HDCP, short for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, a digital-only content protection technology associated with HDMI and DVI interfaces, is developed by Intel Corporation. It is designed for the protection of high-value digital motion pictures, television programs, and audio for it can encrypt a digital signal with a key that requires authentication from the transmitting and receiving product. Unauthorized interception and copying between a digital set top box or digital video recorder and a digital TV or PC is thus forbidden. The only thing which enables people to get access to the signal and unlock the secured content is a license key, which is set inside of the HDMI or DVI interface.
The common products which contain HDMI or DVI interface are televisions, Blu-ray disc players, cable/satellite set-top boxes, splitters, switchers, video recorders, and computer, etc. therefore, these products can be applied into use as long as they are compatible with HDCP. However, not every product is compatible with HDCP. As a result, the compatibility issue needs to be settled down. Then, how to fix HDCP compatibility problem?
Generally speaking, the feasible way to fix the compatibility issue is to discard the original device and replace them with new ones that are compatible with HDCP or to give up using the HDMI or DVI cable. In other words, there is no way and no device can change the fact that HDMI and DVI interface is not compatible with HDCP. On the other hand, non-digital cables like coaxial, RCA, component, s-video have no such issues because HDCP is digital-only.
Nonetheless, new device which can work as a HDMI/HDCP or DVI/HDCP converter is expected to be developed. In that way, the compatibility problem can be solved easily. Moreover, all HDCP-less televisions and devices can remain useful with Blu-ray and other digital media.
