Re: Some HDTVs May Not Play HD Discs
- From: Dave Oldridge <doldridg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2005 23:49:34 GMT
Ike <spamminator@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:71v7k1lu0t9sfbjrkacj34k12dc81gvgtd@xxxxxxx:
> http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,122843,00.asp
>
> Some HDTVs May Not Play HD Discs
>
> Format wars take a new turn when it comes to copy protection.
>
> Martyn Williams, IDG News Service
> Wednesday, October 05, 2005
> CHIBA, JAPAN -- The likely format battle between HD-DVD and Blu-ray
> Disc is bad enough for those eagerly awaiting the availability of
> favorite movies on high definition video discs, but soon there could
> be another reason to switch to a new format: many current HDTVs might
> be restricted to showing the movies in standard definition.
>
> An industry group is set to rule soon whether millions of HDTV homes
> will be able to use their existing TV sets or have to buy new sets to
> watch the movies in high definition. The potential problem is centered
> on the way customers will connect one of the new HD video disc players
> to their televisions--or rather, the way that Hollywood wants them to
> connect, according to representatives of several consumer electronics
> companies at the Ceatec exhibition here this week.
>
> Socket Problem
> Content owners, such as movie studios and broadcasters, want the High
> Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connection that is only now
> becoming a common feature on HDTVs. It's favored because the
> all-digital connection includes copy protection that makes it
> difficult to break into the video signal when it makes its way from
> the player to the TV set.
>
> The problem is that millions of HDTV sets already in people's homes
> don't have HDMI sockets and use older analog methods to transfer
> video. Analog signals are much easier to tap into than digital signals
> and so pose a potential threat to studios because movie pirates could
> use them to copy the content. That would defeat several layers of
> antipiracy measures that have been built into both formats, HD-DVD and
> Blu-ray Disc.
>
> A decision on whether to allow high-definition over analog connections
> is expected sometime in October or November and will be made by the
> group behind the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) content
> protection system. AACS founders include IBM, Intel, Microsoft,
> Matsushita (Panasonic), Sony, Toshiba, Disney, and Warner, and the
> decision will be made with input from content providers.
>
> AACS is used in both formats, so the decision is likely to affect both
> HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc.
>
> Because it's digital, the HDMI connection should be able to deliver a
> better picture than the analog cables, but what but what about
> expensive, recently purchased, flat-screen HDTVs that's don't have
> that connection? Could viewers be limited to watching HD movies in
> standard quality unless you buy a new TV?
>
> Awaiting Decisions
> "There are severe negotiations going on with Hollywood," said Kazuhiko
> Nakane, manager of Mitsubishi's disc format and DVD verification
> laboratory. A decision is expected in October or November, he said,
> but it's been expected before and deadlines have been missed.
>
> Users planning to watch movies over PCs aren't totally out of the
> woods either. The same issue might cause problems. Even though many
> monitors now connect to the PC through a digital DVI connection the
> link is typically absent of copy protection, so here too users might
> be asked to buy a new monitor.
>
> "All the PC monitors in the market except maybe one model don't have
> HDCP," said Ryoichi Hayatsu, chief manager of NEC's 1st storage
> products division, referring to the High-bandwidth Digital Content
> Protection system that's designed to be employed in HDMI and DVI
> connections. He said negotiations are under way on whether a grace
> period could be given that would allow transmission of HD disc content
> across the DVI interface until perhaps 2010 to give people time to
> upgrade their monitors.
Hey, if it won't play through a component interface, I ain't buyin it.
And I'm a man with a LOT of money invested in SD DVD's who would be
interested in buying HD DVD's IF they were playable on MY equipment. I
do not buy new equipment just to satisfy some mogul's paranoia and greed,
though. They can keep them on the store shelves until hell freezes over
if they make them so I can't play them.
This is a changing industry. The box office used to rule. But DVD sales
are now a significant chunk of the industry. If you force a whole lot of
perfectly good, fairly new viewing equipment into obsolescence, you
simply won't sell the DVD's in the quantity you desire. Not only that,
us consumers get mad and start howling at legislators. When push comes
to shove, the industry only has dollars. We have VOTES! And the dollars
those moguls spend on their Rolls and Mercedes come from the pockets of
people like ME. I can VOTE to spend those dollars on some other form of
entertainment if I choose!
--
Dave Oldridge+
ICQ 1800667
.
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