HDCP,
short for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, a digital-only content
protection technology associated with HDMI and DVI interfaces, is
developed by Intel Corporation. It is designed for the protection of high-value
digital motion pictures, television programs, and audio for it can encrypt a
digital signal with a key that requires authentication from the transmitting
and receiving product. Unauthorized interception and copying
between a digital set top box or digital video recorder and a digital TV or PC
is thus forbidden. The only thing which enables people to get access to the
signal and unlock the secured content is a license key, which is set inside of
the HDMI or DVI interface.
The common products which contain HDMI or DVI interface are
televisions, Blu-ray disc players, cable/satellite set-top boxes, splitters,
switchers, video recorders, and computer, etc. therefore, these products can be
applied into use as long as they are compatible with HDCP. However, not every
product is compatible with HDCP. As a result, the compatibility issue needs to
be settled down. Then, how to fix HDCP compatibility problem?
Generally speaking, the feasible way to fix the
compatibility issue is to discard the original device and replace them with new
ones that are compatible with HDCP or to give up using the HDMI or DVI cable. In
other words, there is no way and no device can change the fact that HDMI and
DVI interface is not compatible with HDCP. On the other hand, non-digital
cables like coaxial, RCA, component, s-video have no such issues because HDCP
is digital-only.
Nonetheless, new device
which can work as a HDMI/HDCP or DVI/HDCP converter is expected to be
developed. In that way, the compatibility problem can be solved easily. Moreover,
all HDCP-less televisions and devices can remain useful with Blu-ray and other
digital media.
