Does anyone know if free sites like Hulu.com use HDCP

[Uitlander]

Does anyone know if free sites like Hulu.com use HDCP? I'm preparing to get my first home computer, and replacing Comcast cable TV with free internet TV is a major draw, so need to know if these sites use HDCP. If so, I think I have to have a HDCP compliant video card or motherboard to get TV shows/movies off the internet.

Flash Access 2.0

Key "advantages"

Output protection - Specify whether output protection technologies are required to output to external devices.
Flash Access supports digital and analog output protection technologies - including HDCP, CGMS-A, and Rovi (formerly Macrovision) ACP - for Windows platforms.

As you can see, Flash Access 2.0 allows to use HDCP protection. This protection is only available in Windows.

Output control is absolutely optional, so you never know whether Hulu and other web-sites will be using it or not.

At least you can use quality OS like Linux or Mac OS, which support flash video and where output control is not supported. On these OSes you shouldn't have problems connecting your computer to a projector or any non-HDCP display to watch Flash content. I really doubt that HD videos from Hulu will stop working on Linux and Mac OS even if Hulu will use the output control.

[Uitlander]

Originally Posted by Stream Recorder

Flash Access 2.0


As you can see, Flash Access 2.0 allows to use HDCP protection. This protection is only available in Windows.

Output control is absolutely optional, so you never know whether Hulu and other web-sites will be using it or not.

At least you can use quality OS like Linux or Mac OS, which support flash video and where output control is not supported. On these OSes you shouldn't have problems connecting your computer to a projector or any non-HDCP display to watch Flash content. I really doubt that HD videos from Hulu will stop working on Linux and Mac OS even if Hulu will use the output control.

Interesting you should mention Linux. I'm planning on a dual-HDD for dual-boot OS (XP Pro SP 2+Linux). Either LinuxMint 7 or PCLinuxOS 2010. So are you saying I don't have to worry about getting HDCP-compliant motherboard and/or graphics card to access Internet-TV freesites? I've zero interest in HD DVDs or BluRay crap...just after watching/recording free movies & TV shows off the internet.

Originally Posted by Uitlander

Interesting you should mention Linux. I'm planning on a dual-HDD for dual-boot OS (XP Pro SP 2+Linux). Either LinuxMint 7 or PCLinuxOS 2010. So are you saying I don't have to worry about getting HDCP-compliant motherboard and/or graphics card to access Internet-TV freesites? I've zero interest in HD DVDs or BluRay crap...just after watching/recording free movies & TV shows off the internet.

Well I can't predict whether whether web-sites will be turning on HDCP protection or not. They can do it, but most of them will probably won't ignore Mac and Linux users.