DPCP blocks MacBook movie playback

Stephen Withers
Friday, 21 November 2008 02:45

Opinion and Analysis

A more sensible strategy is to display the content in standard definition when a non-HDCP device is being used, but the current notebooks from Apple don't seem to work that way.

Older MacBooks are reportedly not troubled by the problem as they have 'real' DVI ports that don't care about HDCP. Apparently it's only when a DisplayPort source is linked through an adaptor to a monitor that uses neither DisplayPort nor HDMI that it occurs.

Those affected have limited choices. Doing without movie playback to an external device is unlikely to be acceptable.

Buying an HDMI-compliant display probably means spending more than they'd wish, especially if the current device is fairly new.

HDMI/RGB adaptors are available and may do the job. This approach probably falls into the "at your own risk" basket, but if all goes well could be cost-effective.

Finally, there are suggestions that using software that removes Apple's FairPlay DRM from movie files will as a side-effect allow them to be used in this manner. "At your own risk" likely applies here too.

Once again, it seems that the content industry's insistence on DRM is making life difficult for people who buy for its products, without having a significant impact on those that watch without paying.