PS3 HDMI Controversy Clarified and the History of HDCP July 13, 2011

Recently the internet has been in a bit of an uproar when an internal memo from GameStop leaked that they needed to start training their people to inform customers that a new hardware revision of the PS3 would only allow HD playback of any kind if you had an HDMI equipped HDTV.  Anyone using a legacy HDTV without HDMI support (like those who would use component cables) would have to buy a new TV or be forced to play their games and watch their movies in standard definition (considered by many online a fate worse than death).

When I first read the news I dismissed it, because I already KNEW this was coming, and GameStop had made a small error in the memo.  Today GameStop did in fact announce that they were misinformed or at least misunderstood what the new specifications for the PS3 would be and have corrected their mistake and clarified what would be going on with the Playstation 3’s HD output.  The internet is still in an uproar of course, but it’s a little late to the party since this has been something the movie studios have wanted for years now, and it was announced at the beginning of this year that this would finally be happening in 2013 if we liked it or not.

When Blu-Ray and its dead rival HD-DVD were announced, the movie industry was more overzealous than ever to protect their movies from people copying them as much as possible.  Whearas DVD’s copy protection standards were broken quickly and could not be changed, with the advent of upgradable player firmware, they could simply change the encryption codes as new discs were being released.  Of course home owners would need to be informed to plug their players into a dedicated high-speed internet connection and to continually check their players for updates, but they so far haven’t done a good job of that.  That’s why there’s a leaflet in pretty much every Paramount disc saying, “Update your player’s firmware for this to work,” instead of a chapter listing insert.

The protection in question is called HDCP and it’s been bad news since pretty much the start of the HD format war.  This is also why all your HDMI equipped HDTVs, Receivers, Computer Monitors, and cables have the HDCP certified sticker on them, because if they didn’t, they’re pretty much worthless.  Now, HDCP equipped HDMI equipment has been standard since pretty much the format was introduced, so don’t worry if you’ve bought some cables or a HDTV recently if your movies will eventually stop playing.

The problem is the copy protection does NOT work using component cables!  Anyone who accesses an HD stream using those analog cables is getting a completely unprotected video output, and that has terrified every movie studio for the past five years because it can be copied.  When they found out about this back when HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Disc launched in 2006, the movie studios actually demanded the disc manufacturers to not allow any HDTV output of the discs through component, and only provide HD output through HDMI.  At the time, this was universally considered the dumbest idea ever.

HDTVs had a 20% install base at the time of the format launch, and HDMI was only then becoming a standard port in new TVs.  HDMI equipped HDTVs were rare at the time and extremely expensive, and the HDTVs people did have, while they did not support HDMI, worked just fine and displayed picture with negligible quality difference.  Five years ago people were still just as cheap as they are today (sarcasm) and just didn’t want to buy new TVs.  Since these people were ALSO the immediate customers of the new HD formats, and since a war was going to be going on to get at that 20%, when the formats launched the studios did a rare sane thing and did not restrict the component HD stream of the movies.

But the day has come where this status quo will cease to be.  Starting in 2013 all new Blu-Ray players will not be made with any component connections in them at all.  Current players will be just fine and continue to run, although a new firmware update might be coming for them.  Current discs will not be modified and their HD streams will continue to play through component, but after that time the future discs are going to not allow HD playback in component.  However, the discs with this restriction will be marked on the package.  If you don’t have an HDMI equipped HDTV and you want to enjoy new Blu-Ray movies in HD, you’re going to need to buy one.

Now this brings me back to the PS3, which I’ve kinda neglected during this history lesson.  As a Blu-Ray player as well as a gaming console, the PS3 is just as susceptible to this controversy as the dedicated players, and what GameStop was informing their staff of is literally what I just said in the previous paragraph.  This was the decision of the big movie studios and not of Sony or the Playstation teams, and if it was left to them it would have been made sooner.  It’s an unfortnate predicament, but for those who have followed the format for some time, an expected one.

You’ll still be able to play all your PS3 games in HD if your HDTV supports the resolutions through component, but future Blu-Ray Discs will require HDMI playback for full HD support.  Look for the label to know for sure, and if you don’t have an HDMI equipped HDTV, I recommend you start your shopping for a new HDTV.