[clug] A most interesting read, most interesting

[David Howe]

Michael Cohen wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 27, 2006 at 10:10:06PM +1100, Sam Couter wrote:
>   
>> No, it's a technological path. They're trying to restrict the ability to
>> make perfect digital copies of media. The next step is watermarking and
>> such, to close the analog hole.
>>
>> Vista claims to provide secure media services of some kind, including
>> encryption of video on the PCI Express bus on its way to the video card.
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_Vista#Digital_Rights_Management
>>
>> My quick Google search hasn't turned up anything further, but I've read in
>> the past about standards that include encryption of the signal on the video
>> cable between the video card and the monitor.
>>     
>
> Sam, this sort of thing has been talked about for yonks. Its not going to work
> any better than the current system, because somewhere, the data is present in
> an unencrypted form in order to be presented to a human neural sensor of some
> kind. Encrypting the signal between the DVD rom and the monitor will simply
> move the clear text data to the monitor (i.e. you might need to patch signal
> lines inside the monitor). 
>
>   
My employer packed me off to IBC a few months ago and I got to sit in on 
a seminar about DRM. My impression of the presentations - a lot of money 
is going into drm from hollywood. Some smart people and capable 
coders/engineers are doing stuff that works (99.9% of the time). What's 
more they aren't sticking their heads in the sand about the problems or 
threats. For big business, DRM is their insurance policy. So we can 
expect they will want something for their money, something that works.

DRM isn't a single technology, it is largely about keys as someone here 
said and watermarking is already here. The Trusted Computing thing and 
DRM are parts of the same puzzle and with Microsoft keen to have 
Hollywood on board (there were lots of Microsoft people at IBC), Vista 
is likely to evolve into THE DRM platform.

Fortunately MS doesn't own the world yet and plenty of Chinese and 
Korean manufacturers are still churning out stuff that ignores all of 
the drm and trusted platform technology and consumers are buying it. 
Yes, you might be able to physically hack a monitor, but given the state 
of current electronic manufacturing, you are more likely to break your gear.

DRM and Trusted Computing aren't here yet (or is it there), but it would 
be foolish to think that some very serious effort isn't going into 
making it happen. For the good of the  people of course.....

david

IBC - http://www.ibc.org