Blu ray to cripple component video outputs

[emoxley]

This is a quote from Home Theater Magazine, page 14:

Blu ray players that are manufactured after 2010 will down-convert high-definition content to standard-definition resolution through their analog component outputs. And no companies will be able to wiggle out; the licensing administrator for Advanced Access Content System (AACS, the digital rights management used in blu ray) will require the crippling of analog outputs.

However, the draconian new requirement won't apply to HDMI outputs. They are deemed sufficiently secure to continue to carry high-def signals at full resolution. The new rule will affect those who own TVs, projectors, and A/V receivers that use analog component video for their primary high-def interface. Some installers prefer component video for HD projector installations because it's more robust than HDMI over long cable runs.

Why this, why now? The major movie studios have long cast suspicious glances at analog interfaces in general because of the s0-called analog hole. They believe that analog interfaces are less secure than HDMI. This change has been in the making for several years, and it's happening on a schedule.

The new AACS adopter agreement says that licensed players that are manufactured after December 31, 2010 must downconvert HD to SD via component video. Existing models may be manufactured and sold until December 31, 2011, but those sold in between the two deadlines activate a periodic update that will limit analog video to SD.

A further analog sunset is scheduled for December 31, 2013. After that date, no licensed player may pass any decrypted content to the analog outputs, whether that content is HD or SD.

[Jeff Kleist]

None of this is new. It's been public for years

[Atreyu]

Maybe a stupid question, but the analog hole, what as far as copying content or what, I am confused a bit?
I prefer HDMI anyways as it's only one thin wire as opposed to five thick wires.

[emoxley]

Component cables are three wires (red, blue, & green).
Some people still have older tvs, and component is their only way of getting HD. Some of the early sets didn't even have DVI.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Atreyu

Maybe a stupid question, but the analog hole, what as far as copying content or what, I am confused a bit?
I prefer HDMI anyways as it's only one thin wire as opposed to five thick wires.

it is not as much an analogue hole but a none encrypted hole. Analogue (since all the digital is encrypted) can be connected to any device. That device might be a recorder, and if you can record it you can share it. In essence the same way someone could connect a DVD to a VHS(without macrovision) using composite/s-video and use it to make copies, someone can use analogue and the right DVR to have a digital copy of the film. By restricting analogue to DVD quality the copy will be DVD quality (and since DVD is broken) it does not affect anything.


this applies to new models after Jan1 2011 anything other then HDMI will need to be 1/4 resolution (i.e. 540p)

[Atreyu]

Thanks for the great answer.

[Big Daddy]

This has been referred to as the “Analog Sunset” by the AACS licensing authority, where the analog ports on Blu-ray players will be phased out entirely. There is a more complete article titled, "2010: The Year AACS and HDMI Kill Off Component Video" on
Audioholics' website.

If you own a TV or a projector that has only component video inputs, my suggestion is to go and buy an additional Blu-ray player by the end of the year before you are doomed to watch your programs in 480i. I am so glad I still own one Beta and several VHS VCR's.

These are the two provisions by the stupid AACS authority who plan to punish legitimate users and hurt BD sales in the process:

2.2.2.1 Analog Sunset – 2010. With the exception of Existing Models, any Licensed Player manufactured after December 31, 2010 shall limit analog video outputs for Decrypted AACS Content to SD Interlace Modes [composite video, s-video, 480i component video and 576i video] only.

2.2.2.2 Analog Sunset – 2013. No Licensed Player that passes Decrypted AACS Content to analog video outputs may be manufactured or sold by Adopter after December 31, 2013.

[Jeff Kleist]

These are the two provisions by the stupid AACS authority who plan to punish legitimate users and hurt BD sales in the process:

The number of HD sets without HDMI ports still in operation at the time where one of these devices will break is so few, it doesn't really matter

[Bishop_99]

I'm not upgrading my component only HDTV until it dies out, so this isn't great news. I'm sure they will try to sneak this by on the old players with a firmware upgrade so I have to be cautious about that. I didn't buy my Blu-ray player and collection to see them at 480i. Thankfully HD Fury is available so even when this happens I won't mind too much.

Strange that Blu-ray won't be able to output HD through component but HD Satellite and cable will. I can imagine people hooking up their new Blu-ray players to their component HDTV and finding out that the HD Satellite or Cable they have provides a better image.


All this while people will still be copying Blu-ray movies digitally on their computers

[Jeff Kleist]

I'm not upgrading my component only HDTV until it dies out, so this isn't great news. I'm sure they will try to sneak this by on the old players with a firmware upgrade so I have to be cautious about that. I didn't buy my Blu-ray player and collection to see them at 480i. Thankfully HD Fury is available so even when this happens I won't mind too much.

They will not be inserting this into a firmware update.

[Clark Kent]

The horse is already out of the barn, considering the Blu-ray encryption has already been broken at the digital level. This appears nothing more now than an attempt by the display manufacturers to get a few owners to upgrade older HDTVs.

[Bishop_99]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

They will not be inserting this into a firmware update.

Well that is comforting thanks. I thought they would sneak it in.

[Jeff Kleist]

The horse is already out of the barn, considering the Blu-ray encryption has already been broken at the digital level. This appears nothing more now than an attempt by the display manufacturers to get a few owners to upgrade older HDTVs.

The content companies are the ones hot for this, not the hardware people. The people who have HDTVs without HDMI are very few and far between, and typically are owned by gearhound types who upgrade a lot anyway. I know there are a few who don't

[ScuseMe]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

The content companies are the ones hot for this, not the hardware people. The people who have HDTVs without HDMI are very few and far between, and typically are owned by gearhound types who upgrade a lot anyway. I know there are a few who don't

In my extended family, there are 6 HDTV's without HDMI, all 32-inch Sony XBR CRT's. Now, these sets really can't display full HD on so small a size, but I'm sure that the owners will notice the change in resolution from 1080i to 480i I have one of these 6 sets in my den, and I'll make sure I have a suitable player before the sunset.

[ScuseMe]

I just thought of something - would the new law apply to these types of devices: HDMI-Ypbpr-Component-RGB-Converter ?

If not, then this might be an out for us component-only crowd after sunset.

[Anthony P]

This has been referred to as the “Analog Sunset” by the AACS licensing authority

there is more then just the sunset, there is also ICT which exists on all players. And agreed not to be used until 2011. ICT will apply to the titles, if it is flagged on then the player will need to downscale no matter how old the player is.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

The horse is already out of the barn, considering the Blu-ray encryption has already been broken at the digital level. This appears nothing more now than an attempt by the display manufacturers to get a few owners to upgrade older HDTVs.

This has been a part of AACS before BD or HD-DVD even came out.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

The content companies are the ones hot for this, not the hardware people.

I think HW people want to see them go just as much. If you are building a device (be it TV, BD, receiver...) for that one input (or output) would you rather have HDMI or 1 HDMI + 1 composite + 3 component + 2 (or 6) audio (maybe even s-video, optical, coax and VGA )?

[Jeff Kleist]

Well, you're right it does save a lot of money The point is that this is definately a content side idea and not the HW people

[SGRSBSKIER]

I bet you that most of the players will only have an HDMI output for video.