When buying a new HDTV, make sure it is HDCP compliant, otherwise you may have trouble watching certain TV shows and movies. Learn the meaning of terms like HDMI, HDCP, and DVI to help you make an informed purchase.
What is HDMI and what is DVI?
High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) was developed by Intel as a security feature to protect copyrighted material. It requires compatibility between the sender and the receiver. In other words, a cable box with built-in HDCP technology will only work with TVs that are also HDCP-compliant.
Think of HDCP as a security license key for installing a computer program. It works by encrypting a digital signal with a code that requires authentication from both the signal-sending device and the signal-receiving device. If authentication fails, the signal fails, meaning there is no picture on the TV screen.
The purpose of HDCP is to prevent people from copying movies, video games, TV shows, and other media for distribution. Because digital technology has made sharing copyrighted content much easier than it used to be, the movie industry has embraced HDCP technology via Blu-ray discs. In fact, movies and games on Blu-ray will not play on a TV without HDCP compatibility. Services like HBO and Netflix have also embraced HDCP to protect their properties.
