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Topic: Will PC audio become HDCP compliant? (Read 6984 times) previous topic - next topic
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Will PC audio become HDCP compliant?

Has anyone heard anything about high quality audio becoming HDCP complaint? If so does it mean that existing external DACs without out HDCP (e.g. SPDIF) will become obsolete? Also, what is to stop someone from ripping a next gen audio format (dvd audio etc...) to something like flac and then playing it out over a non-HDCP connection?
I only ask cause I was considering buying a DAC for my PC but then I saw that ASUS are introducing sound cards with HDMI connections. Will this change in connection formats lock out SPDIF only DACs from High def audio?

Will PC audio become HDCP compliant?

Reply #1 –
In my opinion there is little point in a "protected HDMI" for PC. The Personal Computer itself is an insecure environment for the Copyright. If somebody wants to rip, he will do that before the data has left the PC. Imagine how much space and bandwidth would be required to capture uncompressed video travelling over DVI? And time needed to re-encode it later.

Will PC audio become HDCP compliant?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: j7n on
In my opinion there is little point in a "protected HDMI" for PC. The Personal Computer itself is an insecure environment for the Copyright. If somebody wants to rip, he will do that before the data has left the PC. Imagine how much space and bandwidth would be required to capture uncompressed video travelling over DVI? And time needed to re-encode it later.


Thanks for your reply. My knowledge of a PCs workings is very limited but if what you say is true then why does vista require HDCP graphics cards and monitors for blu-ray? As you say, I assume it will eventually be possible to rip high def formats 'inside' the PC. Is it possible for studios to produce rip proof media? Also, I'm really interested to know if audio outputs, like video, may become protected under vista, if I am to consider an external DAC.

Will PC audio become HDCP compliant?

Reply #3 –
Quote from: DuncanG on
Has anyone heard anything about high quality audio becoming HDCP complaint? If so does it mean that existing external DACs without out HDCP (e.g. SPDIF) will become obsolete? Also, what is to stop someone from ripping a next gen audio format (dvd audio etc...) to something like flac and then playing it out over a non-HDCP connection?
I only ask cause I was considering buying a DAC for my PC but then I saw that ASUS are introducing sound cards with HDMI connections. Will this change in connection formats lock out SPDIF only DACs from High def audio?
FWIW I'm not aware of any HDMI soundcards, but I do know that HDCP-compliant video cards already exist. Whether or not these can output audio like the HDMI spec allows, I don't know.

Also, AFAIK DVD-A and SACD were developed before HDCP. IIRC SACD for one dealt with the copying "problem" by disabling digital audio outputs on playback devices, thus defeating the purpose of the SACD in the first place  I'm really not sure how it goes with DVD-A, but in any case the lack of exclusive releases in either format and the demise of the infinitely more popular CD seem to indicate that neither DVD-A nor SACD are likely to be major features of the future audio landscape.

If you really want to worry about something, you could worry about DRMed audio files, but even that's been falling apart rather rapidly.
EAC>1)fb2k>LAME3.99 -V 0 --vbr-new>WMP12 2)MAC-Extra High

Will PC audio become HDCP compliant?

Reply #4 –
I won't attempt to predict how popular the HDCP-enabled interconnect will become. I only wish that people were brave enough to say "no" to crap like this. Ripping of HD disks is already possible. So the additional requirement for HDCP is pointless. But it's there, nevertheless. Unrippable disks are those for which a computer drive does not exist.

Quote
what is to stop someone from ripping a next gen audio format and then playing it out over a non-HDCP connection?

Lack of information, and perhaps inability to handle a computer on an advanced level. Microsoft had stated that they will turn off untrustworthy interfaces only when the content provider requests so. I suppose this will only happen while a bluray/dvda/whatever player is active. Already ripped content should not be affected.

Does anybody know if Vista will examine all streams for watermarks? (So that's what the quad core is for!)

Quote
Will this change in connection formats lock out SPDIF only DACs from High def audio?

A single SPDIF link cannot transmit the next-gen formats. Existing links working at 48k/24 won't suddenly cease to function.

Will PC audio become HDCP compliant?

Reply #5 –
Finding out about HDCP came as a surprise but its doesn't greatly concern me unless it invalidates my existing set-up. I think if studios unanimously decide to adopt DRMed media then there is little the consumer can do. When it comes to DRMed compressed audio files I have never owned one, and I hope I never do. I'll buy music as long as I can transport it to the platform of my choice, but not when its locked inside my pc. Also the MSN Music debacle serves as an example of the risks that DRMed music exposes to consumers. I'm not in principle opposed to studios trying to protect their content but overly draconian/clumsy DRM will only serve to aggravate people who buy and enjoy music. I think if studios want to alleviate piracy they should strike a deal with ISPs to police their networks, if this is possible?

In regard to SPDIF and next gen audio I've seen SPDIF DACs that can handle 24-bit/192-kHz stereo. Is next gen audio going to surpass this or will it just be non-PCM? As I understand it anything above 24-bit/192-kHz per channel is superfluous, as people will not be able to hear the difference. (See below)

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=62478

Will PC audio become HDCP compliant?

Reply #6 –
S/PDIF can't be used to send multichannel. From the fequency point of view a single link could do standard definition Quad 4.0 (192/4 = 48). But I don't think it's a standard.

Will PC audio become HDCP compliant?

Reply #7 –
I guess that depends upon whether you class the bitperfect AC3/DTS passthrough on CM8378-based soundcards enabled by dOgbert's custom drivers via S/PDIF as being multichannel or not. 

Cheers, Slipstreem.