Prevent HD content being displayed via component cables?

"bbefilms" wrote:
I couldn't see this anywhere in the docs; is there a flag that can be set that prevents component cable output of HD material (i.e. only HDMI out)?
Thanks

Just out of curiosity? Why on earth would you want to do this?

"KennyJ" wrote:
Just out of curiosity? Why on earth would you want to do this?

Because there's no way to encrypt component.

That would suck for the large portion of your potential userbase who don't use HDMI (including myself). Considering that neither Netflix or Amazon are restricting HD content to HDMI, I think it would be very bad form to require it for yours.

"KennyJ" wrote:
That would suck for the large portion of your potential userbase who don't use HDMI (including myself). Considering that neither Netflix or Amazon are restricting HD content to HDMI, I think it would be very bad form to require it for yours.

Me too Kenny, I have some aging large screen HD TV's that I've been relying on for years and are component only. But you can't copy protect component output, and component capture cards are now cheap. Currently Hollywood is not setting the flag on Blu-Ray HD discs that causes component output in SD, but that's coming. As a producer, I know that my products are going to end up being swapped on a torrent at some point, but I'd prefer it later rather than sooner, and ideally not the 'crown jewels' of the HD version.

That's certainly up to you, but it will likely mean that unless your content is very intriguing, I won't even bother. I don't plan on switching my Roku to HDMI. I currently only have 1 HDMI port on my TV and it's already occupied.

"KennyJ" wrote:
That's certainly up to you, but it will likely mean that unless your content is very intriguing, I won't even bother. I don't plan on switching my Roku to HDMI. I currently only have 1 HDMI port on my TV and it's already occupied.

Same here... my PC is hooked up via HDMI. My other devices are hooked up via component. I won't even both with something that forces me to downrez or not view at all.

People haven't learned that copy protection doesn't work...it only hurts the real users. The pirates end up getting the content out there anyways.

What's the point in setting the flag on Blu-Ray now...no one is going to bother with recording it via component. They'll just rip the Blu-Ray and get the real copy.

"digiblur" wrote:
What's the point in setting the flag on Blu-Ray now...no one is going to bother with recording it via component. They'll just rip the Blu-Ray and get the real copy.

Sure, but for indie producers pressing low numbers of Blu-Ray's isn't currently financially viable, whereas streaming HD potentially is.

When will producers and hardware/software companies learn that DRM and copy protection are just a complete waste of time and money? People will always find a way to steal things they want bad enough. As an Indie producer you should be more focused on producing great content that is available to as wide an audience as possible. I will echo what others have said. My HDMI inputs are reserved for my high end devices and if you go HDMI only for your content I won't see it either.

"bbefilms" wrote:

"digiblur" wrote:
What's the point in setting the flag on Blu-Ray now...no one is going to bother with recording it via component. They'll just rip the Blu-Ray and get the real copy.

Sure, but for indie producers pressing low numbers of Blu-Ray's isn't currently financially viable, whereas streaming HD potentially is.

I was commenting on what you said about the flag coming to BluRay soon. Never said you were pressing them. Just stating it is pointless since people are ripping BluRay's anyways. It's just going to piss off the end consumer and solve ZERO with the piracy.

At this time I would like to introduce all of the fine folks that were not around for the HD DVD / Blu-ray format war. When Blu-ray was "chosen" as the successor to DVD, it was known at that time that Blu-ray would be much more DRM, as opposed to HD DVD, which was going to be more open.

In spite of this Blu-ray won that format war, and it would be (I have no doubt) astonishing to most of us, to learn just how many of those screaming today, fought to put us right where they find themselves.