This is the second post today about the idiocy of hollywood. In addition to annoying DVD ads, if this is right. we will not be able to use analog to watch blu-ray using component audio.

Which is another reason not to get a goddam blu ray device in the first place. Or to use pirated disks.

Even existing Blu-ray players, even the one you may have sitting underneath your TV right now, will be affected, thanks to a lovely little piece of technology.After January 1, 2011, the producers of Blu-ray disks will be able to include an “Image Constraint Token” with any Blu-ray disk which will disable HD over component video, limiting it to a 480i/576i resolution – even though your player is perfectly capable, and bought well before the cut-off date. They want to ensure that HD content only runs through HDMI.In their provisions, the AACS LA actually refers to all this as the “Analog Sunset”.What makes this so much more incredibly frustrating than it already sounds is that this won't prevent copying of Blu-ray discs in any possible way, since AACS has already been cracked wide open long ago, and has been spread across the internet. In other words, this nonsense only affects normal consumers, who will see that their expensive Blu-ray players, connected over component video contrary to popular belief, HDMI doesn't have to be better than component, will suddenly start playing SD content. It's doubly frustrating for countries like my own, where personal backups are perfectly legal.

via 2010: Analog Sunset, the End of Component Video.

I like the comment from the professional installers webside:

We make no bones about calling out Hollywood studios on their ignorance, anti-market practices and general thick-headedness. These AACS rules are especially frustrating because they, like those FBI and anti-piracy warnings on discs, only affect users intending to legally copy software to a local hard drive. The AACS rules will have absolutely zero effect on actual piracy since the Blu-ray Disc’s AACS/BD+ system has already been broken and spread far and wide across the Internet.

Anyone can copy a BD disc and play it back over analogue outputs.

You just can’t do it legally. And there’s the rub.

Well, I am reaching the point where I am ignoring hollywood. As a fairly patriotic New Zealander, I despise Helengrad (Wellington) where Weka lives: the movie industry is in bed with at least one criminal organisation, promoted by Tom Cruise etc, and they are making any audio or videophile’s life hell. All those lovely burr-brown DACs we use to turn things into analog (which always has higher quality) — useless.

Folks, Go Galt. Ignore Blu Ray. By second hand disks. Don’t go to movies, Starve the beast until there is some humility, or Hollywood dissolves into multiple movie centres, producing smaller, local product.