HDCP

HDCP, or High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, is a form of digital copy protection developed by Intel and administered by Digital Content Protection LLC. It is designed to prevent unauthorized copying of protected digital audio and video as it travels across interfaces such as HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort. By enforcing encryption on the data stream, HDCP aims to block interception and copying of high-value content between source devices and displays.

The protection operates through a device authentication and key exchange process. When a source and a display connect, they perform a handshake to verify each other’s licenses and to establish an encrypted channel. If authentication fails or if any component in the chain is non-compliant, content may be blocked, degraded to a lower resolution, or not displayed at all. The system can also apply revocation lists to disable compromised devices.

HDCP has evolved through several generations. HDCP 1.x covers earlier HDMI and DVI connections and relies on symmetric key exchanges. HDCP 2.x introduces stronger cryptography, a license-based framework, and the ability to revoke compromised devices. Different 2.x revisions address various use cases, with HDCP 2.2 commonly required for 4K content and HDCP 2.3 providing newer protections. In practice, a connection may involve multiple devices such as a source, an HDMI splitter or repeater, and a display, and every link in the chain must be HDCP-compliant.

HDCP is widely used in consumer electronics, including Blu-ray players, streaming devices, game consoles, televisions, and computer displays. It is not a universal guarantee against copying, and it does not prevent all forms of content capture; it primarily protects the digital link and depends on licensed components. Circumvention is illegal in many jurisdictions under anti-circumvention laws and related DRM frameworks.