Why HDCP is still used despite being utterly broken is simply the fact that it gives media corporations 'control'. You know those anti-circumvention laws for DRM? Yeah. Even DVDs still ship with CSS for this reason - when RealNetworks released RealDVD, their DVD ripping program (which wasn't even particularly good or useful, as it produced Real Media files with Real's own DRM included), they were sued by DVD Copy Control Association and lost.[1] So even if the DRM itself is utterly broken, when combined with anti-circumvention laws it allows the media industry to shut down any "rogue players" - in other words, it gives them control. And the gatekeepers, oh, they just love control.
I think you're correct about 'control', but that begs a question:
Why is control that important? It's not control for the sake of generating money, they'd probably make more money, in a bigger industry, if they didn't exert such fine-grained control. Is it that much fun to dictate popular culture, or is something else going on behind the scenes, other than hookers and blow?
That's not the main reason. If it were, then Hollywood would have stuck with CSS for Bluray and HD-DVD instead of making AACS. They tried hard with AACS: unlike CSS, it uses a real, peer-reviewed encryption algorithm (AES) and has a very complex key management system. Hollywood was really hoping to get a technical solution to DRM and not a purely legal one. (Of course it failed in the end.)
The real reason why these broken DRM systems like HDCP and AACS are still around is because there are millions of players/TVs/discs in the field and you can't break all of them by introducing a new DRM system. I strongly suspect that Hollywood will attempt a new DRM system at the earliest opportunity (perhaps when there's a successor to HD?).
If decryptors are criminal then only criminals will have decryptors. The legal side of things isn't going to bother the commercial rippers one single bit; they'll just stream from somewhere that hasn't signed up to the Berne convention. Burma is close to both Thailand and Bangladesh no? You want to buy a cheap copy of movie mister? Top quality! Work in US and EU.
If infringement goes to court, the content owner needs to prove that they took adequate measures to protect their property and that they tried their best to alert the consumers of what constitutes the violation.
This is why there are technical updates to DRM systems (they need to be reasonable, but in the interest of consumers backwards compatibility can waive that requirement) and also why there are the non-skippable FBI warnings on discs.
HDCP (the copyright protection mechanism in HDMI) is broken. I don't mean just a little bit broken, I mean
thoroughly, comprehensively, irredeemably and very
publicly broken. Broken in such a way that any possible
recovery would mean layering it with so much additional
new infrastructure as to render it entirely pointless.
Broken. B-R-O-K-E-N.
.... So why, then, is it still being shoved down my throat?
Easy. The licensing and "intellectual property" laws combine to allow some set of corporate entities to create at least a price-fixing cartel around HD Tee Vee. They probably got the idea from the success of the DVDCCA (http://www.dvdcca.org/). If you don't/can't pay the licensing fees for HDMI, you can't make products. HDMI probably keeps the riff-raff (rampant competition) out.
Clearly true, as stripping HDCP, while useful for interoperability with noncompliant devices, is an obviously fussy and inefficient way to store or distribute video supplied in a compressed format with cracked DRM (e.g., Blu-ray, iTunes).
Well, that and inertia, HDMI being the digital evolution of the old "analog hole".
"Freedom USA, which also operates under the names AVADirect and AntaresPro, makes several devices which allow consumers to convert HDCP-encrypted digital signals to analog signals. This means that users could potentially record pay-per-view broadcasts, including Hollywood movies."
"Aside from the 'piracy' element brought up in the complaint the devices sold by Freedom USA also have legitimate uses, such as connecting a new set-top box to an older TV or monitor."
This garbage is definitely costing them sales. I bought a blu-ray player/receiver thingus and it wouldn't work with my Roku player because they could not negotiate mutually-acceptable encryption most of the time, resulting in solid green fields instead of movies. So instead of being happy and buying blu-ray discs, I just returned it and continue to not buy any of those.
Even more curious (but equally broken) are the myriad DRM protocols that operate between consumer devices across the network. The main reason DRM is used in these scenarios is that a lot of the leading content owners (mostly Hollywood) make it a requirement before releasing their content digitally. Having seen the reference source code for some of them, I can tell you that we have nothing to fear, and that the claims each new system makes regarding innovation are farcical.
Some of these protocols currently in use include Coral, OMA, OMA2, Windows Media 9, Playready, Marlin, Widevine, etc.
Also, HDCP is spiritually the successor to Macrovision Analog Protection System (APS) on videotapes. For more information on where this is headed at present (dead as the whole DRM area is), see also DTCP+, HDCP's latest content protection specification.
PS. Adam, if you read this, nice meeting you in Bangkok a few years back. I am sort of based there now, just back in China for a spell.
Cinavia has been in my sights for a while. Every once in a while, I end up rereading the main patent and doing research, and it looks like a formidable challenger. I'd really like to take it on, if I ever had free time; it's been a while since I've done DRM reversing, and it's ridiculously well designed, thus fun.
That doesn't prevent ripping, does it? Just playing back burned discs. I don't know anyone who burns the movies they download onto DVDs (or whatever) before watching them.
