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Time:
11:14 EST/16:14 GMT | News Source:
APC Start |
Posted By: Jonathan Tigner |
Microsoft revealed today that no 32-bit versions of Windows Vista will be able to play back “next generation high definition protected content” (translation – studio-released BluRay and HD-DVD movies).
The surprising disclosure was made by Senior Program Manager Steve Riley during a presentation on Windows Vista security at Tech.Ed 2006 Sydney today.
“This is a decision that the Media Player folks made because there are just too many ways right now for unsigned kernel mode code [to compromise content protection]. The media companies asked us to do this and said they don’t want any of their high definition content to play in x32 at all, because of all of the unsigned malware that runs in kernel mode can get around content protection, so we had to do this,” he said.
Update:
" ... nothing has changed with respect to Microsoft’s policies or development plans for protected HD playback -- which we addressed at WinHEC this past May -- and nothing has been cut from Windows Vista in this regard."
For more info, please read Clarifying Windows Vista Support of Protected HD Content in 32-bit Systems
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#1 By
15406 (216.191.227.68)
at
8/24/2006 11:50:03 AM
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Microsoft bends over for the media companies. Users get the shaft as usual. I can hardly wait to read the spin on how this is good for consumers. Perhaps something like "Only terrorists watch HD content on a 32-bit system" or "We're promoting growth in the 64-bit space as it's good for America".
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#2 By
2459 (69.22.124.202)
at
8/24/2006 12:04:37 PM
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There will still be self-contained solutions offered by ISVs such as InterVideo that offer playback of protected HD content on 32-bit Vista and XP.
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#3 By
1896 (68.153.171.248)
at
8/24/2006 12:09:09 PM
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As far as I am concern "Media companies" can keep these "High definition movies" in the warehouse forever! I am tired to see my rights stripped down day after day but these greedy idiots. Let's see how long they can hold without sales.
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#4 By
8556 (12.217.111.92)
at
8/24/2006 12:15:46 PM
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I read this as "we couldn't fix this in time for our announced release dates and have an excuse we'll use." The implication is that other current features that won't have tight security before the gold build is compliled gets dumbed down or removed. This is a good thing.
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#5 By
2138 (84.0.174.149)
at
8/24/2006 1:11:14 PM
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OK, I do not know the answer so will ask. How much will a 64 bit processor cost and will I be able to use my old RAM. I know that I will have to buy a MB.
Belto...
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#6 By
2459 (69.22.124.202)
at
8/24/2006 1:47:38 PM
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64-bit CPUs can be acquired for as little as $47/$50 (Celeron D/Sempron 64 respectively) depending on your needs (gaming, hardware virtualization [VT/Pacifica], etc.) and preference for Intel or AMD.
http://www.newegg.com
http://www.zipzoomfly.com
are good places to go if you want to build your own system. They also sell OEM systems.
64-bit capable CPUs include:
AMD Athlon 64
AMD Athlon 64 X2
AMD Sempron 64
Some Intel Celeron D and Pentium D CPUs
and Intel Core 2 CPUs (not the regular Core)
Newegg lists whether a particular CPU supports 64-bit in their descriptions.
Whether you can use your existing RAM depends on its type. If it's DDR or DDR2, it will be compatible with some parts of AMD and Intel's product lines, but it varies with the particular CPU/Motherboard combination.
Other than the above stores, sites like http://www.anandtech.com http://www.tomshardware.com and http://www.arstechnica.com are good places to do research. HD playback can be CPU intensive, so evaluate your options with that in mind. Of course, if you'll be running Vista full-on, your GPU will likely be able to offload some of the work.
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#7 By
2138 (84.0.174.149)
at
8/24/2006 1:53:32 PM
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Thank you n4cer,
I am not a gaming person but I do like to have a PC that can play games. I tend to build my own systems but I will research this further.
Again thanks!!
belto...
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#8 By
29425 (67.171.0.213)
at
8/24/2006 2:52:11 PM
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With the benefits of a 64-bit CPU and 64-bit OS, including the data exception bits, I don't know why anyone wouldn't move up to WinXP x64 (which is what I use) or wait for Vista x64.
The comments by "Latch" appear just to be from someone who has their particular axe to grind. As a recording artists, I'm somewhat happy that Microsoft is taking the necessarry steps to block malware and software piracy - and yes, that DVD you're watching *is* software.
