- Dec 10, 2000
- 12,632
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Looks like you got the shaft. Things aren't looking good for the HTPC or high resolution gaming crowd either. Waiting for that DVI>component dongle for your Radeon to connect to your new digital TV set? You may have a long wait. How does 480p MAXIMUM display resolution sound for ANY decoded source sound?
New standards being adopted by the MPAA and forced on manufacterers of Digital Video electronic devices require that All decoding of material must take place in the DISPLAY DEVICE , no external converters allowed. All other signals will be downmixed to a MAXIMUM displayed resolution of 480p. What this means is that, unless your particular TV has the DVI HDCP connector(most HDTV sets sold as of right now, today, DO NOT have this connector) you wont be seeing 720p or 1080i HDTV resolutions at all, and 480p, while higher resolution than current NTSC Broadcast TV, is DVD resolution, not HDTV at all.
Here's how I read this:
Digital Display WITH the DVI HDCP connector: Ability to view HDTV format digital video streams. No recording possible in its native, uncompressed format.
Digital Display WITHOUT the DVI HDCP connector : NO ability to view HDTV format digital video streams at all. All content will be downmixed to a Maximum 480p resolution for viewing/recording.
What does this mean for those of us waiting for digital connectivety between our PC's and our DTV sets? I don't know enough about it really, but it can't mean good things. Like the article explains, look for current analog connectors (VGA to Component video adapters for instance) to disappear under pressure from the MPAA (it seems such a niche market, there can't possibly be enough industry muscle to fight the MPAA on this front) just how are digital products like the dongle promised by ATI going to fit in? My guess is that they're not.
Look for current owners of soon to be crippled HDTV displays to put up the biggest fight, but honestly with the content providers buying into this copy protection scheme(cable systems, satellite TV, Hollywood, ect) and manufacterers following suit (Sony) and the fact that you won't be denied the ability to watch/record the media (albeit a reduced resolution, downmixed version) coupled with the fact there is very little content available above 480p resolution currently. I'd say it certainly is possible they'll get their way.
Maybe someone can explain to me why this shouldn't piss me off.
UPDATE: fixed link..DOH
Looks like you got the shaft. Things aren't looking good for the HTPC or high resolution gaming crowd either. Waiting for that DVI>component dongle for your Radeon to connect to your new digital TV set? You may have a long wait. How does 480p MAXIMUM display resolution sound for ANY decoded source sound?
New standards being adopted by the MPAA and forced on manufacterers of Digital Video electronic devices require that All decoding of material must take place in the DISPLAY DEVICE , no external converters allowed. All other signals will be downmixed to a MAXIMUM displayed resolution of 480p. What this means is that, unless your particular TV has the DVI HDCP connector(most HDTV sets sold as of right now, today, DO NOT have this connector) you wont be seeing 720p or 1080i HDTV resolutions at all, and 480p, while higher resolution than current NTSC Broadcast TV, is DVD resolution, not HDTV at all.
Here's how I read this:
Digital Display WITH the DVI HDCP connector: Ability to view HDTV format digital video streams. No recording possible in its native, uncompressed format.
Digital Display WITHOUT the DVI HDCP connector : NO ability to view HDTV format digital video streams at all. All content will be downmixed to a Maximum 480p resolution for viewing/recording.
What does this mean for those of us waiting for digital connectivety between our PC's and our DTV sets? I don't know enough about it really, but it can't mean good things. Like the article explains, look for current analog connectors (VGA to Component video adapters for instance) to disappear under pressure from the MPAA (it seems such a niche market, there can't possibly be enough industry muscle to fight the MPAA on this front) just how are digital products like the dongle promised by ATI going to fit in? My guess is that they're not.
Look for current owners of soon to be crippled HDTV displays to put up the biggest fight, but honestly with the content providers buying into this copy protection scheme(cable systems, satellite TV, Hollywood, ect) and manufacterers following suit (Sony) and the fact that you won't be denied the ability to watch/record the media (albeit a reduced resolution, downmixed version) coupled with the fact there is very little content available above 480p resolution currently. I'd say it certainly is possible they'll get their way.
Maybe someone can explain to me why this shouldn't piss me off.
UPDATE: fixed link..DOH
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