I've had an HDTV for a looooong time. It's so old that the only HD inputs it has are component inputs. No VGA, no DVI. And since virtually all HD sources (well, BluRay players, anyway) these days require HDCP, I figured that meant that I would have to get a new TV before I was able to watch BluRay movies.

Well, I discovered the HDFury2 and ordered one from Monoprice. I don't know how many of you are in the same situation I am, but, if you are, I highly recommend the HDFury2. It works like a champ. It's got an HDMI input and a VGA or component output and it just works.

I was concerned for a minute when I first plugged it all up, as I got no picture. But it turns out that it was because the device I plugged it into (my TiVo series 3) saw that the HDFury2 supported 1080p and started emitting that resolution. But my TV only supports 1080i. So I had to tell the TiVo to scale back. The HDFury2 just replicates the input resolution. So I guess my only caveat is that you need to make sure that the source device you want to hook up is able to be configured to emit a resolution less than the maximum that it thinks it can.

Yeah, I keep thinking it might be good to pick up one of those before the RIAA shuts them down permanently (since this device provides a way to output protected HD content where it can be captured again in high-def).

Cheers

I'm just curious, did you try connecting your blu-ray player without the HDFury2? I was under the impression that HDCP wasn't an issue unless it was turned on by the content you were playing, and that nobody had done that yet.

If I'm wrong though, that's a great solution, and Monoprice is the best. I think I only shop at three stores online: Amazon, Newegg, and Monoprice.

You are correct, the Image Constraint Token (ICT) is a flag that a movie disc (HD-DVD or BluRay) could have on to force HDCP for the full resolution output. Thus far, no movie has shipped with it, and most movie studios say that they don't plan to due to the specific situation Bitt and many others are in.

The only time I have seen HDCP come up as a problem has been with computer playback of BluRay or HD-DVD content.

As far as the RIAA caring, I doubt they would as they don't handle anything video related. The MPAA has been much more relaxed on these types of issues in general, after seeing the RIAA piss off all the music users.

They can revoke the key used inside the HDFury2 if they really want to. Unlikely they will however.

I don't have a BluRay player yet, so I don't know. Still, at some point, they will turn ICT on.

Every BluRay player on the market with component connections outputs on those connections without HDCP as far as I know. This is the so-called "analog loop-hole."

It would seem this device is most useful for an output device that lacks its own analog outputs.

Every "HD-ready" TV out on the market should be able to legally display HD content from BluRay and other sources using an HD analog input.

Bottom line, if you have a device with component outputs you don't likely need the HDFury. An exception would be if said playback device limited the resolution output from its component connections.

On a similar note, if you want to capture said content (in HD) for playback on a computer (or HTPC), the HDPVR from Hauppauge has received very high marks. This is best suited for HD output from something like an HD settop box, because with disc content, you might as well rip the content from the disc directly to your PC (requires a BDROM drive and backup software of course).

All BluRay players will limit the resolution over component if a disc is put in with the ICT on. Supporting ICT is part of the AACS DRM that players must support. Thus far, noone has turned ICT on, but they could down the road.

Also, as Trevor mentioned, the key the HDFury2 uses could be revoked, rendering it useless. This can be revoked with newer movies, so popping in a new disc one day may result in the inability to playback.

Right.

And the day ICT flag is turned on will be the same day the HDCP key for the HDFury is revoked. So right now it's not needed, and in the future both paths may be toast.

Right now no one dares to do this because of the public outcry if it happened. Millions of people bought-in to the HD-ready promise. And millions more bought in to "HD" not knowing their displays didn't support HDCP. oops.

For some reason, I was under the impression that it would always limit the resolution over component. Maybe I conflated BluRay with upconverting DVDs, which does seem to have that problem. Weird.

Where these things would be useful *today* is for people with digital cable "service". Where certain broadcasts are shown with full resolution available only over HDMI/HDCP, and the resolution is deliberately crippled (or shut off completely) on the analog outputs from the set-top box.

The HDFury2 is a way around that, to permit time-shifting of such "premium content".

The Hauppauge device is useful under these circumstances only when combined with the HDFury2 thingie.

Cheers

Is this happening on Canadian boxes? It wouldn't surprise me. But I've never heard about it being the case for people in the US. I've also never heard of any Canadian boxes ever having firewire ports enabled and in the US it was also possible to pull HD that way too.

I don't know. I've never paid a subscription for television reception here.

But I have read reports of this happening "by accident" on USA broadcasts (quite recently, that, though I don't remember the exact details). And my understanding (which could be wrong) is that this is standard on pay-per-view broadcasts.

Cheers