WIN. VISTA’s Cost Analyse Issue

admin — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 21:32:04 +0000

What’s up Microsoft? Have you really thought this through? Vista’s new content protection policy could cripple end-users experience and hardware/software development.

|news feeds|

The recent report ‘A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection’ by Peter Gutmann analyses the cost involved in Vista’s content protection technology, and the collateral damage that this could have throughout the computer world.

“Vista’s content protection mechanism only allows protected content to be sent over interfaces that also have content-protection facilities built in. Currently the most common high-end audio output interface is S/PDIF(Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format). Most newer audio cards, for example, feature TOSlink digital optical output for high-quality sound reproduction, and even the latest crop of motherboards with integrated audio provide at least coax (and often optical) digital output. Since S/PDIF doesn’t provide any content protection, Vista requires that it be disabled when playing protected content.(quote)”

The overall conclusion is that Vista’s content-protection functionality seems very restrained, as it concentrates so much on protecting content without consideration of the enormous effects it could have on future computing - affecting everyone from the home PC user to businesses and governments. All hardware and software producers will now have to rethink their strategies to incorporate the enforced quality limitations. Microsoft appears to be ignoring the fact that the users of their technology could end up becoming involuntary criminals, by being forced to make copyright infringements just to accomplish their daily tasks.

Here are some excerpts from this thoroughly investigated report that is shocking in its implications.

‘Windows Vista includes an extensive reworking of core OS elements in order to provide content protection for so-called “premium content”, typically HD data from Blu-Ray and HD-DVD sources.’(quote)

‘Protection measures extend to cover all hardware and software that will ever come into contact with Vista, even if it’s not used directly with Vista (for example hardware in a Macintosh computer or on a Linux server).’(quote)

Below you will find current news feeds discussing this issue…

::rich:::newsphiles

Current news feed from Google news on the keywords - vista, content-protection

BBC develops Mac and Linux-friendly iPlayer - Computeractive -

BBC develops Mac and Linux-friendly iPlayer
Computeractive, UK - 19 Dec 2008
Users of Windows XP, Vista, Mac and Linux have been able to stream programmes for up to seven days after broadcast. But until now only people using the ...

安全健康才最重要！顯示器認証全接觸 - 新浪網 -

新浪網	安全健康才最重要！顯示器認証全接觸新浪網, China - 4 Jan 2009 所謂的Vista認証，最重要的方面其實就是HDCP協議對液晶顯示器的影響，DCP全名為(High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection)，中文是“HDCP數字內容保護”。 ...

安全健康才最重要！显示器认证全接触 - IT168 -

安全健康才最重要！显示器认证全接触
IT168, China - 4 Jan 2009
所谓的Vista认证，最重要的方面其实就是HDCP协议对液晶显示器的影响，DCP全名为(High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection)，中文是“HDCP数字内容保护”。 ...

BBC lanceert Bèta nieuwe iPlayer - DutchCowboys -

DutchCowboys

BBC lanceert Bèta nieuwe iPlayer
DutchCowboys, Netherlands - 22 Dec 2008
... relationship between the BBC and Adobe. The BBC iPlayer Desktop beta also integrates Adobe Flash Rights Management Server software for content protection.

Vista and More: Piecing Together Microsoft's DRM Puzzle - Computerworld -

Vista and More: Piecing Together Microsoft's DRM Puzzle
Computerworld, MA - 4 Jan 2009
PVP content-protection technology is supported both in Windows Vista and within a small but growing number of high-end graphics adapters, high-definition ...

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WIN. VISTA’s Cost Analyse Issue