Sony's BWU-100A Blu-ray drives get new software

CNET Australia reports that PCs now have a solution to that pesky problem of, you know, not having any software that can actually play Blu-ray discs on Sony's newest drive. Sony has just released a downloadable update to its bundled PowerDVD app so that its BWU-100A Blu-ray drives will work, allowing for out-of-the-box playback of commercial discs -- of course, that assumes you have an HDCP-compliant graphics card as well. In related news, CyberLink, the maker of PowerDVD, released a similar update for LG's Blu-ray drives as well.

[Via EngadgetHD]

[Josh Warner @ Sep 29th 2006 7:04PM]

Show me an HDCP-compliant graphics card and I'll show you a waste of money. I want to watch HD content on my X800XT, which is perfectly capable of displaying 1080p to any monitor or HDTV out there. My LCD displays native 720p. Either I get HD content without upgrading commercially (since my components are PERFECTLY capable) or - mark my words - I will find a source that can get me content that will play.

HDCP = the biggest incentive to pirate *ever*. They really f***ed up this one - unless it gets cracked and cracked hard (like DeCSS) or this entire generation is DoA.

[Tony Rayo @ Sep 29th 2006 7:42PM]

Okay Josh, I guess I would have to show you your own video card as it supports HDCP (the card was designed with HDTV playback in mind afterall). You can even get an component output for the card. Your card is probably not the problem, your LCD panel has to support HDCP as well (I bought a Dell LCD/TV with HDCP over DVI for that exact reason). What LCD do you have? You might not have a hardware issue at all.

- Tony R.

[Tony Rayo @ Sep 29th 2006 7:45PM]

http://digg.com/tech_news/ATI_knowingly_makes_false_claims_about_having_HDCP_support

[Tony Rayo @ Sep 29th 2006 7:46PM]

Sorry text didn't show up after link, I said "or maybe not". I guess I was reading from an old data-sheet =/.

- Tony R.

[Josh Warner @ Sep 29th 2006 8:13PM]

Yeah, basically the graphics companies haven't been very proactive on getting HDCP support and, per your link, sometime they have claimed it even when it didn't exist.

My card definitely does not have HDCP - very very few do. HDCP != HD, my card being able to display 1920x1080 doesn't mean it has HDCP (HDCP = invasive, unnecessary DRM to force monitor upgrades). High definition content does not have to be encrypted, there is no technical reason most legacy hardware couldn't display it (aside from not having a fast enough CPU to decode it) if the content creators hadn't decided to force unnecessary "upgrades" on people.

Bottom line: My computer is capable. Hell, my laptop is capable (just 720p, not 1080p). But neither is "allowed" by the MPAA "broadcast flag" nazis.

I'll return to my original message: I will not - repeat, NOT - be buying thousands of $$ of equipment to display content my components already have the ability to output.

The consumer's choice: Buy crippled, DRM'ed, media (but give MPAA execs another Ferrari) OR find a version on teh intarwebz that is just as good, has no restrictions, and doesn't force arbitrary upgrades. Oh, and the latter option is also free.

It's a toughie, really.

[DJ Hiphop @ Sep 29th 2006 8:16PM]

It was my understanding that there aren't any commercial blu ray releases that use the HDCP flags yet, so this might not actually be an issue. Anyone else have more information?

[Josh Warner @ Sep 29th 2006 8:26PM]

Just to head off some probable comments - online music stores like iTunes' buisness model don't apply here. The applicable analogy is the (effectively dead) "high definition" audio formats DVD-A and SACD.

iTunes and company only work because the DRM is transparent to the customer. The songs they buy work on all of their current hardware. iTunes forces no upgrades on people, and most don't even know the DRM is there.

I actually think this war will be the best possible thing for DRM, because it will make DRM (in the form of AACS and HDCP) painfully obvious to the average consumer. Whose anger will be slow to develop, but terrible once unleased.

Wait for the outcry over this - Joe Sixpack will be up in arms soon.

[Corey @ Sep 29th 2006 9:20PM]

What's pathetic is I'm not even shocked...it's Sony we're talking about here people...when was the last time they did something right? I think it might have been G-Shock protection on their CD Walkmans...sad.

[Jimmy Palmer @ Sep 30th 2006 9:50AM]

Guys, I do not like DRM. If you doubt that, look at http://www.drmblog.com to see how I feel. However, none of the current HD DVDs nor any of the Blu Ray discs have HDCP activated. At some point in the future this will be activated but until then you can watch these HD discs on any HD capable device. This includes Josh's laptop and all of the HDTVs out there with no HDMI or DVI inputs.

I am still not saying that these next generation formats are a good value for consumers right now but HDCP is *currently* not the problem. Lack of selection and bad hardware implementations are much more serious problems at this point.

[Josh Warner @ Sep 30th 2006 12:21PM]

Jimmy, you are confusing HDCP with the image constraint token. Yes, they would let me play stuff on my monitor... for now. BUT, HDCP represents an "encrypted path" which starts at the drive and ends at the monitor. The MPAA is so worried about you stealing their content between the drive and the vid card, that they have forced (as in, not optional like ICT) you to have a HDCP compliant vid card to decode this. At that point you could output it to any capable monitor minus the HDCP... but only in analog form. DVI users would be out of luck or forced to switch to VGA.

If you'd RTFA, you would have seen this which proves my point:
HDCP encrypts the digital signal output from a Blu-ray player, and to decrypt this signal, a HDCP-compliant graphics card that offers DVI or HDMI connections is required. Currently, HDCP-compliant cards include Nvidia's GeForce 7600 GT, 7800 GTX, 7900 GX2, 7900 GTX and 7950 GX2 range, and ATI's X1600, X1800 and X1900 chips.

HD DVD, the other next-generation disc format that's currently competing with Blu-ray to be the successor to regular DVD, also requires specially tailored playback software and HDCP-compliant graphics.


So, they both require it and it's non-optional.

[jsjeetley @ Oct 3rd 2006 12:31PM]

The implementation of HDCP onto content using the BD and HD DVD media is used by hollywood studios to prevent piracy. Unfortunately this does require investing in a BD drive, an up to date graphic card, appropriate monitor (which are hardly available). Hooking up your Lcd HD tv but requires the DVI to HDMI cable.
Not all BD and HD-DVD's will support HDCP rather like not all dvd's support Macrovision.

www.blu-raychoice.com