HDTV's copy-protection leaves content stuck in the box

October 18, 2004

With the FCC
enforcement on the broadcast flag for digital TV content, it is likely that
HDTV programming is going to be mainly limited to recording only within a
set-top box PVR. Even Microsoft is
facing problems in implementing HDTV into its Windows XP Media Center Edition
due to the very strict
limitations imposed.

At the moment, unprotected HD broadcasts such as terrestrial broadcasts
do not pose much of a problem, however as broadcasters gradually start to
protect their content, any HDTV equipment that relies on unprotected broadcasts
will become obsolete. Even set top
boxes that support Firewire hook-up for content transfer to a PC must not
allow flagged content to be transferred. A "Cable Card" (not commercially
released yet) aims to over come this by performing the same operation of a set
top box while imposing the FCC's Plug and play restrictions. This card would then plug into suitable
recording equipment for receiving HDTV cable.

Finally
even with unprotected HDTV content, getting the content transferred to removable
storage such as recordable DVD is another issue. A typical HD broadcast uses 15 to
20Mbps, requiring between 6.75GB and 9GB per hour's worth of recording. As a result, a dual-layer DVD would only
hold up to an hours worth of HDTV unless it is re-encoded into a more efficient
codec such as MPEG4. GristyMcFisty submitted the
following news via our news
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Copyright uncertainty is limiting HD
recording-gear options, leaving cable networks' HD content stuck in the
set-top box, for now

With the cost of high-definition TV sets
continuing to drop and HD programming's availability rising, it's more
than a little disappointing that sophisticated gear such the Microsoft
Media Center PC has such limited ability to handle HDTV. When equipped
with a digital tuner, Media Center can show and record HD programming, but
only from local broadcast stations -- no ESPN, no HDNet, no HBO.

The difficulty is with the unsettled
state of copy protection for HD programming rather than any technical
issue. Until now, HD content has been sent out unprotected over cable and
satellite systems. With some new Federal Communications Commission rules
in place and equipment capable of recording HD video hitting the market,
content owners are starting to apply protection -- but the hardware and
software needed to allow video recorders to comply with the protection
schemes aren't ready.

Joe Belfiore, general manager of
Microsoft's eHome group, says uncertainty about just how to handle content
protection forced the decision to limit HD capabilities in the new version
of Windows XP Media Center Edition announced Oct. 12. He says two basic
ways exist to get HD content from cable into the Media Center PC: "One was
for us, in effect, to become the cable set-top box."

Read the full article
here.

If many broadcasters do decide to protect their
programming, this may pose a problem with the upcoming HD optical disc formats
even if one succeeds in becoming the main standard. At the moment, the
only limitation current DVD recorders enforce is not being able to record
Macrovision protected content. Then again, generally only premium
pay-per-view content and DVDs use this protection. However, with the
broadcast flag, even programmes as basic as soaps, comedies and game shows may
use the flag to limit recording capabilities, thus blocking any optical drives
that are broadcast flag compliant.

Feel free to discuss
about HDTV and HD equipment on our Satellite, HD-TV, Blu-ray and HD-DVD
Forum.

Source: BusinessWeek Online - Technology