Sony Set to Sidestep HDMI Row

News via Spong

As it turns out, the cheap PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's HD-DVD will be able to transmit their Blu-Ray and HD-DVD movies in glorious mega-def. You can pull the information from the piece below.

High Definition, the new black of the technology sector. You know that DVD you're watching now? Rubbish. Know why? Because it's in standard definition, like the telly your gran watches. You might as well live in a cave. This problem of watching horrible old pictures is one that can be solved with consummate ease in the coming months. Simply give an electronics manufacturer a large amount of cash and your digital AIDS will be cured.

Thing is, Sony's PlayStation 3 was coming with digital AIDS pre-loaded. Well, the cheap one was certainly going to. You see, it didn't have HDMI output, meaning that instead of playing movies in 1920 by 1080 pixels, it would only put out a prehistoric 960 by 540.

However, you'll be interested to know that the only reason this is the case is the use of a little device called the ITC, or Image Constraint Token. According to Digital Home:

The Image Constraint Token (ICT) is a digital flag within the AACS (Advanced Access Content System) that determines how Blu-ray and HD DVD players output high definition video signals through the player's component outputs.

AACS is the digital rights management (DRM) standard which will be used by Blu-ray and HD DVD to protect movies from unauthorized duplication.

If the ICT token is set on a Blu-ray or HD DVD disc, then the player will down-convert the video resolution through analog outputs from 1920 by 1080 pixels to 960 by 540. The purpose of ICT is to prevent pirates from creating high-resolution copies of HD DVD and Blu-ray discs via the unsecured analog outputs.

The video output through HDMI is unaffected by ICT since the HDMI output is copy protected by High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP).

The Image Constraint Token is set by the movie studio when a disc is mastered therefore whether the player down converts the video signal will be determined by the studio on a title by title basis.


So you see, there you are thinking your TV was last week's model, and therefore unable to play glorious high definition movies because it didn't have the right cables. As things turn out, these cables aren't required at all, they are simply there to trick you into thinking your current non-HDMI HD technology needs updating, while protecting movie studios from the hordes of evil pirates.

Benefit to you, the consumer: Zero. Benefit to the movie industry and technology companies: Billions of dollars. It's a funny old world. Though given the head of Sony Consumer Electronics' wife is currently on double doses of Klonopin since she heard the CEO of Samsung had bath tap knobs made out of fist-sized diamonds installed in his third Tuscan villa, it's understandable really.

Back on point, it's looking likely that both HD movie formats will be able to convince movie studios that they need to loosen policy on HDMI usage, meaning that Hyper Telly will be soon be streaming from your newly-purchased technotrinkets.

We'll update as we learn more.