ClearOne Digital Media - Manual (Page 68)

Why AV designers must “conquer” HDMI
Hollywood studios and major television networks require that devices supporting
(transmitting) HD video do so only to protected outputs that use HDCP. The Blu-ray Disc
Association (BDA) delayed activation of the image constraint token (content protection flag)
to help minimize transition issues. However, after December 31, 2010 all new BD players
must limit analog video output of Blu-ray disc content to interlaced standard definition
(480i). And in fact, the BDA has set December 31, 2013 as the expiration date for analog
video on a BD player, stating that no player passing “Decrypted AACS Content” to analog
video outputs may be manufactured or sold after this date. This means future HD movies
will not be viewable at HD resolutions over analog or other unprotected interfaces, making
any AV distribution system designed solely around analog or unprotected signals suddenly
obsolete. Furthermore it is important to note that a similar situation exists with premium
cable and satellite TV, in which the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is
petitioning the FCC to restrict HD transmission to protected outputs.
Unfortunately for the modern AV systems designer, HDMI can be challenging as it was
never intended for multi-point distribution applications making system designs all that
more challenging in all but the smallest of applications. However, for those designers
using StreamNet products and solutions, common HDMI problems and issues are all but
eliminated.
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pg 68 StreamNet Digital Media and System Design Reference Guide
Solving Digital Media Related AV Problems