What does an HDCP compliant HDMI capture card signify regarding HDCP pass-through?
What does an HDCP compliant HDMI capture card signify regarding HDCP pass-through?
I recently bought an inexpensive unbranded, made in China HDMI to USB capture card. There’s no brand name anywhere on it or on the box.
When I sent output from my Windows 10 PC via HDMI out to the NVidia card, I noticed the NVidia Control Panel confirms both GPU and display are HDCP compliant.
So is this cheap unbranded HDMI to USB card actually HDCP compliant?
I tested my satellite TV Set top box (commonly called STB in my country) and it managed to capture FHD live content as played by the STB. I assumed STB must be HDCP compliant.
This raises several questions in my mind:
- Does it mean a HDCP compliant capture card can indeed capture HDCP content?
- Isn’t this a piracy concern? How could an HDCP license be granted to a capture card manufacturer? Even well-known brands like Elgato clearly state their cards won’t work directly with HDCP content.
- Could it be that STB is not actually HDCP compliant at all?
Thanks.
I think that's what I mentioned in my original comment. English isn't my first language, so please forgive any confusion.
To make it even more clear, I used OBS Studio on a Windows 10 computer and recorded the live video as played by STB in an MP4 file. I could also capture the PC's HDMI output at FHD 60fps.
hdcp applies specifically to HD+ films, such as HBO, Netflix, Blu-ray, and similar services. Capturing the protected movie is possible with it. If so, congratulations!
The satellite TV broadcaster transmits signals for different TV channels (HD & SD) from the satellite directly to the home dish antenna, which then sends them to the STB device. The STB decodes these signals and outputs them via HDMI. The available channels range from movies such as Star Movies HD and MNX+ HD to sports, news, regional broadcasts, with some in FHD and others in SD. I believe the STB output supports HDCP. Additionally, if an HDMI to USB capture card is HDCP compliant, it may allow the passage of protected content. I haven’t tested all channels yet, especially not with the Amazon Fire Stick. This is where my main question arises. Google Bard provided a diplomatic response; it’s not in black and white.