QuickTime 7.5.7 for DisplayPort Allows Standard Definition Playback

[MacRumors]

Apple has issued a new QuickTime update for the new MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air which come equipped with the mini DisplayPort. The update addresses the issue of standard definition playback through the DisplayPort:

This update is recommended for owners of MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro with Mini DisplayPort. The update addresses an issue where some standard definition purchases from the iTunes Store do not play on some external displays.

Based on early testing by MacRumors reader Ampidire, this update now allows standard definition (SD) content to play unhindered over the mini DisplayPort.

Just last week, it was revealed that Apple's new mini DisplayPort enforces HDCP protection. This prevents the playback of HDCP flagged content over non-secure video output. In the example given, one customer was unable to play back an SD iTunes movie over a mini DisplayPort VGA connector. Several readers objected to this restriction as iTunes movies downloaded to your computer are only offered in standard definition at this time, while the HDCP protection was intended to prevent digital copying of high definition content.

This latest update appears to remove the HDCP enforcement on standard definition content, which means that current movie content purchased or rented on a Mac should playback unrestricted. While Apple does offer high definition movies for rental through Apple TV, it's not clear when Apple will begin offering this to Mac users.


Article Link: QuickTime 7.5.7 for DisplayPort Allows Standard Definition Playback

[Sky Blue]

so ...yay(ish)?

[h.21]

Very good news.

[PlaceofDis]

good news, should've never made it out there the way it was previously.

[arn]

ya, it would never had become a story if Apple had issued this from the start. I don't know if there's any HD TV content that is flagged with HDCP.

arn

[Ampidire]

anytime arn.

[Mal]

I'm sure it was just an overlooked thing. The copy protection standards don't include that restriction, from what I understand.

jW

[Boston135]

Hooray! Now I won't be annoyed at this whenever I get my new MacBook... stupid old projector without digital inputs. hmph.

[blizaine]

Wow! Nice move apple

[motulist]

DRM is awful. All it does is make pirating more attractive. If you pay for a DRMed media file, maybe it'll play when and where you want, but sometimes it wont. If you pirate a media file, it will definitely play where and when you want. So all DRM does is make the pirated version superior to the version you can legally buy. This leads to even more people choosing to pirate their media.

DRM, it's bad for the consumer, it's bad for the content producers, it's bad for the distribution companies, it's bad for everyone. So why does the entertainment industry insist on hurting themselves and us with worth-than-useless DRM?

[skellener]

Eliminate DRM

[ATimson]

Originally Posted by motulist

DRM, it's bad for the consumer, it's bad for the content producers, it's bad for the distribution companies, it's bad for everyone. So why does the entertainment industry insist on hurting themselves and us with worth-than-useless DRM?

Because the distribution companies refuse to recognize that it's bad for them.

[commander.data]

I guess by explicitly stating that HDCP is disabled for standard definition content, it's a tacit confirmation that HDCP will be enforced for HD content when it's available for iTunes. In terms of HD content, I thought the standard used by Blu-ray is that under an unsecure connection it'll just output at a lower resolution, 480p or something so better than the average DVD, rather than refuse to play at all like how Apple did it before. Hopefully, Apple implements something similar to allow downscaling, although I think Apple's HD content comes with a separate SD version anyways.

[AidenShaw]

Originally Posted by Mal

I'm sure it was just an overlooked thing. The copy protection standards don't include that restriction, from what I understand.

jW

Originally Posted by blizaine

Wow! Nice move apple

Yes, nice move Apple - clean up another case of sloppy implementation.

They screwed up, and they've fixed it. How can that be a "nice move, Apple"?

[motulist]

Originally Posted by commander.data

Hopefully, Apple implements something similar to allow downscaling

That's still completely unacceptable. Hopefully the industry comes to its senses and eliminates DRM altogether. All DRM does is hurt the industry's interests. This HDCP Apple is implementing is simply so that Apple devices can output blu-ray and iTunes big-media-company DRMed media files to an "approved" external monitor. Blu-ray beat hd-dvd, but that doesn't mean blu-ray is succeeding. Most (but not all) analyses that I've read of how blu-ray is doing in the marketplace say that blu-ray is struggling significantly. DRM itself directly is not the only reason for this of course, but it is a major symptom of the whole unbalanced nature of the product that's causing the format's problems.

[r.j.s]

Originally Posted by AidenShaw

They screwed up, and they've fixed it. How can that be a "nice move, Apple"?

Because it is better than denying a problem exists.

[bornonbord]

I wonder if this "update" will be looked at by hackers, who will be able to find out how Apple 'allows' SD but 'blocks' HD and flip a switch to crack Quicktime.

[wtb]

As I understand it, HD content should be output on the mini DisplayPort in degraded resolution to match a Standard Definition bandwidth if a non-HD device is connected. If it is disabled, then that is still unacceptable.

[stephenli]

Originally Posted by AidenShaw

Yes, nice move Apple - clean up another case of sloppy implementation.

They screwed up, and they've fixed it. How can that be a "nice move, Apple"?

funny. maybe apple intended to do it.
Screwed up it at first, to let everybody REALIZE drm/HDCP doesn't make any sense to consumers...

[mrsteveman1]

So HD stuff is still HDCPd huh.

I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm not buying anything from itunes during any period where it is not possible to immediately break the DRM because Apple broke requiem etc. If i do buy something, i will immediately break the DRM. I am not going to play in this little ******** sandbox the content owners have created and Apple is complicit in maintaining.

Yes it would be easier to just not buy any of it, i know.

[arepadetrigo]

This is good news. You should never sell something that your customers cannot use on equipment you also sold them, at least not unless you are very, very, very clear in explaining the limitations before you take their money.

And for all you fanboys who were defending Apple before and saying it was out of their control, give me a break!

[rayz]

Originally Posted by AidenShaw

Yes, nice move Apple - clean up another case of sloppy implementation.

They screwed up, and they've fixed it. How can that be a "nice move, Apple"?

I sometimes wonder if it is the 'forgive Apple for everything' attitude that is making them sloppy.

I mean, I cannot believe that someone didn't think to test this. If they did, then there is something seriously wrong.
If they didn't, then Apple reckoned it would be okay to release it and fix it later, which is just as worrying.

[ingenious]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)

Horrible to begin with, but at least it's ending (mostly) well.

[BenRoethig]

Nice to see they fixed this issue right away. Even nicer to see that Apple was listening.

[HLdan]

Originally Posted by arn

ya, it would never had become a story if Apple had issued this from the start. I don't know if there's any HD TV content that is flagged with HDCP.

arn

Sure would be nice if a new article could be posted on MR without negative responses.