Mon Aug 19, 2013 11:53 am
Stumbled across this looking for something else, don't normally post on here. There's an awful lot of wrong information on here, and the correct information has inaccuracies all around it.
- HDCP can be carried over DVI and HDMI, many devices will switch HDCP on and off depending on whether it's required, others will leave it on all the time. For example, most laptops equipped with HDMI will use HDCP when you play a copyright protected disc through them but will not use HDCP when you show a powerpoint presentation or webpage.
- Blackmagic HDMI to SDI converters are HDCP compliant, in that, if there is HDCP on the HDMI input then they will not output a signal, they are doing exactly what they're supposed to do.
- There are legitimate, legal, commercially available devices out there which will output HD-SDI from an HDMI/DVI connection that has HDCP active, ignoring the copyright protection. I have used devices from two companies who will ship their products with firmware modified to do this, CYP and Lynx Technik (the former is cheaper, the latter is a better product), they will do this modification only for organisations who have a legitimate need to do it, the standard product behaves in the same way as the Blackmagic HDMI to SDI converter. I work for several commercial broadcasters in the UK who do this, the last time I purchased them it required a signed letter from the CEO stating the use.
- There have been a few "dodgy" strippers made by various companies in the past, they may work, but can be retrospectively disabled if the HDCP licensing body revokes the devices public key.
- Analog to SDI devices may work, however, many HDCP compliant devices will disable all/most analogue video outputs when HDCP enabled content is being shown.