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The future of do-it-yourself video hardware in the Microsoft Vista generation is in question, as issues have surfaced surrounding two key portions of the high-definition video space. How consumers will have to deal with HDCP, a content protection scheme, and CableCards, a means of transmitting video information into the home, have come to the fore.

MANHASSET, N.Y. — Leading PC and consumer electronics companies announced they are developing a specification for a next-generation PC digital display interface that is also compatible with high-definition TV signals. Penned the Unified Display Interface (UDI), the standard is expected to replace the aging VGA analog standard and provide guidelines to ensure compatibility with the DVI standard. UDI will be also be compatible with HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), the standard digital interface for High Definition TVs (HDTVs) and advanced CE displays. UDI will be able to use High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) technology widely deployed in HDMI-compatible products today....