The USB Implementer's Forum, a body responsible for the development of the near-ubiquitous USB standard, has announced that it is trying to develop a version of USB which incorporates the HDCP copy protection system and would allow protected high definition content to be sent over USB wires.
This could allow compatible devices, including PCs and TVs, to communicate via a method other than HDMI or DVI.
It's not clear whether a software upgrade would turn existing equipment with USB ports into compatible systems, or whether new hardware would be required, though I suspect the latter.
Whether it's needed is another matter. Though HDMI, and even DVI, is not as common on computers as it is on TVs, it probably soon will be.
Dual USB ports have already been used by some manufacturers to run "plug and play" monitors, so it's not surprising that content owners would like greater control on how it's transferred.
Good idea to slap encryption and copy protection on a well-established hardware format which currently allows free data flow? I don't think so.
(Via Yahoo Tech)
