Katie MarsalCalming a controversial situation, Apple on Tuesday night released a new QuickTime update that allows standard definition iTunes movies to play over the new MacBooks' DisplayPort to older displays.
This is known to include any display that attaches through the VGA adapter and should also permit similar playback on DVI-equipped displays without HDCP encryption built-in. High definition content isn't immediately affected as TV shows typically aren't required to use the copy protection format.
Apple's change brings the Mac closer into step with the typical behavior of other movie stores and the movie disc industry, which often permits much less restricted playback for regular DVD- or TV-level resolution video but places tighter controls on HD.
Wesley Hilliard
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37 Comments
It shouldn't really stop anything from playing. SD content should be let straight through, and HD content should be degraded to SD on the fly.
There shouldn't be any difference at all. HD is not worth more than SD, certainly not from a piracy point of view. This is the content industry pretending there is more value in HD than there actually is, and overreacting to protect it in an ineffective and batshit insane manner.
Apple is complicit in all this as well, they implemented the system for iTunes, they sell the content and make some amount of money on it, and such content makes their own hardware more attractive.
There shouldn't be any difference at all. HD is not worth more than SD, certainly not from a piracy point of view.
Wait, what? Of course it is. Doubly so, since BD+ is kind of a hassle at present time, so the easiest way to store the files on your computer is through piracy. Also, if you didn't remember, the iTunes store is pretty much the only legal way to watch HD shows and movies on a Mac.
ascii:
HDCP doesn't necessarily connect to the resolution, though. For that, you need to have the Image Constraint Token (ICT), and even many Blu-ray movies don't use that.
It shouldn't really stop anything from playing. SD content should be let straight through, and HD content should be degraded to SD on the fly.
HD should be degraded to SD on the fly? How about "HDCP shouldn't exist at all."?