Owners of the latest MacBooks are reporting that Apple has enabled HDCP DPCP protection on many movies purchased through iTunes, restricting how they can play back the content. HDCP is the DRM used mainly in the HDMI cables used to connect late-model HDTVs and some computer monitors, with DCPC an enhancement for DisplayPort connectors. The system is designed to use a chain of trust, one HDCP-compliant device connecting to and authenticating another. When viewing content from a protected source, the devices must disable or downgrade their analog and non-protected digital outputs, with the intent of thwarting attempts to record the signal. So, while DRM-encumbered music files purchased on iTunes can be burned to a CD, and then re-encoded into DRM-free MP3s, HDCP prevents a similar method of freeing-up movies by playing them back while recording them on an external DVD burner or DVR.

This has not been an issue for most Apple users, since until the recent MacBook refresh, Apple products didn't ship with HDCP-compliant outputs. While users of older hardware continue to get a free pass, Apple's now activated the protection on the Mini DisplayPort-enabled models. This affects users who use DisplayPort-to-DVI adaptors to connect to external monitors, rather than watch their movies on a tiny laptop screen. Users who wish to continue using external displays are forced to buy new monitors with DisplayPort connectors. Apple made no announcement or warning to users before switching-on this protection, angering many who can now no longer watch purchased movies the way they'd like to. There's been no statement from Apple since the outcry began, addressing user concerns.

Have any readers ran into this problem with your MacBooks? Are you going to bite the bullet and buy a new screen, or join the angry forum-posters boycotting iTunes movie downloads? Let us know in the comments below.

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