The Xbox 360 just gained Netflix high-def streaming capability but a small issue has arisen concerning HDCP and compatible displays. It seems that these high-def files are protected by the copy protection, but no fear, it has nothing to do with component video – and never did. You see, HDCP was devised to protect digital audio and video content that travels over digital mediums such as DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, GVIF, and UDI. Since component video is an analog signal, the movies, will of course stream just fine.
However, if you have a LCD monitor or older HDTV – say, pre-2005 – your display has a DVI port that might not be HDCP compatible; some were and some were not back then. So users can either revert back to component video or utilize a VGA adapter. True, you will be losing your 100% digital signal and the switch might mess up your whole wiring scheme if the gaming system is within a home theater setup, but at least you will be able to stream HD Netflix movies.
all 300 of them
Does this mean you need a HDTV in order for the stream to even work?
Does this mean HD video will NOT be downsampled to 480p over component?
What about VGA?
Does this mean you can stream any movie from netflix. Or just a certain selection of them.
No, it will not be down-sampled. component can do 1080p if it has to, but most TV’s don’t support it.
The author is saying, if you are using your xbox via a digital medium (which only concerns xbox’s with HDMI really, since the other ones outputted analog only), your TV or monitor has to support HDCP(secure link between digital sources)
To answer the VGA question, VGA is also capable of doing 1080P, but just like componet, a lot of TV’s VGA ports(d-sub) don’t support full 1080P and will only allow 1080i. and since this signal is analog, you don’t have to worry about HDCP.
I had the same problem, Netflix stuttering on Xbox, HDMI cables hooked up from Xbox to LCD TV. I removed the cheap Xbox HDMI cable and switched it with HDMI cable from my blu-ray that I bought at Walmart. Streams just fine via HDMI.