Avocent MPX1000 Network Card User Manual


 
Chapter 1: Product Overview 9
HDCP compatibility
High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) protects video content as it travels across
DVI-D or HDMI connections. Compliant devices do not allow users to make copies of protected
content and must effectively frustrate attempts to view protected content.
For example, protected digital video content must be restricted to DVD quality when viewed on
non-HDCP display devices. Likewise, digital audio content is restricted to DAT quality on non-
HDCP digital audio output devices.
The following procedures ensure security for protected high definition content:
Authentication: To identify non-compliant display devices
Encryption: To prevent eavesdropping of protected content
Key revocation: To block devices manufactured by vendors in violation of license agreements
from receiving HD content
MPX1000 extenders serve as a repeater between HDCP compliant source and display devices.
When all display devices and the source device are HDCP compliant, high definition content will
be normally displayed. The following exceptions may occur:
When a new display device is added to the extension network, its key will be passed to the
source device for validation. The MPX1000 transmitter will stop transmission of protected
content until the new display device is validated by the source device. The duration of this
process may last up to 15 seconds. The session will continue automatically upon successful
authentication.
In the event that a revoked key is detected, the session will terminate to all display devices. In
this case, the user will need to determine which display device is presenting a revoked key and
remove it from the extension network. Once removed, the MPX1000 transmitter must be
rebooted to flush the key from its memory. At that point, the session should resume normally
to all compliant display devices.
In the event that a display does not support HDCP, then the MPX1000 receiver will not send
protected content to that display device. Unprotected analog audio will be processed normally
by the MPX1000 receiver.
The MPX1000 receiver supports connection to compliant display devices. Connection to
devices such as an HDCP compliant switch, which may present multiple keys, is not
supported. Should this occur, the MPX1000 receiver will refrain from sending video content to
the device. Other receivers in the extension network will not be affected.