Mini Display HDCP Infuriates Apple Faithful
Posted 11/18/2008 at 5:11pm
| by John Pitko

"This content cannot be played because a display that is not authorized to play protected movies is connected."
A warning that's been popping up on new MacBook owners displays as they try to view their iTunes purchased movies through the new Mini Display Port to an external viewing device. Even users utilizing only licensed Apple products are still getting the notorious message.
The new Macbooks now ship with industry standard High Definition Content Protection (HDCP). HDCP is digital copy protection that prevents the copying of digital content. HDCP is implemented on Blu-ray players, HDTVs, HDMI notebooks and the AppleTV to keep content played on its intended device. While HDCP is possible with DVI, it seems that Apple only recently decided to add the copy protection protocol to its line of notebooks.
With the new copy protection in place, the Mac community is in an uproar. Apple has created an ecosystem in which everything "just works." This new form of DRM on the latest Macbooks thwarts that.
The Apple support forum is filled with irritated users who just want to watch their iTunes purchased videos on their Apple products. Apple has yet to release any info regarding this issue.
Via Cult of Mac