Apple's DisplayPort Includes Digital Copy Protection
TMO Reports - Apple's DisplayPort Includes Digital Copy Protection
by , 1:25 PM EST, November 18th, 2008
Apple's new MacBooks and MacBook Pros, which use the new Mini DisplayPort connector and protocol, appear to include an industry standard digital copy protection system, HDCP, according to ars technica on Monday.
The High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) technology has been in use with high-definition TV systems for over a year now. It's included in every modern HDTV that uses the HDMI connector as well as source devices, like Blu-ray players and advanced Audio/Video receivers with HDMI. It establishes a secure, encrypted connection between the source and the HDTV to prevent the theft of HD digital content.
It appears that Apple is now including that protocol on its new MacBooks that include the Mini DisplayPort connector. That will prevent protected, DRM'd content in iTunes from playing on a non-HDCP compliant device. In the case of ars technica, a Mini DisplayPort to VGA connector was used to connect to a Sanyo projector -- which wasn't HDCP compliant because VGA connectors cannot support that protocol.
However, if the MacBook had been connected with, say, a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI converter box and connected to any modern HDTV with HDMI, then it likely would have worked.
For more than a year, observers wondered when Apple would start to ship computers and displays with HDMI. However, there are several problems with the technology. It's currently limited to 1920 x 1080, and it can't drive Apple's 30-inch Cinema Display which has a resolution of 2560x 1600. In addition, DisplayPort, which is an open standard, is royalty free, while HDMI is not.
Apple's Decision
There has been some discussion in the HDTV industry about moving to DisplayPort because the connector for HDMI is not a physically robust design and can easily come loose. However, some others feel that HDMI will be around in the HDTV industry for a long time. In light of this, Apple had a decision to make.
Apple probably chose DisplayPort because it is more advanced technically than HDMI, the electrical protocol itself is an open standard, it's royalty free, and it can nevertheless support HDCP to protect iTunes content. However, for space reasons on the MacBooks, Apple chose what appears to be a proprietary design, the Mini DisplayPort plug.
Solutions
Atlona in San Jose is currently working to manufacture Mini DisplayPort to standard DisplayPort connectors, a USB + audio to HDMI converter box, and a DisplayPort + audio to HDMI converter box. They are not inexpensive.
The bottom line is that MacBook users and users of future Macs with this DisplayPort technology can expect to connect their Macs to HDCP compliant HDTVs, but it'll require some connectors, a converter box, and extra cost.
Observer Comments
I hope their implementation works better than my cable box. The damn thing keeps telling me that my TV doesn't support the copy protection, despite the fact I was watching it the night before. I have to disconnect the cable and fiddle with the power buttons to get and reconnect them in order to watch TV again. If I'm going to end up doing that with my computer, then I welcome any hackers who can provide a cable/box that overrides that stuff.
So if I'm reading this correctly I can play this content on my MacBook but I'm going to be prevented from playing content on my <older VGA input> TV? I'm not trying to copy anything, I won't even get the full quality. I just want to watch the damn thing on a larger screen.
I hate Digital Copy Protection. It won't stop the pirates but it will stop law abiding people like me from watching their content. That is unless I scrap my 3 year old HDTV and get a new one.
F****** weasels.
This only applies to the HD version. If you "just want to see it bigger" buy the regular version which HDCP would have anything to do with. If your HDTV has DVI or HDMI, you won't run into this problem, it's only on the VGA port. HD files have a price and the content creators have the right to protect there work.
QuoteWebsnap wrote:
if it's applying to SD then apple screwed up big time. this now isn't about HDCP, it's all about fairplay and it's implementation.
Exactly. I';m an author so I understand the need for copy protection. There is a point however when DRM starts to obstruct my fair use. Playing the content I paid for on my TV is fair use. It's whay I paid for it. Whatever happened to backwards compatibility.
I find this especially frustrating because this DRM will be broken by the bad guys by the end of the year, if it hasn't already. It's only hurting those of us who want to play by the rules.
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