What exactly does hdcp video cards do?

[underjeep]

So hdcp is touted as being good by the manufactures but I know it would be better for the consumers if it didn't exist at all.

I know I won't be able to play a legit blue-ray movie if I don't have HDCP

but what I don't know is:

If I take a high resolution home video or download a cracked pirated blue-ray quality movie (hypothetically speaking), can I play that 1080p video on my HDCP enabled videocard?

If i also have an hdcp monitor, does this change anything?

 

[KBTuning]

google HDCP... its a complicated subject and i gave up on it... but pretty much you need to have it to do anything highdef

 

[Throckmorton]

HDCP is a grand scheme to screw us, the consumers.

 

[Tempered81]

with a name like hi-def content protection who would embrace that? At least microsoft is smart enough to call ass-hat software names like "Plays first first time" or "Guaranteed to play right!" or whatever they call that crapola.

 

[underjeep]

i cant get any straight answers when I google hdcp, i just want to know (if anyone does) can I play non-legit high definition video on my HDCP enabled video card?

 

[Tempered81]

Originally posted by: underjeep
i cant get any straight answers when I google hdcp, i just want to know (if anyone does) can I play non-legit high definition video on my HDCP enabled video card?

Sorry, we don't know answers to questions like that here

 

[underjeep]

non-legit includes my own high resolution home video that I take with a digital camcorder

 

[BenSkywalker]

Your own home made videos are perfectly legit, HDCP is only active on content that has content protection enabled on the media you are trying to play. If you are not encoding your media with HDCP yourself, then it will play at whatever setting your gear supports.

 

[Binky]

HDCP is a conspiracy to keep only legitimate users from viewing their purchased material. Anybody using non-legitimate sources (i.e. video pirates) has no problems with this crap because the hackers that release titles disable the HDCP.

HDCP is a copy protection system used on HD-DVD and Blu Ray (maybe some other stuff). Everything in the chain has to be HDCP compliant. This means video card -> cable (DVI or HDMI) -> TV must ALL be compliant. Even if they are, you may often get errors.

Or, you could just buy AnyDVD to disable this whole HDCP mess and use any TV and video card that you like. This is what I do to play HDDVD/Blu ray on my older RPTV that doesn't support HDCP.

HDCP, DRM and all other copy protection systems just make life miserable for normal users that don't steal the material.

 

[Deinonych]

Originally posted by: underjeep

If I take a high resolution home video or download a cracked pirated blue-ray quality movie (hypothetically speaking), can I play that 1080p video on my HDCP enabled videocard?

Yes. HDCP doesn't factor into playback of non-secured video files.

Originally posted by: underjeep
If i also have an hdcp monitor, does this change anything?

No. HDCP is only necessary to ensure that protected content remains protected. In other words, you need HDCP to play Blu-ray discs so that the Hollywood types can be sure you paid money for it. It provides a secure channel (in theory) for digital content to be played back without the risk of that content being intercepted and converted to a non-secure format (i.e. a DivX or MPEG file).

Wikipedia has a good overview of HDCP here.