--ScottKin
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#9 By
2459 (69.22.124.202)
at
8/24/2006 3:13:44 PM
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No problem belto.
I almost forgot, you should also check your printer, scanner, etc., manufacturers to see if they'll have 64-bit drivers. I think there's a public hardware compatibility list now, but it's probably incomplete and will likely change in the next few weeks as Release Candidate 1 approaches. There are some drivers in-box or available for download now depending on the vendor, but naturally some vendors either won't publish a 64-bit driver for current hardware, or will wait until sometime after Vista's release as a few did with XP and previous. Sites like http://extended64.com have driver databases and forums that may provide quick answers.
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#10 By
3653 (68.52.143.149)
at
8/24/2006 3:25:48 PM
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WHO CARES?!?!
I (and most people) weren't planning on buying either high-def format in the next 18 months anyway. In other words, it doesn't affect 99% of Vista buyers.
Isn't this really like when XP didn't include DVD-burning software? They knew that only a fraction of users would want it (and also a smaller fraction would buy dvd burning hardware)... and Microsoft could only include it IF THEY PAID FOR IT (roayalty fees, my friends) FOR EVERY SINGLE BAZILLION XP COPIES.
So, for the 1% of the wealthy and ignorant that are buying hd-dvd or bluray in the immediate future... pay the extra $100 and go 64-bit. The rest of us appreciate you paying for the cutting edge.
This post was edited by mooresa56 on Thursday, August 24, 2006 at 15:28.
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#11 By
7760 (12.155.143.50)
at
8/24/2006 4:44:36 PM
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No one who's into HD content is going to upgrade their existing 32-bit systems to 32-bit Vista. Those people either already have 64-bit systems that they'll be upgrading to 64-bit Vista or, much more likely, they'll upgrade or replace their computer and buy 64-bit Vista with it. Eventually, even your average Joe, who struggles with technology and has to read the instructions for transferring his DVcam movies to the computer, will want HD content, but, by then, he will have bought a new computer and will receive a 64-bit CPU and 64-bit Vista without even understanding what they are. The only people with 32-bit Vista will be the ones who understand that they're behind the curve and that their computers probably can't handle high-tech stuff such as HD without upgrading first.
This move by Microsoft might even benefit us. There's now a clear incentive for choosing 64-bit Vista over 32-bit Vista. OEMs like Dell might make a stronger push to sell mostly 64-bit Vista with their systems. They want to advertise their systems as being capable of playing HD content, afterall. In turn, device manufacturers will be harder-pressed to release signed 64-bit drivers so that the OEMs choose their devices to put in their systems, and the OEMs flooding the market with more 64-bit Vista installations will, in turn, ramp up even more pressure on the device manufacturers to release those signed 64-bit drivers. One of the biggest drawbacks to 64-bit Windows is the lack of 64-bit drivers, so anything that may result in more drivers is a good thing.
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#12 By
23275 (68.17.42.38)
at
8/24/2006 7:49:22 PM
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I frankly am sick of thieves of any kind. They cost all of us... so hooray for this and HDCP!!!
People want content.... buy it, rent it, or go see it - better still, "create it!"
HDCP compliant DVI, or better still, HDMI technologies are already available in great diversity.
It really is the only way to go - and on a PC x64 it can support the unidirectional HDCP that is required of the spec - that's all.
There is a huge up-side... people will FINALLY be able to rip their entire DVD collections to their machines and storage servers and play it all over a DLNIE home, or business network.
Vista, by the way, is designed to support this out of the box and will let people fully enjoy the material they buy and in full HD video and audio. HDCP is awesome - it protects people who have made investments in their own libraries and provides an acceptable means of supporting it. There is no down-side here - this finally solves a lot of issues and will let people get on with enjoying what they buy.
Finally, even a huge film, Pirates 2, for example, has enormous production and marketing costs. It may gross 400 mil, but much more than half of that goes out in production, marketing and labor costs. Those are tough numbers to take when any one of these massive investments could flop. I mean, think about it for a second, can any of you recall any series A, or pre-series A private equity investments close to the 200-250 mil it takes to even start a major motion picture production?
If you want to be pissed - be pissed at the thieves that started all this mess in the first place.
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#13 By
3653 (68.52.143.149)
at
8/24/2006 8:06:28 PM
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Could this simply be someone speaking incorrectly?
http://news.com.com/2061-10794_3-6109427.html?part=rss&tag=6109427&subj=news
Later Thursday, representatives in the U.S. said that senior program manager Steve Riley was mistaken.
