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When shopping for a new television, you will find a slew of new options, one being the HDMI/HDCP or DVI/HDCP. This option is one of the newest technological advances. The HDMI and DVI are known as “true digital cables” while the HDCP is the acronym for “High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection”. The thing about HDCP is that while it offers many benefits, there are also some drawbacks.

To understand this better, DVI/HDCP is something you find in newer high-definition television sets, as well as DVD players. This means this type of technological connection allows uncompressed, copy-protected digital content to be transmitted to the high-definition television or DVD player. The result is a super crisp image like nothing any other television or DVD player could provide.

Now, the input for DVI/HDCP is often connected to an EIA/CEA 861 electronic device that is consumer compliant. This again, would include a set top box or perhaps a DVD player. However, for this connection to work, the device must have a DVI output connection. In addition, DVI/HDCP is not made for a computer, although that type of technology is something we may see in the future. Instead, the best performance would be with HDTV signals.

Keep in mind that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that after December 31, 2006, over-the-air signals in the United States will become 100% digital. Therefore, we recommend when buying a new high-definition television set, you choose one that is DVI/HDCP compliant. Otherwise, you may find that receiving high-definition programming from cable and satellite providers impossible due to these changes.

While the entire subject can be a little complicated, some of the better-known satellite providers are still unsure how they will address the new copy protected digital technology. Obviously, eliminating S-Video, coaxial, composite, and other component inputs would be impossible. While these options may still work over the next few years, remember that mandates are being put into place by the FCC. In other words, although changes will be occurring in 2006, it might not be until 2010 when everything would change over.

The bottom line is that if you are looking for a new television set and/or DVD player, choosing one with DVI/HDCP or the HDMI/HDCP technology is probably the best choice. In addition to the outstanding images, you would also be preparing yourself for the future should mandates being strongly enforced. The nice thing about copy protected digital and high speed is that you no longer have a snarled mess of cables and miscellaneous pieces of cumbersome equipment.

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