As I understand it, the defaults for component video output have been, and will continue to be 480p. This flag will allow a greater 540p to be output.

Blu-Ray will probably do the same thing as Hd-dvd, as Sony has stated they don't want downrezzing.

The Player can use full HD over component. It's up to the studio to use 540p or not.

Here's Amir post about the studios.

"Actually, a number of studios don't care about setting this flag. So you can definitely expect to see HD DVD content at full resolution on component output. We will work on the rest and see what happens ."

That makes no sense what-so-ever. The DVD Forum has been adamant about not allowing upconversion of DVD over anythinb but HDMI. Why would they hold a strong stance with DVD, and not continue to hold it with HD-DVD? Also, why would Toshiba have put that stipulation in their product specs, if it wasn't actually something controlled by the player? I don't know what this guy Amir stepped in, but its starting to smell.

Because the encryption on dvd was already broken when the upconverting players started coming out. You might want to read up at AVS as Amir has been in charge of hd-dvd promotion for MS for some time now.

The reason that they don't allow DVD upconversion over component is because macrovision only works @ 480i/p. When the Macrovision scheme was designed for DVD's 480p was as high of a resolution as was available. If the DVD player passed 720p or 1080i over component it would be totally unprotected.

That makes sense. I guess if it the signal was open you could just plug it to a VCR with comp inputs and record?

Theoretically, I guess, but there's not a lot out there that'll let you do that. There's W-VHS, for instance, but there are so many problems with using that (analog, can't record multichannel audio, limited resolution, lack of available hardware, etc.) that there isn't an ideal way (at present) to exploit the 'analog hole' the studios are so fussy about.

ICT Downconverting official
 

High-def ‘down-converting’ forced
Consortium backs technology to prevent piracy on analog signals
By Paul Sweeting 1/19/2006

JAN. 19 | Some buyers of HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc players might not get everything they bargained for.

In a deal reached this week after tense negotiations, the eight-company consortium behind the Advanced Access Content System, created for use by both high-def formats to prevent unauthorized copying, has agreed to require hardware makers to bar some high-def signals from being sent from players to displays over analog connections, sources said.

Instead, the affected analog signal must be “down-converted” from the full 1920x1080 lines of resolution the players are capable of outputting to 960x540 lines—a resolution closer to standard DVDs than to high-def. Standard DVDs are typically encoded at 720 horizontal by 480 vertical lines of resolution.

The 960x540 standard stipulated in the AACS agreement represents 50% higher resolution than standard-def, but only one-quarter the resolution of full high-def. Whether a particular movie is down-converted will be up to the studio.

The players will be required to recognize and respond to a digital flag, called an Image Constraint Token, inserted into the movie data.

If the flag is set to “on,” the player must down-convert the analog signal. If set to “off,” the player can pass the full high-def signal over the analog connections.

The studios are divided over whether to require such down-conversion and are likely to follow separate policies.

Hardware makers had generally resisted the requirement, but under the new deal, ICT recognition will be included in the AACS license that all device makers and playback software vendors will have to sign.

Estimates differ on how many consumers might be affected by the new requirement.

Many first-generation HDTV sets are equipped only with analog inputs, because at the time they were manufactured, there was no agreed-on industry standard for copy-protected digital connections between devices.

Now that there is, however, the studios are anxious to move all signal traffic to protected digital inputs and outputs.

Although movies in both Blu-ray and HD DVD will be encrypted while on the disc, the digital encryption is lost once the signal is converted to analog. Some studios fear that pirates will be able to capture and record the unencrypted analog signal, which could then be re-converted into a pristine, unprotected digital copy.

Down-converting the analog signal from high-def to something closer to standard-definition would at least prevent pirates from starting with the highest-quality image.

The effect, however, will be to deny those HDTV owners with analog-only sets the full capabilities of the new disc formats.

As part of the deal with hardware makers, the studios will be required to disclose on a movie’s packaging whether the image will be down-converted.

Supporters of Image Constraint argue that few consumers will be able to tell the difference between down-converted analog and high-def.

Many so-called HDTV sets are actually capable of displaying only 720 lines of resolution, regardless of the source, so viewers would not be getting full high-def anyway, even over digital connections.

Once the analog image is down-sampled to 540 lines, moreover, players will be permitted to use a signal processor to “up-convert” it to 720 or 1,080 lines.

Although such up-conversion does not restore the detail lost through down-sampling, it does improve overall picture sharpness.

No studio would comment on whether it plans to take advantage of the Image Constraint option.

Within the AACS consortium, however, Warner Home Video was consistently the strongest proponent of the idea, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is not a member of AACS, but has argued against the idea in other forums.

AACS-member Disney, as well as non-members NBC Universal and Paramount, are likely to take advantage of the option, according to sources with knowledge of the studios’ thinking.

Although Sony is a member of AACS, where it sometimes clashed with Warner on the issue, sources said it is still unclear whether Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will take advantage of the ICT option now that it is in place.

Wow, this kind of talk really inspires me to move from DVD to HD-DVD. :rolleyes:

Hopefully manufacturers will put in a badly hidden hack to defeat the flag.

D

Quote:
If the flag is set to “on,” the player must down-convert the analog signal. If set to “off,” the player can pass the full high-def signal over the analog connections.

Well,I guess someone will need to figure out a way to turn that off.It's only a matter of time.Will that be considered a special feature? "This movie has not been downconverted".

If you own a 16:9 HD with HDMI that outputs 1080i, is this a concern at all?

This only concerns those people who have TVs without HDMI inputs and would have to use component instead.

Exactly what I was thinking...

:wave: Sorry, stupid question, my HD set is probably about two and half years old, and I don't think it has any inputs besides component (the round colored ones), coaxial and s-video. What shape is this HDMI input?

http://www.ecat.sony.co.jp/products/...PL-HS3_006.jpg

HDCP-compliant DVI inputs will work too.

http://www.dlpstore.com/techguide/images/DVI.gif

Thank god mine has HDMI. I'd be pissed right now if it didn't.

But I really wouldn't worry about it. Someone somewhere is going to come out with a player that won't downconvert.

Thank god I have HDCP compliant DVI.

The worst part of all this is that pirates will break the encryption anyways and only paying customers will get the shaft.

As always. I hate how shortsighted the movie and music industry is when it comes to stuff like this.

They don't even have to. No players sold in Japan will downconvert. Pirates only have to take a plane to Tokyo and grab a hidef player. Hey presto! Fully functioning analog outputs!

Don't be so sure of that. The players can have the ICT capability, it just can't be used. Yet.

http://www.tgdaily.com/2005/12/19/aa...ess/page2.html

Thanks Adam, those don't look familiar, but I'll give it another look tonite.

Interesting.

I would think there would be a problem if they make a player with an internal calendar without knowing whether the law will be renewed or not. Unless I'm missing some vital understanding of law, those players couldn't be manufactured until 2010 or 2011 at the earliest.

What seems more likely to me is that ICT will exist for those players, but will require a firmware update to be enabled.