CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[Tim in Phoenix]

On the web:


2010: The Year AACS and HDMI Kill Off Component Video
by Clint DeBoer — last modified February 17, 2010

Bye bye component video

Digital HD (high definition), like that enabled through HDMI and Blu-ray, is awesome. It offers amazing picture and audio quality. It allows you to conveniently connect one single cable to provide both picture and sound. It is royally going to screw up a lot of homes next year. Wait, what was that last part?

After December 31, 2010, manufacturers will not be "allowed" introduce new hardware with component video outputs supplying more than an SD resolution (480i or 576i). If the manufacturer has existing models in its line-up, it will be able to continue selling that model until the end of 2013.

The AACS licensing authority, in its "Final Adopter Agreement," plans to enforce a provision that forces consumer electronics companies that make Blu-ray players (and any other AACS devices) to eliminate analog video. This has been referred to as the “Analog Sunset,” where the analog ports on Blu-ray players will be phased out entirely. Should this go through as planned, it's going to disable or throw a wrench in a lot of existing custom installations as soon as the end of this year. To say that this is going to wreak havoc on the installation market is an understatement.

Lest you think that this won't affect existing players, note that after January 1, 2011, the manufacturers of Blu-ray discs will be able (at their option) to insert an Image Constraint Token into any Blu-ray disc. This is a sort of "digital flag" that will turn off the high-definition component video output in the player (effectively turning it into a low-resoluton 480i/576i output). The goal is to make sure that all high-definition video will only be made possible through "secure" digital connections like HDMI.

AACS is really hosing the legitimate consumer with this change. They will turn upside down those users who have earlier pre-HDMI custom installations, forcing them into alternative (and expensive) connectivity options or causing them other costs that they would otherwise have not needed to incur - just to get them back to where they were in 2010. Add to this the complete conundrum companies like Kaleidescape will face as they continue their MPAA-thwarted attempts to expand their business model. We've even read stories about Hollywood-based mastering engineers having to use Slysoft AnyDVD HD software in order to circumvent AACS and BD+ restrictions just to get their work done.

In short, the studios in Hollywood don't care about you, logic, or making money. Well, actually they care a LOT about making money, however they are too thick to read the signs presented by the music industry and therefore are missing some of the greatest opportunities to encourage actual sales of DVDs and Blu-ray discs. People want to be able to copy and stream their home movies legally. The trouble is, when a company like RealDVD comes along to present a solution, the studios pull out the lawyers and kill it.

Well, congratulations for at least keeping a perfect record... of short-sighted, poorly thought out business decisions.

Decoding the Actual AACS Provisions
The actual AACS provisions are fairly clear and understandable, leaving little wriggle room for those manufacturers facing these upcoming dates. The first (below) sets the end of 2010 as the final time period for producing (manufacturing) a player that has analogue outputs above interlaced standard definition. This isn't even 480p, they actually specified interlaced SD output.

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 [composite video, s-video, 480i component video and 576i video] only.

The next provision is incrementally worse, since it completely does away with analogue outputs entirely.

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.

We spoke with several manufacturers, who had differing opinions on what they would do when this sunset hit. One popular Blu-ray player manufacturer had this to say:

"We have not planned anything for the AACS sunset rules yet. Our current product development projects still have all analog video outputs - component, composite and S-Video. In case any new products do not make [it] into production in 2010, we will revise based on the then-current AACS rules. There are some rumors floating around that the deadline will be extended, but we are not betting on it. If the deadline stays, we probably will omit analog video altogether instead of limiting to SD interlaced. If all analog video outputs are omitted, at least we save the trouble and cost for analog copy protection."
What to Do If This Happens to You
For those who aren't using component video at all, this won't be a big deal. But if I were you I wouldn't sit on my laurels and laugh at those who are going to suffer this mandatory "upgrade". After all, they are ultimately keeping you, through similar restrictions, from legally copying content onto your portable devices except for the sanctioned procedures and files provided by some studios. Want to know why you can't (legally) rip and stream your Blu-ray discs over Sling? AACS and DRM are why.

In particular this is going to cause some serious growing pains for installers whose clients' systems are going to stop looking good overnight. And they'll hear about it - in spades. Many installers have, in the past, avoided HDMI because of technical issues associated with the format. It's unruly, more expensive to use, and downright clunky in terms of the speed of switching inputs and its reliability. If the installer did not take into account the possibility of a change in format, they may be facing a very unpleasant backlash from clients. Even those who did provide for HDMI will have to deal with clients who have been using the redundant component video connections simply because they were there.

