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Analog Sunset: CE Pros Weigh in
Whether or not that’s hyperbole, it’s certain that there are things integrators need to know about restrictions being imposed by the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) licensing agreement — especially in regards to Blu-ray playback.
If savvy clients haven’t already begun asking questions about whether or not they should throw out their component cables, they soon will. Integrators need to know what to tell them and how to react.
Right now integrators can allow clients to view content off Blu-ray discs using an analog component video output on a Blu-ray player. But according to the AACS licensing agreement, after Dec. 31, 2010, no new designs may be introduced with hot HD component outputs; existing designs can be manufactured and sold through Dec. 31, 2011. No Blu-ray players with hot HD component outputs may be manufactured or sold after that date, but they can still output SD resolutions through 2013.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t use Blu-ray players made before Dec. 31, 2010, for viewing content off Blu-ray discs using an analog component video output. Meanwhile, in-stock models made before Dec. 31, 2010, with component inputs capable of HD output can continue to be sold through 2013.
“I recently heard a competitor state that they were going to purchase as many older [Blu-ray] players as they could afford to put off dealing with the changes for as long as possible,” says CEDIA chairman Ken Erdmann, owner of Springville, Utah-based Erdmann Electric. “That will not solve the problem and is rather shortsighted.”
Indeed, after January 1, 2011, Blu-ray disc makers can include an “Image Constraint Token” (ICT) that disables HD over component video down-converting the HD capable input to SD while that particular disc is in the drive. Existing discs in a customer’s collection without the ICT, however, will continue to provide HD component output with no change. The token is only disc-based, so discs with no ICT will operate the same as always (allowing 1080i component out).
Erdmann speculates that Blu-ray titles released years earlier could even “include ICT for those titles manufactured after the 2011 implementation date. A client could be very unhappy if they were used to watching a favorite title for years that when they replaced the worn or damaged disc with a newer version of that title it no longer looked as good or possibly would not play at all.”
Is Analog Fading to Black?
“Analog Sunset” is a term that is actually used in the AACS license agreement:
2.2.2.1 ANALOG SUNSET – 2010. With the exception of Existing Models, any Licensed Player manufactured after December 31, 2010, shall limit analog video outputs for Decrypted AACS Content to SD Interlace Modes only. Existing Models may be manufactured and sold by Adopter up until December 31, 2011.
2.2.2.2 ANALOG SUNSET – 2013. No Licensed Player that passes Decrypted AACS Content to analog video outputs may be manufactured or sold by Adopter after December 31, 2013.
Source: The AACS Final Adopter Agreement, available at http://www.aacsla.com.
At the very least, this legal language will leverage installers with some frustration, according to Fred Harding, who does sales and technical support for distributor Capitol Sales.
“It will cause stress for folks who are installing Blu-ray players over the next year who aren’t prepared. Worst case will be down the road, when manufacturers of other HDMI-equipped products stop putting analog outputs on their devices based on economic decisions. In that case, it will be the absence of connections rather than a mandate that hurts. I’d start planning if it were me.”
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Article Topics
News · Video · Blu-ray · Digital Media · Media Servers · Wire and Cable · HDMI · Digital Rights · Analog Sunset ·About the Author
9 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
Is analog 1080i Bluray really a problem for the content owners? I thought the pirates used software to get a 1080p digital rip.
Philip, I think you’re right in most cases. However, some content owners claim that people are distributing first-run episodes of television shows worldwide before they actually air in those countries. If that’s true, then people are doing capture-card rips from the analog ports of their DVRs, not using software to digitally rip DVDs or Blu-ray Discs.
Of course, even if all outputs are eventually restricted to digital only output (not likely, as discussed in this article) then people will still be able to use the widely available illicit converters to change protected digital signal to analog video, and copy it.
Trent Davis
Audio Authority Corp.
I have only one thing to say. If analog does ride off into the sunset, HDMI better have ALL OF IT’S HANDSHAKE ISSUES RESOLVED or there will be a MASSIVE CONSUMER BACKLASH!!!
Component hook-up is our ONLY safety net from having HANDSHAKE ISSUES. If you are going to do it, DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
Quote from article:
Vudu, Apple TV, Roku and other media streaming devices aren’t affected, according to Audio Authority.
Component video should remain applicable to media streaming devices, but again, Harding suggests that this could change.
Erdmann adds that, “As long as you are happy with low-resolution video from those devices it probably won’t have an impact. The fact is we hook these devices up to large flat-panel displays and projectors with HDMI, we purchase HD versions of some titles from iTunes. It is unlikely that our clients who are using these services for content will be happy with anything less than the highest resolutions possible.” end quote.
Is this a serious statement? customers who buy appletv, roku, and vudu expect the best resolution??? I don’t think they do, i think they bought these devices because they are cheap compared to Quality media players and servers. People who buy these cost effective media players could care less about resolution, they are more concerned with content delivery at any resolution.
The true concern should be for these people who are the masses. Not the elite few who can afford the 3d 4K displays and the $30,000 dollar displays.
For all of the average consumers who move more product in quantity please let’s change the name of this technology plague from ” AACS Analog Sunset” to “AACS Demise of Affortable Video Distribution.
I know some of you may say there are some affordable hdmi switches out there. This may be true, but they are almost all problematic, inconsistant, and in may cases an utter disappointment. And why bother, I’ll wait for HDbaseT. : )
Joe Whitaker - Development Director
The Soho Shop.
Post correction:
“The true concern should be for these people who are the masses. Not the elite few who can afford the 3d 4K displays and the $30,000 dollar displays”
I meant $30,000 hdmi matrix switchers. Atlona’s comes to mind. There 16x16 hdmi matrix is one of the best we have installed. But like i said not in the masses budget at all.
Joe Whitaker - Development Director
The Soho Shop.
Greed kills. I’ll just forget buying a Blu-Ray. And if Comcast gets cute and kills component, I’m OTA. I would think it will be very hard for OTA to change standards so all of my OTA receivers are obsolete. There are limits to what people are willing to spend in order to chase these changes.
the sunset on blu-ray seems like a bad idea. i understand the industries need to protect their content, and agree with them trying, but these changes aren’t going to affect the pirates. they will still rip blu-ray right on their pc.
most of our whole house systems now include 1 rack, and a component video matrix sending all cable/sat signals and 1 or 2 dvd players for the whole house. now we find the possibility that 2 years down the road an existing player stops working (would not be an unusual life span for any disc player) and the customer has the decision to make to remove the dvd player and find an alternative, or possibly spend as much money as was invested originally to upgrade to an hdmi matrix, and replace component baluns with hdmi. And of course with the upgrade comes handshake issues (which increase greatly with long runs, and baluns).
i don’t understand how this specific change will be at all effective. it will frustrate some consumers, it will greatly frustrate integrators, and it will not effect piracy.
just my 2 cents
Dennis
Sad that there are installers out there that hasn’t been planning for this all along. Even if you don’t integrate the HDMI / Cat6 I hope your customers have been getting spare runs of Cat6 and HDMI for the past SEVERAL years.
What is this “time to start planning”. If I have a million plus home and spent $30-50K on custom installation you better believe I would be pissed about having to rip up my ceiling and walls again because of incompetent and apparently illiterate installation companies
Thanks for all of the information. I will be sending a link to this page to some of my co-workers and start working on a transition plan. All we can do is stay informed and be prepared.