What Is HDCP, HDMI, and DVI? GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Home Theater & Entertainment > TV & Displays 104 104 people found this article helpful
What Is HDCP, HDMI, and DVI?
Why you need a HDCP compliant HDTV
By Matthew Torres Matthew Torres Writer Texas State University-San Marcos Former Lifewire writer Matthew Torres is a journalist who writes about television technology, consumer support articles, and TV-related news. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 11, 2020 Tweet Share Email ULTRA.F / Digital Vision / Getty Images Tweet Share Email TV & Displays HDMI & Connections Samsung Projectors Antennas Remote Controls When shopping for a new HDTV, make sure it is HDCP compliant or else you might have trouble watching certain TV and movies. Learn the meaning of terms like HDMI, HDCP, and DVI to help you make an informed purchase. What Is HDCP
High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) was developed by Intel as a security feature to protect copyrighted material. It requires compatibility between the sender and the receiver. In other words, a cable box with built-in HDCP technology will only work with TVs that are also HDCP-compatible. Think of HDCP as a security license key for installing a computer program. It works by encrypting a digital signal with a code that requires authentication from both the signal transmitting device and the signal receiving device. If authentication fails, then the signal fails, which means no picture on the TV screen. The purpose of HDCP is to prevent people from copying movies, video games, TV broadcasts, and other media for distribution. Since digital technology has made sharing copyrighted content much easier than it used to be, the film industry has embraced HDCP technology through Blu-ray discs. Indeed, movies and games on Blue-ray will not work on a TV without HDCP compatibility. Services like HBO and Netflix have also adopted HDCP to protect their properties. What Does an HDCP Error Mean
There is no firmware upgrade that can turn a non-HDCP input into an HDCP-compliant input. If you bought an HDTV a few years ago, then you may get an HDCP error when connecting a Blu-ray disc player to your TV via an HDMI cable. This would force you into either using a non-digital cable, buying a new HDTV, or getting rid of the Blu-ray player altogether. 2:27 How to Troubleshoot HDMI Connection Problems
What Is HDMI
HDCP is a purely digital technology that relies on DVI and HDMI cables. That's why you'll often see acronyms like DVI/HDCP and HDMI/HDCP grouped together. HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. It's a digital interface that allows your HDTV to render the best uncompressed digital picture possible. HDMI has tremendous support from the motion picture industry. It was created by some of the heavyweights in the consumer electronics industry like Hitachi, Matsushita, Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson, and Toshiba. What Is DVI
Created by the Digital Display Working Group, DVI stands for Digital Visual Interface. It is an older digital interface that has been all but replaced by HDMI in televisions. There are two significant advantages of HDMI over DVI: HDMI sends the audio and video signal in one cable. DVI only transfers video, so a separate audio cable is necessary.HDMI is significantly faster than DVI. HDCP HDTV Buying Advice
Many recently manufactured TVs are HDCP-compliant; however, if you buy an older set, you may not be able to watch movies, play games, or stream content on Netflix. Regardless if your HDTV uses HDMI or DVI, verify that it has at least one input with HDCP support before making a purchase. Not every port on the TV will be HDCP-compliant, so read the user manual before you start connecting cables to your TV. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire HDCP and Potential Compatibility Issues Can You Still Use an Analog TV? How to Troubleshoot HDMI Connection Problems Should You Buy a Blu-ray Player? How to Connect an Xbox One to a TV How to Connect an iPad to a TV How Many HDMI Inputs Do I Want on an HDTV? 6 Ways to Connect Your Computer to Your TV What to Look for When Buying a Projector What Is VGA? (Definition of Video Graphics Array) Super Bowl TV and Home Theater Setup Tips DisplayPort vs HDMI: Which Is Better? How to Watch Hulu on Your TV What Is HDTV? MHL: What It Is and How to Use It FHD vs UHD: What's The Difference? Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies