No HDCP no vista

[gavinhunt`]

In my on going search and review of what PC to buy/build I've come across several rather disturbing articles re HDCP and high def video.
Like most people I want to future proof my pc as much as possible however the articles below (see link) detail the failure of ALL current graphic card to support HDCP (except some lower spec Sony ones). This in its self is wide known, however what I didn’t release it that it may not be fixed by simply swapping out the old card for a new one. The article infers that the actual mother board may need changing and also that most of the new high spec monitor are not HDCP compliant either. So all current equipment may need to be changed to ones that support HDCP.

This in itself was a blow as without this you cannot get HD DVD or Blu Ray for your PC, at least to run at the full res. However this is compounded by the fact the Windows Vista will require HDPC and therefore even if your not interest in HD DVD etc you will still need to make the change if you want to run Vista!!?!

I’ve had a good google and I still cannot find a solution. So what should I do, not buy a PC until this is resolved or buy a low spec job to play with until this mess gets sorted?

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/..._hdcp_support/ - 51k - 10 Apr 2006 -

[WillBowling]

yes, thats right, every piece of hardware that has hdcp can only be connected via digital connections to another piece of hdcp compatible hardware. it's going to be a pain if microsoft only support hdcp with vista as the dvd drive, the motherboard, the graphics card and the monitor would all have to be hdcp compatible... it's a joke and i dont understand what ms will have to gain...

[gavinhunt`]

Just found this link on google a new ATI HDCP compliant card with HDMI output no DVI though aslo no realse date and no details.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/23/a...dcp-card-soon/

[byronsp]

I think Vista won't require HDCP unless you want Blu-ray HD-DVD as they are now promoting PCs as Vista ready.

If you don't care about the last two then I think you will be ok, remember Microsoft needs people to upgrade and if the hardware is expensive then why bother?

[KraGorn]

Originally Posted by WillBowling

yes, thats right, every piece of hardware that has hdcp can only be connected via digital connections to another piece of hdcp compatible hardware..

No, it's not a basic as that, or at least it doesn't have to be and I can't believe M$ would be stupid enough to do it like that.

HDCP only comes into play to protect DRMed material, ie. commercial multimedia which has protection applied. Until the hardware is asked to play that then HDCP need not be engaged, thus HDMI becomes effectively DVI as far as this discussion is concerned.

Now, I accept, most standalone DVD players activate HDCP on their HDMI outputs 100% of the time, the HDCP license doesn't require it, and clearly a PC has a lot more non-protected video applications than DVD players.

So, while it's undoubtedly true Vista will demand HDCP when playing HD media, that stems from the license requirements for HDCP, Secure Video Path, etc. etc. It does NOT meant Vista will have to engage HDCP when displaying the desktop.

[arfster]

I'd buy a PC with cheap or integrated graphics (eg the 6150 is perfect for htpc use), then upgrade later. HDCP on PC cards will probably be bugged silly for the first few months anyway, so you're better off to wait and pick a product that's had the kinks ironed out.

You only need HDCP compatible video cards/monitors etc if you want to play blu-ray/hd-dvd on Vista.

Vista itself doesn't require any of this nonsense to be fully functional.

My current spec pc runs vista perfectly well. Glass etc all functional.

[paulm187]

First, you don't need HDCP compliant hardware for Vista. You only need it for playing back Blu-Ray/HD-DVD, DRM protected content such as Movies. Content providers can implement HDCP if they wish too, but there are a lot of free-to-air HD content available in the states without HDCP which work fine with the normal hardware.

Second, You do not need to upgrade the entire PC to playback Blu-Ray/HD-DVD discs. You would need a Monitor or TV that is HD-Ready and supports HDCP. You would need a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD drive that supports HDCP and you would need a Graphic Card that supports HDCP.

Currently there are LCD TV/Monitors that are HD-Ready, Saphire is the first graphic (ATI) card to bring out HDCP graphic card sometime this month. NEC is bringing out their PC HD-DVD drive. The problem with current graphic cards is that although it says it supports HDCP, it does not have the encryption keys. You would need a graphic card that not only has support for HDMI/HDCP but should also have the encryption keys in the ROM chip. It is not possible to do this with a firmware upgrade on current graphic cards.

The first HD-DVD/Blu-Ray drives are going to be costly and the HDCP graphic cards may not perform up to scratch and be costly too. HD will truly mature in 2007 and this is when Vista isto be released. My advice would be to go ahead and build you PC. But buy a cheap graphic card (eg: Geforce 6600 for HTPC and gaming) and DVD-Drive that will be enough for the short-term. This time next year, you can look to upgrade to Vista, new Graphic Card and HD-DVD or Blu-Ray PC Drive.