2010 — the Year AACS and HDMI Kill Off HD Component Video

For home theater buffs who want (or already have) a high-def system using component-video connections, time may be growing short. Audiofan writes with this story, which begins: "Digital HD (high definition), like that enabled through HDMI and Blu-ray, is awesome. It offers amazing picture and audio quality. It allows you to conveniently connect one single cable to provide both picture and sound. It is royally going to screw up a lot of homes next year. Wait, what was that last part? After December 31, 2010, manufacturers will not be 'allowed' [to] introduce new hardware with component video outputs supplying more than an SD resolution (480i or 576i). Should this go through as planned, it's going to disable or throw a wrench in a lot of existing custom installations as soon as the end of this year." The AACS in the headline stands for Advanced Access Content System, the industry scheme to block "the analog hole" by controlling content from storage media to eyeballs.

Comments

Re:Summary contradicts itself...

[Anonymous Coward]

From the article:

Lest you think that this won't affect existing players, note that after January 1, 2011, the manufacturers of Blu-ray discs will be able (at their option) to insert an Image Constraint Token into any Blu-ray disc. This is a sort of "digital flag" that will turn off the high-definition component video output in the player (effectively turning it into a low-resoluton 480i/576i output). The goal is to make sure that all high-definition video will only be made possible through "secure" digital connections like HDMI.

Re:Just buy the unofficial ones

[h4rr4r]

They already do, HDFury being the most popular one. Google for "HDCP stripper".

Re:Nintendo Wii without Component?

[Anonymusing]

Purely FYI: AC means this cable. Thanks for the tip on monoprice, had not heard of them before. Geek fail.

Re:Where?

[RightSaidFred99]

Everywhere. This is a licensing requirement to be able to play protected content, not a US regulatory requirement.

Re:Just buy the unofficial ones

[sexconker]

Wrong. HDFury is legal and sanctioned.

It's downgrading the digital connection to an analog connection. It has legit HDCP keys.

It does NOT give you a digital output, and does not crack HDCP.

If the new rules get adopted, then the manufacturer of HDFury will be unable to manufacture any more of them.

Re:Not as bad as it sounds

[Craig Davison]

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_Constraint_Token#Operation

Re:Just buy the unofficial ones

[lorenlal]

Indeed.

There's just no standard for it yet. I stand corrected.

Re:Summary contradicts itself...

[Totenglocke]

VHS to DVD was an obvious improvement in both quality and convenience. DVD to BR is meh at best.

You obviously don't watch many movies. In some rare cases, if the DVD is done just right, yes, it's hard to tell the difference between Blu-ray and upconverted DVD. However, if you're talking standard definition DVD and Blu-ray, the difference is incredibly noticeable. Even upconverted DVD and Blu-ray normally has a pretty noticeable difference in quality.