[geeks] encrypted video cable?

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 @ 15:13 -0600, Lionel Peterson said:

> >From: Jon Gilbert <jjj at io.com>
> >Date: 2006/10/29 Sun PM 12:04:22 CST
> >To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
> >Subject: Re: [geeks] encrypted video cable?
> 
> >On Sep 20, 2006, at 9:42 AM, Charles Shannon Hendrix wrote:
> >
> >> It's called an encrypted video cable because it is unique and a device
> >> that detects it is being used can refuse to send non-encrypted data
> >> across it at full quality.
> >
> >What if you created the content and WANT it to be copied extensively?  
> >Then what?
> 
> I would assume some sort of DRM is required in the mix (i.e. the
> reader/player senses the presence of DRM on the file AND the "special"
> cable then it degrades the signal) - no DRM, no degredation.

Currently, that's how all Disney videos are, for example.

Time/Warner however is encrypting everything.

As I said in another post though: the ultimate goal is to key and sign
all content.

Obviously this provides not just the power to control content, but
eventually to be able to get very exact ratings once you also add the
requirement to phone home on every play.

For a current look at that: did you guys know that many PDF files online
cause your PDF viewer to phone home whenever you read the document?

I didn't know that PDF had that capability until a couple of years ago.

If you run Adobe Reader, the first thing you should do is modify your
installation so it cannot communicate. There is no reason for a PDF to
talk to the net anyway.

There are third party hacks to take care of this.

The crappy thing is that you have to re-do this every time you install a
new version.

-- 
shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- ["There is no such thing as security.  Life
is either bold adventure, or it is nothing -- Helen Keller"]