If you are a consumer, or a custom installer who is dealing with a component-only wiring schema, you have several solutions at your disposal:

Deploy a set of baluns, which use one or two Category 5e or 6 cables to carry HDMI over longer distances. These devices are typically capped by stand-alone boxes or wall plates which require power and convert to and from HDMI.
As much as we hate to admit it, wireless HDMI may be a solution, if you can afford it, have no traffic going between the transmitter and receiver and the distance supports the limitations of the system. You're taking your life into your hands with these systems, but under controlled circumstances they can do just fine.
Gefen, among other companies, also offers a system that uses coaxial cables and a hardware device on each end (baluns) to convert cable to and from coax. This can be done over a single coax (up to 1080i resolution) or over 5 coax cables for full resolution HDMI.
Keep your eyes peeled as manufacturers are trying very hard to combat the limitations of HDMI with solutions over power lines, coaxial cable, and even standard wireless networks. These may also provide solutions that will help alleviate a short-sighted or pre-HDMI installation.

Why This Sucks
We make no bones about calling out Hollywood studios on their ignorance, anti-market practices and general thick-headedness. These AACS rules are especially frustrating because they, like those FBI and anti-piracy warnings on discs, only affect users intending to legally copy software to a local hard drive. The AACS rules will have absolutely zero effect on actual piracy since the Blu-ray Disc's AACS/BD+ system has already been broken and spread far and wide across the Internet.

Anyone can copy a BD disc and play it back over analogue outputs.

You just can't do it legally. And there's the rub.



////////


Better order your Moome stuff now.

[jbmeyer13]

Tim,

Can you clarify that comment on buying Moome card now? Granted it has component input but isn't the issue that BD players would have their component outputs turned off?

Regards,

Justin

[cmjohnson]

I advocate that all involved companies simply conspire to ignore this stupid set of regulations.


Meanwhile, it's common knowledge that the HDCP master key (or one of them) has been cracked and published. So, all their efforts
really don't matter a whole lot, do they?

Still, I'm glad I have a brand new Moome HDMI input card for my Marquee sitting at home, still in the package.

[virusc]

moome devices have HDMI inputs and output analog component or RGB. The source device does not know that it is not a display so this effectively make all of the above changes a non issue if you have a moome.

[drice1234]

I had thought that there were only a handful of blu ray players that outputted HD via the component outputs anyway. I have one of the older OPPO units in the attic that upconverts DVD's and outputs 1080i via the component outputs and it took some looking to find that unit.
Dan

[TheVerge]

ICT has been around forever, nobody has used it.



AACS is stupid and been hacked... cinavia is the new l33tness, and i'm not sure it will be cracked for a long time.

[RVonse]

When they talk about these tokens I am wondering if that has anything to do with existing blurays already bought?

For example, right now I have a bluray player with HDMI output that goes to a converter box that changes to VGA for my crt. I am wondering if I happen to buy one of the newer token dvd's if that will then screw up my player so it won't even play old movies?

I guess if worse comes to worse we will still be able to play some movies off my computer and Toshiba hdvd player.

I guess I'm going to enjoy my blu rays today while they still work.

[Tom.W]

Pretty old news as this has been in the works for a very long time.

http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/aacs-hdmi-kill-component-2010

Not saying I agree with it at all but custom installers should have prepared themselves and customers for this a long time ago.

Hence Moonjong then Moome and the HD Fury....

[WanMan]

Why the love for Component video? I'd much rather see the preservation of RGBhv.

[Curt Palme]

[Curt Palme]

[Jeremy112]

This doesn't surprise me, I remember when the digital OTA TV switch deal was going on for the longest time, when they were first talking about it, I would tell people what was going to happen, no one could beleive that the govt would shot down analog programming and force consumers to either buy a new TV or a digital converter box just so they could watch TV,

Well I was prepared! were they? No! I believe its because no one wanted to believe it, and they waited and waited and waited until it was literally too late, had to go out to the store and get a converter box, or a new TV, heck some even had to get HD Antennas...

All I'm suggesting is that since this is something that has been known for a while, installers/DIYers should have had a chance to figure out a way around it, come on its like Microsoft, whenever a new OS gets cracked, MS finds a way to fix it, but something else to break the fix comes along too, so its not like there isn't a way around it at least!

[draganm]

[stefuel]

It's not going to "suck" for me. At the rate I'm using up tubes, this set (the last set I ever intend to install) will be long burned up. The AmPro will be retired in full working order only needing tubes. I'm actually looking forward to gutting my rack one last time and tossing all the makeshift analog stuff. Eventually when there are no more replacement tubes, it will stop sucking for you too.

[Cube]

[AnalogRocks]

[AnalogRocks]

[stefuel]

[Spanky Ham]

Cube,
I am not sure which DLP in the under $5k category might be satisfactory for those looking to switch. I don't remember anything new at Cedia, maybe Crabb does. Right now the two pjs I would be looking at are the Epson LCOS and JVC RS40, 50 and 60. I think if a lot of CRTers did a blind A/B comparison with these pjs then a lot of CRTs might hit the market.


As for analog, it was great while it lasted. CRT will probably be the last analog piece of equipment I own.

As for HDMI, I would love to see a backlash by consumers of not purchasing the hardware and software. I guess it is their right to do what they want with their content, but it is our right to give them the middle finger. I almost think this is a way for the content companies to help the hardware companies increase sales.