Most Monitors Won't Play New HD Video
Codename Don Gha55an
could be in for an unpleasant surprise when you slip your new
high-definition DVD of Star Wars: Episode III into your Windows Vista
PC. Vista, the next version of Windows that's slated to appear in about
a year, will feature a new systemwide content protection scheme called
PVP-OPM (see box below). If your monitor doesn't work with PVP-OPM, all
you'll likely see is either a fuzzy rendition of your high-def flick or
Hollywood's version of the Blue Screen of Death--a message warning you
that the display has been 'revoked'.
High-Def Hard-Liners
Forthcoming Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs promise higher resolution than a
standard DVD's 480-line maximum. But to protect its high-quality
content from pirating, the film industry, along with disc and hardware
makers, has created an umbrella content protection scheme known as
AACS. If Windows is to play the new discs, Microsoft has little choice
but to support AACS, which is where PVP-OPM comes in. According to
Microsoft, PVP-OPM will prevent pirates from attaching recording
devices directly to the PC graphics card's DVI or HDMI video outputs in
order to capture a pristine digital copy of the disc's otherwise
encrypted content. A related component, PVP-UAB, will prevent savvy
computer owners from installing data capture cards in order to grab
high-def movies straight off the PCI Express bus.
Unfortunately, PVP-OPM will also shut out plenty of law-abiding video
watchers whose current displays aren't future-proof. To comply with the
film industry's protection scheme, PVP-OPM employs HDCP technology to
determine whether graphics boards and displays are allowed to output
and display high-def video. If HDCP sees a blocked display (such as a
video capture device) or one that does not support HDCP (including any
HDTV with only analog connectors), it prevents output or reduces the
video resolution until the offending display or protected content is
removed from the system.
Costly Upgrades
If that scenario sounds disturbing, it gets worse: Few existing
wide-screen desktop displays support HDCP. If you're one of the
hundreds of thousands of current wide-screen desktop display owners,
you can probably forget about viewing Blu-ray or HD-DVD discs on your
nearly new (and far from cheap) monitor. To watch high-def content,
you'll likely have to upgrade your monitor. A handful of HDCP-compliant
displays from NEC, Samsung, Sony, and ViewSonic are just starting to
appear, according to market research firm iSuppli. And manufacturers
such as Dell have plans to incorporate HDCP support into future
wide-screen displays, though details are scarce.
Think you could avoid this expense by sticking with XP? No such luck.
To see HD, you'll have to upgrade to Windows Vista as well; Windows
XP's security and driver models lack the ability to support HDCP.
Consumers intent on viewing HD discs via their PCs will have little
choice but to spring for the new operating system in addition to an
HDCP-compliant monitor.