Analog "Sunset" - end of HD over analog outputs

[m_vanmeter]

The MPAA gets what they want, the FCC is their accomplice and stooge, and the rest of us get something far different.

Jan 1, 2010 - then end of analog outputs carrying HD signals.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/10/analog-sunset-begins-all-the-new-blu-ray-players-will-only-outp/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+EngadgetHd+(Engadget+HD)&utm_content=My+Yahoo

Keep those older blu-ray players working as long as you can.

 

[its phillip]

Ridiculous :/

 

[highfigh]

America is the only country where the huge industry that makes entertainment software can bully the huge industry that makes the playback equipment into allowing themselves to be forced to include restrictions for degrading the quality of playback, for the sole reason that the software producers want to keep people from making copies.

If the Consumer Electronics industry had any balls, they would stand up to the studios. If the playback equipment isn't made, less software will be sold. The studios need to realize that if they come up with a way to stop copying, someone else will make a way to bypass it. For that matter, the only way to find out if the anti-copying method works is by coming up with ways to stop it from working.

Talk about the tail wagging the dog.

 

[BMXTRIX]

The problem is that the excuse given is simply the most bald faced lie in existence.

Nobody copies via analog. EVER!

The way people copy is by capturing via digital connections. HDMI will have the HDCP stripped if necessary and feeds directly to PCs, or PCs with built in tuners.

Discs are just dropped into PCs and copied 1:1 via readily available software.

Is the FCC really a part of this though? This is all about Blu-ray and may just be part of the format standard, but that particular article doesn't talk about the FCC.

The one thing I can say is that since my entire house still is setup on an analog system which would cost about $10,000 to upgrade to HDMI, if I run into discs that won't give me 1080i over component, I'm more likely to remove that encryption than I am to upgrade my entire system due to their stupidity. Or, in simpler terms, their own action will be the direct result of more demand for product which converts from HDMI to component, or allows for discs to be easily hacked and played back directly from 'unauthorized' players.

Shooting yourself in the foot? Priceless.

 

[s162216]

I'm wondering if this will affect me in the UK, although we don't have any law (yet!) saying that HD cannot be carried over analogue, we'll get the same/similar models of bluray player after 2013 which means if they don't have analogue outputs then we've lost out too. Doubtless though the EU will just pass a similar law anyway and bow to the big companies demands as usual despite nobody wanting it.

 

[jinjuku]

Part of this is because Studios are running out of ways to make more money. They now want product available via PPV 30 days after the theatrical release.

They want the analog hole stopped so the can't be torrented. I don't think they have quite figured out that all their encryption schemes are borked.

 

[digicidal]

Part of this is because Studios are running out of ways to make more money...

And funding the production of anything that isn't absolute crap is totally out of the question.

It's the same story as it is in the IT world. The biggest companies spend more on R&D of copy protection schemes and encryption than they do on the development of the product itself. I own several expensive pieces of software that I've never even taken out of the box - just purchased them for the license and then downloaded and installed a hacked version for actual use - because it runs 20-40% faster than the commercial install that spends all of it's time phoning home to verify my license status.

It's a viscious cycle I realize but I can only see this driving many more people toward pirated media not away from it. Not to mention I can see a majority of the 'ordinary consumers' returning perfectly good discs because they believe them to be bad since the picture looks like such crap. Maybe after processing a few million of those returns the studios will think again about this direction (in referrence to the ICT trigger not the no-analog directive specifically).