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Can someone explain why PowerDVD needs the SGX feature? Intel clearly doesn't see it as being useful, or did they replace it with something better and Cyberlink

Can someone explain why PowerDVD needs the SGX feature? Intel clearly doesn't see it as being useful, or did they replace it with something better and Cyberlink just doesn't want to upgrade? I mean it's reasonable that Cyberlink shaw the SGX as a way of implementing DRM, but I don't believe it's the only way they could possibly do so.

bubblethink 5y ago
Cyberlink doesn't control anything in this. Studios, Microsoft, Intel, etc. decided all this. Cyberlink was just providing a service atop all this nonsense.
hlandau 5y ago
When Blu-ray came out, it came with all sorts of DRM madness (AACS, BD+, etc.) which persists to this day. However playback on PCs still ultimately involved some kind of proprietary player software which contains keys to decrypt the content. Obviously, these keys could be extracted from the player software to decrypt DVDs. In other words, it's the flaw with all DRM schemes. For UHD/4K Blu-rays, the DRM scheme was renewed (AACSv2). As far as I can tell, studios seemed to decide that the above model was too insecure and to require something more for PC playback of UHD Blu-rays. The requirement seems to basically be that some kind of platform-integrated hardware DRM is involved so that the CPU never sees the decrypted video (or equivalent; presumably SGX is used to lock the decrypted content inside an enclave which is remotely attested and then securely transported to the GPU somehow. GPUs also have had this kind of hardware DRM functionality added to support this use case but I don't have the details to hand as they're not to my knowledge public.)
zuminator 5y ago
beemeup5 at ghacks.net wrote [0]: Slight clarification. This is primarily a limitation specifically for software like Cyberlink’s PowerDVD because Cyberlink is one of the very few officially authorized software vendors for encrypted UHD disc playback. Intel SGX is not a requirement for playback in the UHD Blu-ray spec. PowerDVD just happens to make use of Intel SGX for their decryption implementation / HDCP handshake enforcement. Other software players that don’t make use of Intel SGX can play UHD discs just fine, so AMD CPU owners need not worry. Just use MPC-HC or JRiver Media Center, etc. Of course, you may need to use “alternate” decryption options like AnyDVD or DVDFab, and naturally you also need a UHD capable disc drive with compatible firmware. like the Asus BC- 12D2HT. Many sellers will flash the stock firmware with UHD-capable firmware for drives sold as “UHD ready”. [0]https://www.ghacks.net/2022/01/14/intels-dropping-of-sgx-prevents-ultra-hd-blu-ray-playback-on-pcs/#:~:text=Slight%20clarification.%20This,last%20decade%20XD https://www.ghacks.net/2022/01/14/intels-dropping-of-sgx-pre....
- heisenbit 5y ago
  > Cyberlink’s PowerDVD because Cyberlink is one of the very few officially authorized software vendors for encrypted UHD disc playback The only way to win in this game is not to play it.

bubblethink 5y ago

Cyberlink doesn't control anything in this. Studios, Microsoft, Intel, etc. decided all this. Cyberlink was just providing a service atop all this nonsense.

hlandau 5y ago

When Blu-ray came out, it came with all sorts of DRM madness (AACS, BD+, etc.) which persists to this day. However playback on PCs still ultimately involved some kind of proprietary player software which contains keys to decrypt the content. Obviously, these keys could be extracted from the player software to decrypt DVDs. In other words, it's the flaw with all DRM schemes. For UHD/4K Blu-rays, the DRM scheme was renewed (AACSv2). As far as I can tell, studios seemed to decide that the above model was too insecure and to require something more for PC playback of UHD Blu-rays. The requirement seems to basically be that some kind of platform-integrated hardware DRM is involved so that the CPU never sees the decrypted video (or equivalent; presumably SGX is used to lock the decrypted content inside an enclave which is remotely attested and then securely transported to the GPU somehow. GPUs also have had this kind of hardware DRM functionality added to support this use case but I don't have the details to hand as they're not to my knowledge public.)

zuminator 5y ago

beemeup5 at ghacks.net wrote [0]: Slight clarification. This is primarily a limitation specifically for software like Cyberlink’s PowerDVD because Cyberlink is one of the very few officially authorized software vendors for encrypted UHD disc playback. Intel SGX is not a requirement for playback in the UHD Blu-ray spec. PowerDVD just happens to make use of Intel SGX for their decryption implementation / HDCP handshake enforcement. Other software players that don’t make use of Intel SGX can play UHD discs just fine, so AMD CPU owners need not worry. Just use MPC-HC or JRiver Media Center, etc. Of course, you may need to use “alternate” decryption options like AnyDVD or DVDFab, and naturally you also need a UHD capable disc drive with compatible firmware. like the Asus BC- 12D2HT. Many sellers will flash the stock firmware with UHD-capable firmware for drives sold as “UHD ready”. [0]https://www.ghacks.net/2022/01/14/intels-dropping-of-sgx-prevents-ultra-hd-blu-ray-playback-on-pcs/#:~:text=Slight%20clarification.%20This,last%20decade%20XD https://www.ghacks.net/2022/01/14/intels-dropping-of-sgx-pre....

heisenbit 5y ago
> Cyberlink’s PowerDVD because Cyberlink is one of the very few officially authorized software vendors for encrypted UHD disc playback The only way to win in this game is not to play it.