occasionally Id read or watch a stream of american versions of the London Bombs. Its was like bum ba dum bum... with trumpets and serious handsome men and women with great hair saying stupid things about how London and Londoners would react. It was all "Its the UKs 9/11". Its was just stupid(Londons been thru a shit load worse than this), repeative and mostly, wrong. The BBC etc(hell even Sky news) were informative and for the most part reflected reality. American stations take these occasional trips to neverland.

Re:Outstanding

[pixelpusher220]

There is no plus side. there is only a down side

But is there a spoon? ;-)