AnalogSunset
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Is Samsung applying Analog Sunset 480p only rules to its new HDTVs? No.
Over the weekend news popped up at CEPro that industry forums were buzzing about Samsung's new D series LED HDTVs only supporting a maximum 480p resolution through their analog (component) inputs. The author apparently confirmed this with a customer service rep which raised the possibility that Samsung had needlessly extended Analog Sunset rules from its 2011 Blu-ray players (which are limited to 480p out over analog per the new rules) to TVs. In response, Bill Whitaker of Neothings went over to his local Magnolia and confirmed with hands-on testing 1080p via analog worked on the new sets. Just to make sure this applies to all TVs in all situations we checked with Samsung directly and received this official response: Samsung has made no change to its support for HD input via component connection. Our 2011 televisions continue to support up to 1080p signals through component inputs. We hope everyone's feeling a little more at ease now and can concentrate on the important things, like whether that funky dual-sided QWERTY remote is a good idea.
Analog sunset begins, all the new Blu-ray players will only output HD via HDMI
The chicken littles have been worried about this since long before the first Blu-ray (or even HD DVD) title was ever released, and the first step towards the analog sunset has officially come. Any new Blu-ray player announced after January 1st 2011 will only output HD via HDMI -- players that started shipping last year can still be sold until the end of this year though. If you just love component video, you might figure you'll be able to get a player today and continue to enjoy it for years to come, but maybe not. You see the studios also have the Image Constraint Token (ICT) which when set on a title will tell every and all Blu-ray players to down convert analog output to 540p. The only reprieve is that if its set on a title, it must be marked on the box, and of course it can't be retroactively set (any title you own now will continue to play exactly the same way it does on your existing players). We're waiting for final confirmation, but apparently the ICT hasn't been an option to studios until now so start looking for the icon on your latest purchases. The final stage in the sunset is 2013 when analog outputs will be removed from Blu-ray players completely, but we suspect we'll have better things to worry about by then like ultra HD or digital distribution.
AACS finalized, death to analog in 2013
Not that any of this really matters since AACS has long since been made irrelevant, but this really pulls back the reigns on anyone who thought Hollywood was making progress in its perspective on DRM. What we mean is, at a time when music is sold DRM free, Hollywood demands that new Blu-ray players made after December 31st of 2013 will no longer support analog on any AACS protected content. Of course who even knows what we'll be watching in four years, or if HDTVs will even have analog inputs by then, but what's worse is that starting in 2011, new Blu-ray players will only output SD via component, which for all intents and purposes makes component useless. The only good news in the final version of the AACS is that Managed Copy is alive and well, but a lot of good that does if no studio ever decides to use it. [Via Blu-ray.com]
