Secret HDMI Pact: Why We Won’t See an HDMI Cable for the Xbox 360

hdmi cableTeam Xbox has an interesting piece on a “Secret High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Pact” that’s causing quite a stir in the HD scene. Of course, this has an effect on two of the next-gen consoles – Xbox 360 and PS3. As most of you know, Microsoft will be coming up with with an external HD-DVD drive. Naturally, you’d think that an HDMI Xbox 360 AC cable would be forthcoming. But the HD-DVD drive mock-up on display at E3 only has a power socket and three USB ports. Just like PS3, Xbox 360 wouldn’t be able to output high resolution images from HD-DVDs.

While Microsoft doesn’t do things based on Sony’s actions, there’s this nagging suspicion that Microsoft already knows about Sony not implementing an HDMI output on its PS3 models.

The secret pact may have been traced from the need to prevent piracy that has been eating up movie studio profits. The result of the efforts to curb piracy is a combination of software and hardware technologies that rely on digital interfaces to avoid the unauthorized copy of high-definition movies. One of which is Advanced Access Content System (AACS) that manages the content stored in next-generation optical media such as Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD discs.

AACS Licensing Administrator (AACS LA) has also developed Image Constraint Token (ICT) which restricts the high-definition signal output to DVD quality on non-HDCP connections. This forces the player to downgrade its original 1920×1080 resolution to 960×540.

According to Team Xbox:

With this move, Hollywood studios have all fronts covered; content over digital interfaces is encrypted by HDCP and analog connections are downgraded in resolution by the Image Constraint Token. Although all high-definition movie players are required to support the use of the Image Constraint Token, its implementation is optional for content providers. That means that itÂ’s up to movie studios to use the flag or not, and that reason alone is why we might never see an HDMI cable for the Xbox 360.

The plot thickens… Click on the “Read” link for some conspiracy theories.

hdmi cableTeam Xbox has an interesting piece on a “Secret High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Pact” that’s causing quite a stir in the HD scene. Of course, this has an effect on two of the next-gen consoles – Xbox 360 and PS3. As most of you know, Microsoft will be coming up with with an external HD-DVD drive. Naturally, you’d think that an HDMI Xbox 360 AC cable would be forthcoming. But the HD-DVD drive mock-up on display at E3 only has a power socket and three USB ports. Just like PS3, Xbox 360 wouldn’t be able to output high resolution images from HD-DVDs.

While Microsoft doesn’t do things based on Sony’s actions, there’s this nagging suspicion that Microsoft already knows about Sony not implementing an HDMI output on its PS3 models.

The secret pact may have been traced from the need to prevent piracy that has been eating up movie studio profits. The result of the efforts to curb piracy is a combination of software and hardware technologies that rely on digital interfaces to avoid the unauthorized copy of high-definition movies. One of which is Advanced Access Content System (AACS) that manages the content stored in next-generation optical media such as Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD discs.

AACS Licensing Administrator (AACS LA) has also developed Image Constraint Token (ICT) which restricts the high-definition signal output to DVD quality on non-HDCP connections. This forces the player to downgrade its original 1920×1080 resolution to 960×540.

According to Team Xbox:

With this move, Hollywood studios have all fronts covered; content over digital interfaces is encrypted by HDCP and analog connections are downgraded in resolution by the Image Constraint Token. Although all high-definition movie players are required to support the use of the Image Constraint Token, its implementation is optional for content providers. That means that itÂ’s up to movie studios to use the flag or not, and that reason alone is why we might never see an HDMI cable for the Xbox 360.

The plot thickens… Click on the “Read” link for some conspiracy theories.

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