With all the fuss surrounding the now infamous HDCP system for new-format discs, it seems very wise of Sony opt out of the “Image Constraint Token” on its forthcoming Blu-ray format titles. The full restrictions of this anti-piracy system would normally mean that analogue outputs from a Blu-ray player would be flagged, then downsized to a resolution of less than full HD.
We recently reported that early HDTV sets, which do not contain the HDCP compliant HDMI input, would suffer from this problem. Sony’s pledge to not include this protective measure means that early HD adopters can rest assured that initial Blu-ray discs will allow them to enjoy their full high definition quality. Furthermore Sony has not indicated any plans to reintroduce the Image Constraint Token in releases in the immediate future, choosing instead to hold that card back until the piracy becomes too rife.
However, the cynic in me would say that Blu-ray’s opening line up, consisting of “50 First Dates”, “The Last Waltz”, “House of Flying Daggers”, “The Fifth Element”, “Stealth”, “Kung Fu Hustle”, “Legends of the Fall” and “Underworld Evolution”, probably isn’t worth pirating anyway.
via Sound And Vision
That is great news! I have a 60 inch HDTV but it only has component no DVI and no HDMI so there was no reason for me to buy HD DVD because I wouldn't be able to watch them in HD! But in light of this I think I'm going to be an early adoptor! Thank you Sony!!