Worst DIY Installs Ever Part 7
10 Must-Have Products for Your Next Install
6 Amazing High-End Home Theaters
8 Awesome Turntables for Spinning Vinyl
Print
Email
Comments (9)
Share
Analog Sunset: CE Pros Weigh in
Erdmann takes a similar stance. “It is my opinion that there is nothing stopping content owners from imposing similar requirements on any provider wishing to provide 1080p video,” he says.
“ICT is inserted in the data stream that allows the decoding of the video and which resolution is allowed where. Any non-HDCP-protected output on any cable or satellite box could have ICT implemented on it. It wasn’t too long ago that we started losing RF outputs on high-definition cable boxes.”
Erdmann has the same skepticism regarding the DOT provision. “I know that DOT is reserved for new business models, but who is to say that cable and satellite high-definition programming would not fall under these new business models? DOT could be used to set day-and-date release information or to limit high-definition content in places where DOT was not in use.”
Davis disagrees that there is nothing stopping content owners from imposing restrictions. “Since the FCC regulates analog outputs of set-top boxes, there’s no reason to believe these sorts of changes will be allowed, and they’ll certainly not go unchallenged. It’s not a decision that’s exclusively in the hands of manufacturers. For example, the FCC made a ruling in 2004 that required FireWire ports be included on future set top boxes, despite the objections of content creators and cable companies.
“The ICT and DOT simply do not and cannot affect cable and satellite TV,” Davis adds. “The entire AACS license applies only to products that use AACS encryption. To imply that cable and satellite companies, whose products are not AACS licensed, are beholden to the industry agreement signed by a bunch of other companies is incorrect.
“Selectable Output Control’ is the appropriate term for cable and satellite set top boxes, and that feature is regulated strictly by the FCC. Only one exception has been made — the SOC can be used on first-run movies that are still in theaters,” Davis continues. “Aside from that, content providers have denied the ability to shut off analog HD outputs for years, and the FCC has given no indication they will relent.”
Media Streaming
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.”
Davis, however, says it’s not an either-or issue. “HD video is available from both HDMI and component outputs on these devices and there are no laws, licensing agreements or other regulations in place that will restrict them at this time.”
Gaming, Media Servers and Computers
Although gaming consoles aren’t affected, in theory, by the AACS licensing agreement, some gaming devices play Blu-ray discs, Audio Authority points out.
Sony’s PlayStation 3, for instance, must abide by the terms of the AACS licensing agreement as it pertains to playing Blu-ray content. However, other functions — including video streaming and gaming - shouldn’t be affected.
Media servers and computers, meanwhile, don’t use a lot of analog outputs anyway, but the AACS licensing agreement won’t seem to require shut-off of VGA and component video outputs.
“Our clients will not be satisfied with anything less than the best performance possible,” says Erdmann, referring to gaming consoles, media servers and computers. “They will have Blu-ray video to compare the video these devices output to. It will not be acceptable to them. Most of these systems have Blu-ray in them already, so integrators must be able to deal with the challenges that come with HDMI.”
Subscribe to the CE Pro Newsletter
Read more Video stories
10 Reasons Coax, Not Wireless, Is Future of Video DistributionMcIntosh MX121, MX151 Control Centers Debut
Dish Network Auto Hop Skips Commercials on Hopper DVR
NavNet Adds Apple AirPlay Support to Entice U.S. Dealers
Key Digital Launches Compass Home Automation System
More in Video
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.