An Introductory Guide to HDCP
High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection

HDCP compliance has become even more of an issue now with the arrival of the latest Blu ray and HD-DVD players. Rather, the latest HD movie players have forced many HDTV customers to face the realm of this security protocol. Unfortunately, though customer awareness for the need of HDCP compliance is catching up, yet there is still a lot of confusion surrounding this area.

In this short series of articles, we take a look at the basics of High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection: Why is it important, how it works, and what are the implications on your HDTV viewing when it comes to non-compliant devices.

Introduction

High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection - more commonly referred to as HDCP, is a form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) developed by Intel Corporation.

It is a content protection scheme designed to eliminate the possibility of intercepting digital video and audio data as it travels between source and display across Digital Visual Interface (DVI) and High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connections.

In its basic operation, High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection encrypts the transmission of digital content between the video or audio source and the digital display or receiver.

High-bandwidth DCP is not designed to prevent copying or recording of digital content, but to protect the integrity of content as it is being transmitted.

Implementation of HDCP is carried out under a license obtainable from the Digital Content Protection, LLC.

The latest FCC and EICTA regulations make High-bandwidth DCP a compulsory requirement when it comes to high-definition video and DVD-audio. And it is not just high definition movie players such as Blu-ray and HD-DVD that come with HDCP on board. 

So how does all this impacts you as the end customer when we know that there are still several million HDTV sets in US households alone that are not HDCP compliant?

We have therefore prepared a short series of articles that discuss the various aspects of High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection: What it is all about, how it works, how it impacts your HDTV viewing experience, and what alternatives exist - if any - for early adopters of HDTVs that that have paid top-dollar for the first HDTVs to hit the market, HDTVs that are not complaint with this digital content protection protocol and that unfortunately seem predestined to a pre-mature obsolescence.

Articles under this section:

• What is HDCP - the Worst Consumer Nightmare or the Best Digital Content Protection?

What is High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection? Why did it turn out to be the worst consumer nightmare for early adopters of HDTV, and how does HDCP-compliance, impacts YOU as the end customer? Read here to discover more!

• How-It-Works High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection?

Discover how HDCP attempts to eliminate the interception of encrypted digital content midstream between source and display. How does it achieve device authentication, and what is this 'red button' of key revocation?

• HDCP Converters and HDCP Strippers

Are 'old' HDTVs without High-bandwidth DCP support worthless? Can these become compliant? What about the use of converters and stripper boxes as a possible alternative?

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