Forget HDMI and DisplayPort -- Kleer and USB now vying for that HDTV link

by Thomas Ricker posted Dec 17th 2007 at 3:56AM

Ugh, is DRM coming to shackle USB too? You betcha. The USB Implementer's Forum is planning to rollout a variant of tethered USB in 2008 to carry compressed high-def video between TVs and mobile devices. It appears unrelated to USB 3.0 and targets both laptops and personal media players -- however you might choose to define that. A spokesman for the organization said that developers "could layer HDMI's HDCP encryption on top." So it's not definite. But with the studios fighting hard to "protect" their content, well, it's a given that some form of DRM will be there. The new USB linkage is meant to complement HDMI which primarily carries uncompressed video between living room A/V equipment... and an increasing number of media-centric laptops. Thing is, DisplayPort, expected to make a big showing at CES in January, already comes with a slathering of HDCP and is the purported VESA standard for moving HDTV from your laptop to a digital television. To confuse matters more, Kleer Corp is also working on a mid-2008 wireless and wired technology for carrying SD video based on its existing wireless audio technology. Proof that the best part about having standards is that there are so many to choose from.

Filed under: Industry, Ports

Tags: displayport, drm, hdcp, hdmi, hdtv, kleer, usb, usb 3.0, Usb3.0

Subscribe to these comments

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

GhostDoggy @ Dec 17th 2007 5:21AM

DRM has failed so many times. Developers of DRM systems continue to fail all of the time. Someone needs to come up with the DRM Darwin award for these idiots.

Highly Ranked

zargon @ Dec 17th 2007 7:46AM

STOP RELEASING NEW CONNECTIONS!!!

Component is perfectly fine and if the damn standard group would have passed it, component could have passed 1080p in commercial products. However they didn't, because of some bullshit about it being analog and therefore people will pirate it.

Firewire and DVI as a connection has come and gone, there are people out there that got screwed buying products with these "new standards." At least DVI can be converted from HDMI, minus that whole HDCP mess that when new, DVI lacked. Then came HDMI, which has finally kind of settled and became the new standard and looks like it is here to stay (except that it is kind of a moving target and its profiles are not solid in terms of being standards). Now we have video cards coming out with Display port and yet another connection coming out.

When will it stop already?!? Just freaking use HDMI, it works and just about everyone with a newer TV or monitor has it (or can use it with DVI). What good do they think they are doing? I hope display port and this new connection die a horrible death, especially since DVI/HDMI forced their way in when component was perfectly fine.

Oh yeah, and screw DRM. DRM is not only screwing the customer, it is screwing over and not even protecting the companies. They are wasting money on it when it will get hacked and they are going to make it so we can't want watch anything, which I guess will work for them... just not the way they think it will.

Neutral

Galley @ Dec 17th 2007 8:47AM

Note to industry: We like HDMI. We like single-cable connections that only go in one way. We don't like guessing which way is up on a USB plug.

Neutral

longhairbilly @ Dec 17th 2007 9:08PM

Are they even trying to make money? You have Joe six-pack who needs to decide on LCD or plasma. 720p or 1080p. HD DVD or Bluray. Now your adding more connections for him to fuss over?

Your going to scare off huge amounts of people by making your shit so confusing.

Neutral

SimbaDogg @ Dec 17th 2007 9:37PM

yes, please...get rid of dvi on monitors and video carts. Put HDMI on EVERYTHING. i for one much prefer that than using component

Final Fantasy XIII announcement possibly due on Nov. 13 EA Sports MMA gameplay footage revealed during Strikeforce match Nintendo 'hasn't committed' to new Zelda for Wii in 2010	HTML5 YouTube viewer: close, but not quite there Photoshop.com Mobile now available for Android devices Jailbroken iPhones in Australia getting Rickrolled by a worm
Balloons! Sending out a mystery message on your iPhone Brenthaven: The best computer backpack I've ever seen Is the Magic Mouse a dog?	Sunday Funnies: Barron's predicting profits? Entrepreneur's Journal: Putting together a solid sales contract Walmart, Amazon now slash DVD prices: What's next?
Reminder: Watch the first episode of Halo Legends today [update: It's gone] Homemade Fallout 3 Shishkebab, make 'em now before the apocalypse Gears of War 2 celebrates first anniversary with triple XP	SEMA 2009 Worst of Show: This car stinks... The Tony Fox "Proud American" and "Bonneville Boss" Rocket Truck High Speed, High Fashion: Izod secures deal as IndyCar title sponsor
The Best of Big Download: November 2-8 BioWare's Neverwinter Nights downloadable modules no longer available PC Modern Warfare 2 can't be played until Tuesday, even if you get it early	Philip Rivers Redeems Self in 'Eli Bowl' Patriots Taking Control in AFC East Mike Holmgren on Cleveland's Radar