RE: [MLUG] A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection

["Fallert, Adam Christian" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

This isn't just the computer industry being affected by these new
content restrictions.  Owners of HD televisions are also being affected
as well.  Case in point, I have a home theater setup in which all my AV
runs through my receiver which is a component video pass through.  This
allows me one touch operation when switching from satellite to DVD, etc.
In other words I have one component video line connected to television
and I don't have go in to its clunky menus to switch video sources.
Like the Vista with HDCP, I am being forced to switch out my receiver
with something that has HDMI pass through so that I can view HD content
from my satellite and HD optical.  Currently the DirecTV and the movie
studios are not enforcing it, but I have been informed that I should
expect the content restriction token within the next couple of years. 

Personally I like the using a component cable on my AV equipment.  I
have spent hours of research trying to determine if an HDMI connection
is truly superior.  So far my research says no, especially for the type
of HDTV that I have.  In some cases the HDMI does improve the picture
quality on some of the cheaper fixed pixel lcd monitors.  In fact, I
have read many forums in which many end users are having a lot of
compatibility issues using an HDMI connection on DirecTV's latest HD
DVR, the HR20.  Whereas the component cable I use doesn't require any
monitor drivers etc.  It just works and it is about half the cost of
HDMI.

DirecTV's latest DVRs are also going to support viewing pictures and
acting as a music streamer from a file share on a home network.
Unfortunately though I will not be able to take advantage of it because
of all the paranoia the MPAA and RIAA have spread to hardware and
software manufactures as well as the content providers.  This
functionality on my DVR is going to require that I have a computer with
Intel Viiv technology (hardware content protection), and that computer
has to be running M$ Media Center. A) Linux is much better suited to be
a file server. B) Even if I wanted to use an M$ product for my file
server why would I want it to be a stripped down OS.

-----Original Message-----
From: EMAIL:PROTECTED
[mailto:EMAIL:PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mike Miller
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 6:15 PM
To: MLUG Members
Subject: RE: [MLUG] A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection

On Thu, 1 Feb 2007, Fallert, Adam Christian wrote:

>> Microsoft is doing this so they can own the entire distribution path 
>> for "premium content".
>
> Ok, let the flaming begin, but I just don't see Microsoft's intentions

> as that nefarious.  I think in this case it is M$ legal pointing the 
> company in this direction to avoid face offs with MPAA and the RIAA. 
> Just last weekend I read an article I found on gizmodo.com that quoted

> Bill Gates as say "If it were up to me, we would not be putting
content 
> protection in Vista."  Of course that is carefully stated and pretty 
> open ended so it could really have any meaning.


Bill Gates clearly isn't in control of Vista development!  I guess the 
MPAA/RIAA is trying to make it impossible to develop a general-purpose 
computer that allows the user to read bits from some media, process them

by any rules he wishes, and write bits to other media.  The fact that
such 
a computer could be used to make an illegal copy of one of their 
copyrighted HD movies should be irrelevant.  There is no telling what 
kinds of hassles we'll be running into trying to use these restricted 
machines.  It sounds terrible to me.

The craziest thing is that MPAA wants to sell us HD movies that we can't

watch in HD format.  It's bizarre, but I see their predicament:  They
need 
to offer higher density to make more sales, but if users can extract the

high-quality data and copy it, they might make copies which will hurt 
sales.  Unfortunately, playing an HD movie requires extracting the high 
quality data and pumping out out to some kind of display.  So if the HD 
movie can be viewed, it can be stolen.  Thus, they have to sell it (so 
they can make money) but not let you watch it (because you might steal 
it).  Vista will help them.

Mike

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