ClearOne Digital Media - Manual (Page 31)

Q. What is HDCP?
High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) is a technology developed by Digital
Content Protection, LLC (a subsidiary of Intel) to protect digital entertainment content. HDCP
has been implemented across both DVI and HDMI interfaces. The HDCP specification
provides a cost-effective and transparent method for transmitting and receiving the highest
quality digital entertainment content to DVI / HDMI-compliant digital displays.
Q. Is HDCP an option to implement in any device with an HDMI
connection?
While HDCP is optional in the HDMI specification, nearly every device intended to transmit or
receive protected content such as movies has incorporated HDCP. Manufacturers typically
do not call out HDCP support as the only devices that do not regularly include HDCP are
those not designed to transmit or receive protected content, such as consumer camcorders
and digital still cameras.
Q. If my display doesn’t have an HDCP compatible connection will I be
able to view HD DVD and Blu-ray content in high definition?
Content owners (i.e., any movie studio releasing a title on optical disc format or digital
streaming / download) decide which technologies they will require to be used to protect their
content against unauthorized copying. Movie studios fearing high-definition versions of their
titles will be pirated, almost universally use HDCP when releasing high-definition versions of
their movies. Note, there are specific requirements on HDCP usage mandated by the U.S.
Federal Communications Commission and by industry bodies in Europe and Asia. With
certain exceptions, nearly all HDMI devices on the market today include HDCP support. DVI
devices, in particular earlier versions of DVI intended for computer applications, are less
likely to support HDCP.
Q. Is AACS (Advanced Access Content System) an alternative to HDCP?
No, AACS is the content protection for video on Blu-ray discs and HDCP is the content
protection for all video carried over the HDMI link between an HDMI enabled source and the
display featuring an HDMI connector enabled with HDCP. AACS is a stronger replacement
for the current content protection on today’s standard-definition DVDs known as CSS or
copy scramble system. The way AACS and HDCP work in tandem is as follows. The video
player will decrypt the AACS-encrypted content coming off the disc and then send the
content over the protected HDMI link (using HDCP) to the HDTV. Of course both the source
and display must be HDCP enabled for the content to be decrypted and played back.
pg 31 StreamNet Digital Media and System Design Reference Guide
HDCP Quick FAQ
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