That’s because the two new DVD formats — Blu-ray and HD-DVD — are both so imbedded with anti-piracy protection that older displays won’t be able to access the hi-res images on DVDs using the new technology. Instead, many older sets only will have access to a downsized version of the original hi-def signal.
Blame Advanced Access Content System for that one. AACS — the umbrella term for the anti-piracy rules being implemented — doesn’t allow hi-def images to transfer over component-video analog lines, a.k.a. the infamous red, white and yellow plugs in the back of almost every TV made prior to 2002, because analog transference doesn’t enable copy protection.
The result: HDTV displays hooked up via component-video will be limited to 960 X 540 pixel resolution when displaying HD-DVD or Blu-Ray-formatted content. Full HDTV broadcasts at 1.920 X 1,080 resolution.
Hollywood studios and other major players in the DVD market have been trying to plug the “analog hole” for some time now, pushing hard for legislation as early as 2002 that, if passed, would have required essentially any technology using analog recording to license digital rights management software and obey specific copying rules approved by producers.
Though early attempts to pass legislation failed, many see AACS as more of the same.
“I really want you to understand what’s going on with the video industry’s push towards HD,” Mike Evangelist, former director of video product marketing for Apple, said. “They are engineering a complete removal of the concept of fair use. They are setting up systems that will completely control how, when and where you can use content that you buy.”
Often compared to the battle between Betamax and VHS videocassettes nearly 20 years ago, Sony Corp.’s Blu-ray and Toshiba Corp.’s HD-DVD have been on the fast track for the past year aiming to capture the majority of industry support. Aside from better anti-piracy protection, both formats promise better picture quality and more-interactive features.
Many porn producers, including Vivid, have announced they will produce content using both formats until a clear winner comes out.
Meanwhile, an estimated six million HDTVs currently exists in U.S. households that will be unable to display either format in full hi-def due to analog restrictions.
