Sky's HD boxes to have component output??

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds19787.html

It reads..........

Wednesday, March 9 2005, 17:54 GMT -- by Alan Jay


Sony has revealed that their 2004 range of "HD Capable" set top boxes -
which feature analogue component outputs instead of the "HD Ready" HDMI/HDCP
outputs - will be able to be used with Sky's HD service when it launches.

Quoting from their press release:

"Sky's most recent announcement has clarified that all current models will
be able to receive HD broadcast via the analogue component inputs."

Sony will be releasing a range of HDMI/HDCP capable sets from July 2005.
Adrian Northoversmith, head of Digital Strategy at Sony said: "We are really
excited about the development of HDTV and are pleased that we can support
Sky as it prepares to broadcast in HDTV. Existing Sony models will be able
to receive HD broadcast and all new large screen Sony models introduced in
2005 will carry both a HDMI and standard analogue connection to remove any
confusion consumers may have regarding this technology."

This question of whether Sky's HD service will offer HD Component outputs
from its STB made by Thomson has been a vexed question for some time. Until
six months ago anyone who purchased a HD Capable display (one with a
resolution of 720x1280 or higher) did not have the choice of HDMI.

Pioneer were one of the first to put HDMI/HDCP (HD Ready) on their range of
plasma displays and there are now a growing range of displays with HDMI/HDCP
or HDCP capable DVI inputs on the market. The difference between HDMI and
DVI is, in simple terms, that HDMI contains both audio and video while DVI
is video only (both are digital and there are converter cables on the
market).

In Sky's FAQ about HDTV they said:

WHAT KIND OF TV SET WILL YOU NEED TO RECEIVE SKY'S HDTV SERVICE?
· Any kind of screen or TV set could be connected to Sky's HD STB but, to
truly experience Sky's HDTV picture quality, customers will need a 26" or
larger "HD Ready" plasma, LCD or DLP TV.

However, later in the same FAQ, Sky said:

HOW WILL SKY'S HDTV RECEIVER CONNECT TO THE TV DISPLAY?
· The receiver will have an HDMI connector (High Definition Multimedia
Interface) as its primary means of connecting to an HD display. HDMI can
also be connected to DVI equipped displays using a suitable adaptor cable.

· Most HDTV content will be protected by HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital
Content Protection). This means most HDTV content will only be able to be
viewed on display devices that have HDCP software built into them.

This is slightly at odds with Sony's press release and Digital Spy is trying
to get a definitive answer from Sky on this. It could mean that initially
the HD service will work over analogue component outputs but that some
content in the future may only be available over the HDMI/HDCP connection.
However, it might mean that only a portion of the content is available from
day one.

The one certainty is that if you are about to buy a "HD Capable" screen,
make sure it is "HD Ready" at least until Sky confirm that you will get a
few years of complete HD service from the analogue component inputs.

On the other hand if you have already purchased a "HD Capable" screen then
it looks like you may be able to get some value out of the Sky HD service -
and that means a big sigh of relief from anyone who purchased such a set
more than 6 months ago when there was no choice. What one won't be able to
receive in the way of content is unknown and the US the capability for some
time and there are still discussions on when it will be enforced.

The next few months will be very interesting as this develops and keep
reading Digital Spy to keep up to date with developments. As a final note
when I was checking the facts with Adrian Northoversmith his view was that
Sky's service will start sooner than people think.


Here's hoping!!!


Pete

PeteIvy wrote:

Sony has revealed that their 2004 range of "HD Capable" set top boxes -
which feature analogue component outputs instead of the "HD Ready" HDMI/HDCP
outputs - will be able to be used with Sky's HD service when it launches.

And what do Sony think one might do with the component output of the
Sky box in order to connect it to the component output of the Sony set
top box, and why?

It sounds to me as though someone at Sony has completely missed the
thread. Or maybe it was the journalist?

Either way, the only thing one can do with a component output from a
Sky HD box is to connect it to some sort of TV. And that would be the
"set", not the "set top box". So if Sony are saying that their TV sets
have component input, that would make a lot more sense.

Even so, they still won't get digital HD unless they have an HDMI
socket.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/6u4p9
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.co.uk/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

"Jomtien" wrote in message
...
PeteIvy wrote:

Sony has revealed that their 2004 range of "HD Capable" set top boxes -
which feature analogue component outputs instead of the "HD Ready"
HDMI/HDCP
outputs - will be able to be used with Sky's HD service when it launches.

And what do Sony think one might do with the component output of the
Sky box in order to connect it to the component output of the Sony set
top box, and why?

It sounds to me as though someone at Sony has completely missed the
thread. Or maybe it was the journalist?

Either way, the only thing one can do with a component output from a
Sky HD box is to connect it to some sort of TV. And that would be the
"set", not the "set top box". So if Sony are saying that their TV sets
have component input, that would make a lot more sense.

Even so, they still won't get digital HD unless they have an HDMI
socket.

Sony don't have a 2004 range of "HD Capable" set top boxes (in the UK at
least)
They don't have a Sky Set top box at all!
And Sky have only ever mentioned Thomson making the HD Set top box, not
Sony.

Seems this newsitem is full of inaccuracies to me

Loz

"loz" wrote in message
...
Sony has revealed that their 2004 range of "HD Capable" set top boxes -
which feature analogue component outputs instead of the "HD Ready"
HDMI/HDCP outputs - will be able to be used with Sky's HD service when it
launches.

Sony don't have a 2004 range of "HD Capable" set top boxes (in the UK at
least)
They don't have a Sky Set top box at all!
And Sky have only ever mentioned Thomson making the HD Set top box, not
Sony.

Seems this newsitem is full of inaccuracies to me

Actually I see digitalspy have now changed the news item.
It now reads
"Sony has revealed that their 2004 range of "HD Capable" large screen LCD
and plasma TV displays - which feature analogue component inputs instead of
the "HD Ready" HDMI/HDCP inputs"

Makes more sense

Loz

loz wrote:

"Sony has revealed that their 2004 range of "HD Capable" large screen LCD
and plasma TV displays - which feature analogue component inputs instead of
the "HD Ready" HDMI/HDCP inputs"

Makes more sense

It does indeed but it still won't give digital HD. The only way to get
digital HD from a Sky HD box will be via the HDMI socket.

This is spin from Sony and they should be ashamed.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/6u4p9
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.co.uk/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:09:25 +0100, Jomtien wrote:

This is spin from Sony and they should be ashamed.

Not so much ashamed as "massively liable" if they're promoting their
equipment as suitable for a purpose which it is not suitable for.