Windows Vista Protected Media Path DRM already broken?
By Ryan Block 
posted Jan 29th 2007 6:44PM
posted Jan 29th 2007 6:44PM
It sounds like we may have another name to add to the pantheon of anti-DRM digital freedom fighters: Alex Ionescu, who's claiming his driver signing bypass method allows end users to bypass Vista's Protected Media Path DRM (the junky stuff that prevents you from watching "premium" content and HD material on non-HDCP outputs, like component, VGA, older HDMI TVs, etc.) Using Alex's technique (which has yet to be released to the general public, for fear of going the way of our man Viodentia), no unsigned drivers are loaded in the process, thereby convincing the media applications that are scanning for anti-DRM "badware" that everything's peachy, go ahead and output that signal even though it may be through the analog hole. We'll all be waiting, Alex, for you to move to Sealand so you can release the hack, we've got a lot of HD DVD and Blu-ray movies to watch, and not a lot of patience for HDCP-carrying gear.[Via Slashdot, thanks gamebittk]
my vid card has HDCP what does this mean do i need special monitors? (X1950 xtx)
yes a hdcp-compliant one ;)
i'm screwed too with my 22' tft
Freedom is on the march!
What would be funny is if this hack ended up driving Vista purchases, unless there is a hack for Mac/Linux yet, which I don't believe there is.
One thing a lot of people don't get is that these exact same restrictions are going to be in any OS that wants to display HD in native resolutions. Unless someone has facts to prove me wrong I'm pretty sure that neither OS X or Linux can playback HD-DVD or BlueRay at native resolution without any DRM (HDCP) in place.
Hey, speaking of Viodentia, what ever happened to that guy? It has been over 120 days since the original post about him. 120 days was supposedly the timeline given by the Mr.SOfty Investigator to produce discovery and identify all the John Does involved. Can we get a Viodentia update? Maybe an interview from his Sealand hideout?
It might be worth noting that Alex Ionescu is the leader of the ReactOS project.
Interesting. Perhaps ReactOS plays some role in this, like using modified components or something (as some ReactOS files can be used in stead of the Windows ones).
Whoa... Almost posted this in with the old Viodentia comments. I'm curious too, though.
So they didn't really know who that Viodentia guy was/is anyway? Isn't that somewhat strange, suing him like that? Just hypothetically speaking... what if he turned out to be a lot of people, like a whole lot of people, all holding relatively equal responsibilty? Say he really turned out to be everyone opposed to DRM?
Metaphorically, he is. Suing him is a bit of a slap in the face, if there were any way for supporters to come immediately to his aid that would be different. I'm not aware of a direct way of doing that...
I'm not saying it isn't dishonest to break your agreement with a company, but when the agreement is so widespread hard to oppose I don't expect anyone to keep it. It's a corporation, with a mixed reputation at that, people don't feel like they're hurting anyone. I'm not suggesting that they really are, Microsoft won't go out of business over this. Worst case scenario they'll lose their hold of the market. Certainly wouldn't want that happening.
Go Alex.
let's get this straight?
Microsoft want me to pay them to upgrade to this pile of s****
As usual I'll be forced by 'Only works on Vista'.
All I want is an 'instant on' OS that uses minimal resources, doesn't bother me with who wrote it and sits in RAM so i can reset the whole thing when it gets virused.
Microsh*te are holding computing back in the dark ages, a computer can be so much more than a Microsoft bitch.
Sealand is currently uninhabitable due to fire damage last summer.
Hack away my beloved freedom fighters, hack away.
MS should offer a version without the DRM and without HDCP compliance. I'd buy that. As it is right now though, I'll keep using XP thanks.