HDMI and DVI Question

[Spiffyfast]

I own a 48" Mitsubishi RPTV with dvi input (model is 48-315) I've been hearing alot of things about dvd upconversion and the new hd-dvd and blue ray players that have been kinda troubling. That they wont actually output hi-def unless your tv has the hdmi copywright protection built in. Is this true? I dont know if I'm understanding this correctly or not, or is it just the component video that won't actually display things in upconverted or hi-def. If someone could explain this to me it would be great because I'd hate to think I spent all this money on a tv and cant even get all the benefits from it.

Thanks for your help.

 

[mfabien]

Your TV has a DVI input with HDCP content protection protocol. That connection will be of importance when the Broadcast flag gets introduced, once the FCC resolves the issue raised by the US Court of Appeal (may require new legislation). As for picture quality, the digital connection tends to improve imagery for digital displays (over Component's digital to analog transmission) but little picture quality improvement for CRT based units.

The HDMI input is the same digital to digital video transmission with the addition of digital audio. It also incorporates HDCP.

Present DVD's are copy protected using the CSS Copy protection protocol. Whether HD DVD or BluRay DVD will use CSS or HDCP, I don't know. Whatever it turns out to be, your TV will handle it. If you then want the single DVI input to carry Broadcasting and DVD (without playing with cables), you will need switching capability. That could be an a/v receiver with digital video switching (not many in existence at this time) or a switch box such as you find at:
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/gefen.htm

 

[Spiffyfast]

Thanks so much for your help, I've been worried about that for awhile now, didnt know if the DVI would work with these new compliances. Thank you for setting me at ease. On the other hand all of these people that have spent so much money for HDTV when it came out that don't have the hookups are getting screwed, its rediculous that they have been pushing HDTV on people for 5 or 6 years now only till it gets the time when people see some real benefits with the onset of hd-dvd or blu-ray that they decide, oops, well we dont think component video is secure enough to use in hd so were just gonna make then see 480p. Thats rediculous on the part of the manufactureres, they shoulda just started from the beginning including dvi and hdmi if they were gonna pull this stuff, anyways just my two cents trying to stand up for all of you guys that are getting the shaft...maybe theyll make a comonent to dvi/hdmi converter that can get past this stuff

 

[mfabien]

The FCC made an exception for owners of legacy equipment. However, that starts with the STB for cable and satellite service because for the HDCP system to know that the STB is legacy, that STB must not have a DVI or HDMI output. If the STB is compliant and not connected with a compliant connection to the receiver, the HDTV, the HDCP protocol will assume that the connection is via Component. And a Broadcaster may file a 30 day advance notice with the FCC it's intention to downrez the Component to SD for a certain Broadcast Flag event.

Therefore, if I was the owner of an HDTV without DVI or HDMI input, I would make sure to find a STB without an HDCP compliant output (probably available on eBay). With a legacy HDTV, one should not buy or rent a STB/HD DVR for cable or satellite service because they all have an HDCP compliant output.

The present hold up caused by the US Court of Appeal concerns the FCC directive to the Electronics industry to incorporate an HDCP compliant input on all HDTV effective July 1, 2005. That directive was decided to be outside the scope of the FCC under the present law governing the FCC. The impact is for OTA capture of HD signals.

As far as cable and satellite, it is expected that they will not change their present policy of supplying STB's with HDCP compliant outputs. Cable and satellite providers do not wish to be refused programming or movies because of a content protection issue.

As for the Electronic industry, I would not expect manufacturers to produce HDTV's without HDCP inputs simply because a number of TV's will be used by people using only OTA signal source. Chances are that the initial costs to incorporate this feature has already been amortized.