Analog Hole about to get more difficult to work with

[ericscottf]

http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.../02/19/1936209

Unless i'm missing something, if this goes through, all of those of us with HD-pvrs getting content from HD STBs are going to be out of luck if/when we get new STBs. It would appear that manufs. might be required to output only SDTV over the composite connections.

FYI, The immediate solution would be to get an HDMI to composite converter, which will be grey market at best. What's more, once HDCP gets into full swing, it'll be much more difficult or impossible to get an HDCP to composite converter, as keys would have to be broken and copied into the devices...

ugh. all i want to do is watch tv when where and how i want to. Is this too much to ask?

[stanger89]

Where's the actual story?

AACS has nothing to do with Cable/Satellite. It only applies to Blu-ray.

[JetreL]

I was just going to post this, Ugh is right!

The first post below that said:

Originally Posted by Slashdot Post

There will still be plenty of HDMI to composite converters coming out of China, etc.

Can anyone point me to the converters...

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by JetreL

Can anyone point me to the converters...

We're talking component here, not composite. HD Fury 2 and HD Fury 3 come to mind for component.

[Yalbik]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Where's the actual story?

AACS has nothing to do with Cable/Satellite. It only applies to Blu-ray.

Actual story is here.

You are correct, this has nothing to do with Cable or Satellite, just Blu-Ray.

Worst case scenario is if someone out there is using an older HDTV that doesn't have digital inputs. In order to watch HD Blu-ray they would have to either:
(a) purchase a new TV
(b) Rip blu-rays to Sage and play over an HD200
(c) Use a converter (e.g. HD Fury) to convert HDMI to component.

However, I suspect this will not affect most Sage users at all...

[MeInMaui]

Yup, this doesn't affect us at all.

[Brent]

ditto. This is a non-event for any SageTV users...

[SprDtyF350]

I don't have an HD-PVR but this doesn't look so good.

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/1...ideo?art_pos=1

* merged *

[Peter_h]

There is a thread on this already, here.

This only covers blu-ray players. It has nothing to do with cable/sat boxes so sagetv users are fine.

[Fuzzy]

What I think is so funny, is that the idea is to limit the quality on 'unsecure' outputs, to prevent recording and distributing... are there any pirates actually using component capture to pirate movies from blu-ray instead of just ripping the disc itself?

[SprDtyF350]

Originally Posted by Peter_h

There is a thread on this already, here.

This only covers blu-ray players. It has nothing to do with cable/sat boxes so sagetv users are fine.

Thanks. I looked and missed it. What ever happened to TV being easy to understand?

[sic0048]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

What I think is so funny, is that the idea is to limit the quality on 'unsecure' outputs, to prevent recording and distributing... are there any pirates actually using component capture to pirate movies from blu-ray instead of just ripping the disc itself?

Very true.

But this way they can pat themselves on the back for doing a good job in trying to curb piracy. It doesn't matter that it will have zero effect.

[Fuzzy]

well, actually, by alienating customers with older sets, it will actuall yhave a negative effect... zero would be a bonus at this point.. ;-)

[ericscottf]

My sincere apologies -- i interpreted this to mean that the component outputs on HD STBS were going to vanish. I suppose the article does specifically state it is for blue ray players, but my worries that component outputs on cable boxes might disappear remain... Surely they're on someone's radar...

[Fuzzy]

According to cablelabs own 'opencable' specs, they do have to have teh capability to be down-rez's, however, it is by max pixel count, and fortunately, that max number in the specs is 920k pixels, which amounts to 720p, or 'Lite" 1080i (1440x1080i) (which is the most dish network broadcasts in anyways). Either way, it's not like it really breaks the systems.

[stanger89]

Just to make this perfectly clear, this I think is the pertinent paragraph:

The AACS licensing authority, in its "Final Adopter Agreement," plans to enforce a provision that forces consumer electronics companies that make Blu-ray players (and any other AACS devices) to eliminate analog video. This has been referred to as the “Analog Sunset,” where the analog ports on Blu-ray players will be phased out entirely. Should this go through as planned, it's going to disable or throw a wrench in a lot of existing custom installations as soon as the end of this year. To say that this is going to wreak havoc on the installation market is an understatement.

AACS is the major/primary copy protection measure on Blu-ray. Every Blu-ray player manufacturer must include AACS and thus sign that adopter agreement. So far AACS only applies to Blu-ray, and has nothing to do with cable or satellite, neither of which employ AACS.

[Menehune]

Is AACS applied by the player when a non-HD disc is played-i.e. a DVD?
My college campus is thinking of upgrading our classroom DVD players to Blueray but all our classrooms use composite video outputs.

Having to chisel open the concrete floors, walls and ceilings to replace the 1" conduit so we can run new cables to the projectors is really going to suck.

[stanger89]

AACS is the Blu-ray version of CSS. It's on the disc, not applied by the player.

As for if analog output of DVD will be allowed on new BD players, I don't know. It wouldn't surprise me if not, since Blu-ray is the primary purpose of these machines, it would make some sense to just not bother with analog outputs at all.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by stanger89

As for if analog output of DVD will be allowed on new BD players, I don't know. It wouldn't surprise me if not, since Blu-ray is the primary purpose of these machines, it would make some sense to just not bother with analog outputs at all.

Unless they want to continue to sell Blu-ray players to people with existing whole-house component cabling and matrix switches.

I haven't upgraded to Blu-ray yet, but I guess I'd better do it soon if next year's players are going to lack component outputs.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Unless they want to continue to sell Blu-ray players to people with existing whole-house component cabling and matrix switches.

I haven't upgraded to Blu-ray yet, but I guess I'd better do it soon if next year's players are going to lack component outputs.

No, those people are supposed to buy multiple BluRay players, and multiple copies of the same movie to view in each room of the house.