InstaPort chips decrypt HDCP, Can this be used to access full bandwidth DVD-A PCM?

wowcolors · 7th October 2009, 18:54

This guy: http://sites.google.com/site/hdcontentsecurity/ has discovered that TVs, AV receivers, etc featuring Silicon Image InstaPort HDMI switch chips strip / decrypt HDCP encryption information from HDMI.

You can grab the decrypted signals with a relatively simple process of soldering a HDMI cable onto the signal lines coming out of the Silicon Image InstaPort switch chip.

I was wondering if the same applies to the audio data on a HDCP HDMI signal? DVD-Audio allows full sample rate / sample depth to be transmitted over HDCP encryption supported devices without the downsampling to 48K 16-bit as seen on standard SPDIF output.

If this applies to the audio data this could be a much simpler way of gaining access to the full sample rate / sample depth digital DVD-Audio data. HDMI capture cards are quickly lowering in cost too.

Cheers!

880 · 8th October 2009, 00:39

I think it's easier to rip the disc.

mariush · 8th October 2009, 02:36

My thoughts are... it would be awesome if more displays would come with the same chip version and work the same way, but I'm leaning towards "programmers were too lazy or just forgot to set a flag which enables hdcp encryption at output" when they uploaded the firmware in that chip, or maybe they had to disable hdcp encryption because another chip they used wouldn't do handshake properly or something like that.

It could be a very good (and very slow) alternative to rip discs that otherwise would not be ripped because keys are missing or can't be retrieved...

wowcolors · 8th October 2009, 02:56

mariush,
In order for the InstaPort chip to allow fast switching between HDMI devices it must maintain full contact with all the HDMI end devices where as a normal HDMI switch will only maintain full data contact with the channel that is active. In order to switch fast it seems the output of the chip must have HDCP removed to sync quickly with the TV video processor, so I do not think this is a firmware thing that can be easily fixed with flipping a bit. I could very well be wrong but from what I am reading it does not appear to be that way.

wowcolors · 9th October 2009, 03:03

I should have posted this in the "Audio encoding" forum, opps, I am new here, if it is better suited for that forum can a mod please move it.

7th October 2009, 18:54	#1 \| Link
wowcolors Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 6	InstaPort chips decrypt HDCP, Can this be used to access full bandwidth DVD-A PCM? This guy: http://sites.google.com/site/hdcontentsecurity/ has discovered that TVs, AV receivers, etc featuring Silicon Image InstaPort HDMI switch chips strip / decrypt HDCP encryption information from HDMI. You can grab the decrypted signals with a relatively simple process of soldering a HDMI cable onto the signal lines coming out of the Silicon Image InstaPort switch chip. I was wondering if the same applies to the audio data on a HDCP HDMI signal? DVD-Audio allows full sample rate / sample depth to be transmitted over HDCP encryption supported devices without the downsampling to 48K 16-bit as seen on standard SPDIF output. If this applies to the audio data this could be a much simpler way of gaining access to the full sample rate / sample depth digital DVD-Audio data. HDMI capture cards are quickly lowering in cost too. Cheers!

8th October 2009, 02:56	#4 \| Link
wowcolors Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 6	mariush, In order for the InstaPort chip to allow fast switching between HDMI devices it must maintain full contact with all the HDMI end devices where as a normal HDMI switch will only maintain full data contact with the channel that is active. In order to switch fast it seems the output of the chip must have HDCP removed to sync quickly with the TV video processor, so I do not think this is a firmware thing that can be easily fixed with flipping a bit. I could very well be wrong but from what I am reading it does not appear to be that way. Last edited by wowcolors; 8th October 2009 at 02:58.

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8th October 2009, 00:39	#2 \| Link
880 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 125	I think it's easier to rip the disc.

8th October 2009, 02:36	#3 \| Link
mariush Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 589	My thoughts are... it would be awesome if more displays would come with the same chip version and work the same way, but I'm leaning towards "programmers were too lazy or just forgot to set a flag which enables hdcp encryption at output" when they uploaded the firmware in that chip, or maybe they had to disable hdcp encryption because another chip they used wouldn't do handshake properly or something like that. It could be a very good (and very slow) alternative to rip discs that otherwise would not be ripped because keys are missing or can't be retrieved...

9th October 2009, 03:03	#5 \| Link
wowcolors Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 6	I should have posted this in the "Audio encoding" forum, opps, I am new here, if it is better suited for that forum can a mod please move it.