Adam said that an HDCP-stripper can generate a key on-the-fly, thereby making it impossible to revoke. Does such a device exist? It was my understanding that all HDCP-stripper available were using static keys (which have to be reprogrammed by the end-user with a new key in the event the key is revoked).
I didn't infer it exists from the article. HD Fury is the only stripper I know of, it's "Now supplied with mini USB connector for firmware updates." It's also pricey. I found it when looking for a way to use my DVI Cinema Display with my Apple TV (1g).
Yes it's completely broken but its rarely the best point of attack anyway. Dealing with uncompressed video input is hassle and needs significant hardware compared to a way to capture the compressed data from a Blu-ray. Plus there is a generational compression loss of quality.
You've gat to love the comment on TFA saying something like: "It doesn't matter that it can be broken by experienced crackers, it's just to keep the honest man honest".
That is so wrong: all it takes is that each one of the warez group builds one like this and then they can rip anything "big media" produces and then put it on torrent or underground movie-sharing networks.
(oh the memories taking my bycicle when I was 12 to meet people in parking lots to trade 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" floppy disks ; )
The snicker net will still work when the Internet police will come. It will be lower bandwidth (or higher depending on the size of the exchanged HDDs :), high latency but will work.
[+] [-] Daiz|13 years ago|reply
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RealNetworks,_Inc._v._DVD_Copy_....
[+] [-] bediger4000|13 years ago|reply
Why is control that important? It's not control for the sake of generating money, they'd probably make more money, in a bigger industry, if they didn't exert such fine-grained control. Is it that much fun to dictate popular culture, or is something else going on behind the scenes, other than hookers and blow?
[+] [-] noonespecial|13 years ago|reply
The technical part isn't the part that matters.
[+] [-] agwa|13 years ago|reply
The real reason why these broken DRM systems like HDCP and AACS are still around is because there are millions of players/TVs/discs in the field and you can't break all of them by introducing a new DRM system. I strongly suspect that Hollywood will attempt a new DRM system at the earliest opportunity (perhaps when there's a successor to HD?).
[+] [-] EvanAnderson|13 years ago|reply
Makes me think of Dimitry Sklyarov and Adobe back in '01:
http://www.zdnet.com/news/dimitry-sklyarov-enemy-or-friend/1...
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/2001...
[+] [-] tankenmate|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] julianpye|13 years ago|reply
This is why there are technical updates to DRM systems (they need to be reasonable, but in the interest of consumers backwards compatibility can waive that requirement) and also why there are the non-skippable FBI warnings on discs.
[+] [-] bediger4000|13 years ago|reply
HDCP (the copyright protection mechanism in HDMI) is broken. I don't mean just a little bit broken, I mean thoroughly, comprehensively, irredeemably and very publicly broken. Broken in such a way that any possible recovery would mean layering it with so much additional new infrastructure as to render it entirely pointless. Broken. B-R-O-K-E-N. .... So why, then, is it still being shoved down my throat?
Easy. The licensing and "intellectual property" laws combine to allow some set of corporate entities to create at least a price-fixing cartel around HD Tee Vee. They probably got the idea from the success of the DVDCCA (http://www.dvdcca.org/). If you don't/can't pay the licensing fees for HDMI, you can't make products. HDMI probably keeps the riff-raff (rampant competition) out.
[+] [-] jasomill|13 years ago|reply
Well, that and inertia, HDMI being the digital evolution of the old "analog hole".
[+] [-] lucian1900|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bnewbold|13 years ago|reply
http://torrentfreak.com/warner-bros-and-intel-sue-over-hdcp-...
"Freedom USA, which also operates under the names AVADirect and AntaresPro, makes several devices which allow consumers to convert HDCP-encrypted digital signals to analog signals. This means that users could potentially record pay-per-view broadcasts, including Hollywood movies."
"Aside from the 'piracy' element brought up in the complaint the devices sold by Freedom USA also have legitimate uses, such as connecting a new set-top box to an older TV or monitor."
[+] [-] jonny_eh|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thrownaway2424|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] contingencies|13 years ago|reply
Some of these protocols currently in use include Coral, OMA, OMA2, Windows Media 9, Playready, Marlin, Widevine, etc.
Also, HDCP is spiritually the successor to Macrovision Analog Protection System (APS) on videotapes. For more information on where this is headed at present (dead as the whole DRM area is), see also DTCP+, HDCP's latest content protection specification.
PS. Adam, if you read this, nice meeting you in Bangkok a few years back. I am sort of based there now, just back in China for a spell.
[+] [-] dbcooper|13 years ago|reply
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinavia
Slysoft intends to release a product that negates it, but I am unaware of any success so far. There have been work-arounds for the PS3 though.
The doom9 forum thread can be a good place to read about it.
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=155777
[+] [-] daeken|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] duaneb|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] shmerl|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mrb|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bbrian|13 years ago|reply
http://www.hdfury.com/
[+] [-] josephlord|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] csense|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] martinced|13 years ago|reply
That is so wrong: all it takes is that each one of the warez group builds one like this and then they can rip anything "big media" produces and then put it on torrent or underground movie-sharing networks.
(oh the memories taking my bycicle when I was 12 to meet people in parking lots to trade 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" floppy disks ; )
[+] [-] crististm|13 years ago|reply