The newest version of copy protection for the 4K future is called HDCP 2.2. This version 2.2 of HDCP, has been available for a bit and is specifically meant to prevent 4K content from being pirated. High-bandwidth content protection (HDCP) establishes an encrypted system to ensure that the link between the source and the display is secure.
This is accomplished by mandating an encryption key for authentication between the source and the display before content can be transmitted.
To put it another way, HDCP was implemented as a security mechanism to prevent the duplication of digital video material. It is a structure created by device manufacturers and industry players to stop or at least attempt to stop content theft.
Devices that support HDCP 2.2
HDCP 2.2 is only intended to secure 4K video. , many new 4K devices lack support for HDCP 2.2,
This also means that 4K UHD/HDR video cannot be played or viewed without an HDCP 2.2 compatible source (TV stick/box, Blu-ray player, console, etc.) and receiver (TV, projector, monitor, etc.).
This applies to all devices within, including sound bars and home theatre systems as well as splitters, switches, matrices, AVR, and splitters. To stream 4K content, which needs an HDCP 2.2 protected interface to be sent, all of them must be HDCP 2.2 enabled.
Where else is HDCP 2.2 used?
It’s also important to know that HDCP 2.2 is used in other contexts besides HDMI. Other connection ports like DisplayPort, USB, MHL, and DVI are also included. To stream 4K UHD material from Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and other services, you also need HDCP 2.2. Whether it is Miracast, Chromecast, WiDi, or WirelessHD, HDCP 2.2 is implemented wirelessly.
In addition to encryption key authentication, HDCP 2.2 also performs a locality check, which requires that input from a signal delivered from the source to the receiver be received before a monitor timer—which expires in 20 milliseconds—reaches its limit.
Is it possible to upgrade a device that does not support HDCP 2.2?
Because HDCP 2.2 requires a hardware component—the HDCP transmitter and receiver—any device that does not support it cannot be modified to do so. Because of this, HDCP 2.2 is not functional with earlier HDCP generations.
Even though newer HDMI standards are backwards compatible with previous ones, HDCP is incompatible with anything that is HDMI 2.0 or older. Additionally, to use HDCP 2.2, you must have MHL 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.4a or newer versions of these two technologies.
Conclusion
Distinguishing HDCP from DRM is important because, unlike DRM, which encrypts the media content itself, HDCP’s purpose is to safeguard and encrypt the ‘transmission’ of digital media across devices.
With HDCP 2.2, 4K UHD digital content is safeguarded as it travels between the transmitter and receiver’s HDCP-protected digital interfaces.
