after reading this thread about windows vista
http://www.linuxquestions.org/news/linux362860.html

and then the hardware requirements here
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/09...hardware_reqs/

i came across HDCP. it is going to be used to encrypt video transmissions
from the computer to the monitor. vista is going to be the first os to
support this. if you have hd content you will need a new monitor that
supports this protocol or else you will be watching your content in low
quality or you will be looking at a blank screen.

my question. i really don't think that this is going to be implemented in
linux, for much the same reasons as why css wasn't. however does that
mean that nobody using linux or any other free os is going to be able to
watch hd content. or as i suspect is going to happen. it will not really be
a problem at all. if i can already watch hd content on old monitors that
were made ages ago before hdcp ever existed why would i bother to
upgrade my monitor and everything else. my thought is that anybody
that wants to watch hd content on their older hardware, which at the
moment means bascially every monitor is use today, they could easily
switch to linux or stay with their older windows os, like 2000 or xp.

will someone explain to me why this is not the case, because i would really
love to know why anyone would buy a newer os that offers less
functionality.

what would seem logical is that the only way that you would be able to
watch hd content is on these newer softare and hardware devices. again,
given that i can already watch hd content, how do they plan on taking
that away from me.

is there someone more familiar with the more technical aspects of this to
explain why this is happening.

its my understanding that the monitors only display bitmap data, and don't deal with windows or things, so such a protocol must be in the display system that the OS uses. If thats the case, then simply not using it would be good enough, or use a work around (which would be put in the proper places in the video system (X mainly i think, if its even needed)).

In any case, to prevent content from simply being copied into a new file with different monitor rights, then the file must be encrypted and scrambled to prevent such tasks, thus the content would not be available outside of any video player that could play that codec/file. Thus it wouldn't matter what OS you use, but in windows, the player would enforce the monitor thingy, thus this new monitor protocol crap is worthless outside of windows, cause only it would enforce it, and even if it could be enforced at the hardware level, work arounds/something would be made eventually under Linux, they almost always are.

Well I just read the crap. All I can say is open the flood gates because there are gonna be alot off pissed off people come time to build a new system to satisfy the new os. The rig in my sig is just a few months old and I have got 5 years use out of every system I have ever built and this one will be no exception. LQ better open the flood gates. This a time for linux to step up to the plate and let consumers know someone still cares about the hard earned money people have spent building new computers.