Sapphire announces first HDMI-HDCP video card

Looks like someone is finally taking advantage of that "HDCP support" advertised -- but never delivered -- by ATI, and making an actual HDMI-HDCP video card. The new card, from Sapphire, is an RADEON X1600Pro with 128MB of GDDR3 memory, but we can't tell if it's the same as the pictured ATI HDMI card we saw leaked last month. Either way, looks like it'll be out in April -- hopefully not too late for consumers to sort out this HD mess the industry has made for them.

Update: Looks like that leaked picture was of a GeCube card, not of this new Sapphire card (now pictured).

[billflu @ Mar 8th 2006 6:19AM]

It's probably better to wait this one out a little longer til things get sorted out.

[jon @ Mar 8th 2006 6:19AM]

no way. is this the card that will let us play actual HD DVD or BD encryption by the AAAS? or is this another "maybe not until you buy another upgrade" thing?

[MadaMadaDane @ Mar 8th 2006 6:28AM]

The best solution is of course to not buy anything crippled with HDCP 'features.'

Why again should we pay the manufacturers and movie studios not to trust us?

[Revrant @ Mar 8th 2006 6:36AM]

Cheers to that one Dane.

Here we go again, Engadget whoring itself out to the anti-consumer standard which the good little sheep continue to sue and fret over, what is this? Hip-Corporates.com? How about giving a post against this anti-consumer crap we have to pay for? That'd be a nice change from the cute little remarks against ATI, who said "ready", and not "compliant", I might add.

[sockatume @ Mar 8th 2006 6:51AM]

What's hypocritical here, exactly? They're not saying they like HDCP, just that this card does support it (unlike several dozen cards which have implicit support but do not actually provide it). Are you saying that every single post which mentions HDCP should have some sort of disclaimer? Something like:

"ATi recieved their first HDCP (damn its soul) compliant card today. HDCP (damn its soul) is a requirement for playing Blu Ray (we don't like that) or HD-DVD (or that) movies"?

What sort of woo-woo land is this where you're a hypocrite for reporting neutrally?

Also, WTF is a "hip corporate"?

[XGM @ Mar 8th 2006 8:12AM]

I say why do we even need HD

[Revrant @ Mar 8th 2006 9:24AM]

Gee, I wonder if making little remarks about a company due to their non-compliance with an anti-consumer standard and then going off and supporting the "Apple Revolution" is hypocritical? I just don't know.

More like reporting against anti-consumer standards instead of whoring itself out to them, they barely got on Sony for the anti-consumer discovery, it took loads of hate to get a slight remark here or there. Oh boy though, when a company doesn't support an anti-consumer standard which doesn't even *exist* yet, Engadget is all *over* that, smartass remarks left and right. Neutral my ****ing ***.

Hip to be corporate, that escape you? Where the hell are you? The nineteen eighties?

[mpdxrules @ Mar 8th 2006 10:35AM]

Does this mean the end of DVI for PC monitors. I dont see it on this card. I understand you can get an adaptor, but I always feel a straight connection is better.

[sockatume @ Mar 8th 2006 12:26PM]

Yeah, I'm posting from the 1980s. The movies are better but the government's worse. Go figure.

[Revrant @ Mar 8th 2006 1:37PM]

Worse? No no, you're definitely in 2006, my mistake.

[j @ Mar 8th 2006 2:02PM]

Theoretically, no HD DVD or BluRay. Full support for AACS will require hardware AES and other goo on the card itself.

[monkeypox @ Mar 8th 2006 2:09PM]

sapphire is actually the OEM for ATI video cards. they also "rebrand" the cards as their own and sell them separately. so yes, this would be the same card as ATI has shown.

[jason @ Mar 8th 2006 2:39PM]

Where's the DVI? :-(

[Brian @ Mar 8th 2006 3:18PM]

The way they implemented it was kind of back-asswards. I was expecting the next gen cards to drop the VGA completely, and make the boards HDMI+DVI-I (with an included VGA adapter).

It just seems stupid to keep putting VGA ports on cards (or even motherboards with integrated graphics) in this day and age. Apple had the right idea making the mini DVI-I by default, why can't any other manufacturer get with the program?

[Revrant @ Mar 9th 2006 7:53AM]

Not everyone likes LCDs, no one in my family has one, they just cost too much, it's nice of them to continue support for the standard, I think it should be supported on all motherboards for another five years, so ATI and it's OEMs wouldn't feel at all obligated.

Apple had a lot of great ideas, too bad about the results, and let me tell you this, adapters are dangerous to some degree even if correctly used, most included ones are large and heavy, that much stress on the ports is never a good thing.

I'm still all for companies refusing to comply with HDCP, or it's brethren, I'm hoping against hope I can cling to an OEM of whom refuses to support a bastard standard.