more on STUPID STUPID High-Def Forced To Down-Convert

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tim Onosko <onosko () gmail com>
Date: January 25, 2006 1:58:07 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] STUPID STUPID High-Def Forced To Down-Convert
Reply-To: tim () onosko com

Dave:

There's an even grimmer downside to this.  It's not just that HDTV
sets require a digital input to watch these high-def DVDs in high-def.
 That digital input -- either DVI or HDMI -- must also adhere to the
standard for copy-protected connections, known as HDCP.  As of late
last year, big box retailers like Best Buy, Circuit City and Costco
were still selling some sets that did not have this required
"protected path," meaning that some buyers with relatively new HDTV
sets will find themselves in the cold when it comes to Blu-Ray and
HD-DVD.  And, unless you read the set's specifications or the
instruction manual, there's no way of knowing whether your set passes
muster.  There's no "Intel Inside" kind of trademark or other symbol
that certifies the set is so equipped, either.

This also means, by the way, that you won't be able to watch a high
definition DVD on your computer, either, unless you own one of the few
new computer monitors with the copy-protected inputs.

It should be noted that literally millions of HDTV set owners,
especially the often-prized "early adopters" who bought their sets
early in the game, have nothing but analog inputs on their sets.

The irony, of course, is that Hollywood is already restricting the
size of its potential market for next-generation DVDs while it may
face an coming uphill battle to convince people to abandon their
conventional DVDs in favor of the new discs and more expensive
players.





On 1/25/06, David Farber <dave () farber net> wrote:
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Monty Solomon <monty () roscom com>
> Date: January 25, 2006 8:54:35 AM EST
> To: undisclosed-recipient:;
> Subject: High-Def Forced To Down-Convert
>
>
> HIGH-DEF FORCED TO DOWN-CONVERT
> In deal reached by eight-company consortium
> By Paul Sweeting  1/23/2006
>
> Some buyers of HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc players might not get
> everything they bargained for.
>
> In a deal reached this week after tense negotiations, the
> eight-company consortium behind the Advanced Access Content System,
> created for use by both high-def formats to prevent unauthorized
> copying, has agreed to require hardware makers to bar some high-def
> signals from being sent from players to displays over analog
> connections, sources said.
>
> Instead, the affected analog signal must be "down-converted" from the
> full 1920x1080 lines of resolution the players are capable of
> outputting to 960x540 lines--a resolution closer to standard DVDs
> than to high-def. Standard DVDs are typically encoded at 720
> horizontal by 480 vertical lines of resolution.
>
> The 960x540 standard stipulated in the AACS agreement represents 50%
> higher resolution than standard-def, but only one-quarter the
> resolution of full high-def. Whether a particular movie is
> down-converted will be up to the studio.
>
> The players will be required to recognize and respond to a digital
> flag, called an Image Constraint Token, inserted into the movie data.
>
> If the flag is set to "on," the player must down-convert the analog
> signal. If set to "off," the player can pass the full high-def signal
> over the analog connections.
>
> The studios are divided over whether to require such down-conversion
> and are likely to follow separate policies.
>
> Hardware makers had generally resisted the requirement, but under the
> new deal, ICT recognition will be included in the AACS license that
> all device makers and playback software vendors will have to sign.
>
> ...
>
>
> http://www.dvdexclusive.com/article.asp?articleID=2657
>
>
>
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