"The information he provided to that audience was incorrect," a representative told CNET News.com. "Playback is possible with Windows Vista in 32-bit."
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#14 By
15705 (69.22.124.202)
at
8/24/2006 8:11:06 PM
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Yes, I've updated the post with a link to information from the Windows Vista blog.
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#15 By
3653 (68.52.143.149)
at
8/25/2006 3:29:18 AM
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out of all the responses, only latch showed a lack of restraint. Nothing new there.
latch, how does it taste? bitter, i imagine.
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#16 By
4209 (65.172.57.216)
at
8/25/2006 9:25:58 AM
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Funny thing is that any of us and any techie enthusiast type person already have a 64 Bit CPU in there system. All other people, the common folk, will be buying a new system anyhow as they do not go out and buy upgrade OS's that often. So it really is a moot point and most if not all systems sold today have a 64 bit CPU installed. Personally I am using this to make the switch to the 64 bit OS as I saw no need to buy a copy of XP 64 Bit when I had an already licensed copy of 32 when I bought my A64 CPU and Main Board. So really who gives a crap if they are not doing HD in 32 Bit Vista!
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#17 By
135 (209.180.28.6)
at
8/25/2006 11:21:38 AM
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This High-Def video thing is dead anyhow.
There's no compelling reason to get it, and the media companies have killed any desire for it by forcing everybody to go out and buy $3k of new hardware to make it work.
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#18 By
15406 (216.191.227.68)
at
8/25/2006 1:41:36 PM
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#15: Did you get permission from Parkkker before speaking? Check the fry machine. That's where he usually is, with dreams of one day being able to sprinkle the salt on the fries.
#16: Funny thing how everyone I know has a PC, yet I don't know anyone with an x64 system. People don't want them because the driver support sucks and there is no benefit at all to them for the PITA that 64-bit Windows gives you.
#17: I would agree to a point, especially when the clowns can't even compromise on a single format. So either nobody buys them because nobody wants to spend thousands on the new Betamax, or all the manufacturers license both technologies and the consumer gets to pay the freight. Cost alone won't factor as the cost will fall soon enough. I remember when the first CD players came out and they were $1,500. Now they're almost giving them away in boxes of cereal.
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#19 By
23275 (68.17.42.38)
at
8/25/2006 8:47:47 PM
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#17, I totally disagree.
I was kind of a late adopter of anything HD - late winter of 2004.
Gradually, we added more and more HD capable devices.
Recently, we added a Toshiba HD DVD player. It is connected via an HDMI cable and is HDCP compliant. The display is a Samsung. While there are few HD DVD titles [ < 200 ], that is only half the story. I can attest that the image quality is nothing short of stunning - especially where VC-1 was used by Universal - VC-1 being an Open DVD Standard for encoding and based upon Microsoft's WMV9 encoder. The audio is equally amazing.
The cost was $499.00 plus tax and an HDMI cable was included.
Again, only a small part of the story. The Toshiba also up-converts regular DVD's far better than any of our up-converting DVD players by such a wide margin, that it is hard to describe.
Our existing collection has been given new HD life - the difference is really that much better.
I have compared this to our other HD set ups - which are actually much better hardware - but again, the Toshiba crushes them and on the least modern of our HD TV's.
Unlike Blu-Ray, present HD DVD's use a far better encoder - vice Blu-Ray's lower end MPEG-2 format. While that may change, most people have been unimpressed by Blu-Ray.
We are now adding a Toshiba HD DVD player and HDMI/HDCP video card to one of our custom MCE 2005 systems. With this low cost addition and WinDVD's HD encoder [also uses VC-1], we expect to be able to outfit an amazing HD system that is also a full up MCE.
For those who do not think that HD has much to offer, please check it out. The image and audio quality are stunning and for just a few bucks, an MCE can be made to deliver these experiences.
As for copy protection issues - there are none. HDMI/HDCP solves that - it works and it protects people by finally allowing us to fully enjoy our media collections.
As a P.S., we enjoy the animated films like Nemo and Shark Tale most of all - in the Toshiba HDA1, even the standard DVD's of these films will take your breath away. HD DVD tiltles like Serenity are so amazing that they are hard to describe - the detail one can see is so high.
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