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What Does It All Mean?

The AACS system is designed to adapt and renew itself. But if users have to update their player software to revoke expired keys every time hackers circumvent AACS, well, users will likely revolt. After all, nobody wants their movie player to become like Microsoft Windows or Internet Explorer, always needing another security patch to stay on top of its game.

Currently, both the Corel and CyberLink programs require users to initiate an update.

Says CyberLink's Renee Chen: "Users are required to update their keys when they reach the 18-month duration [the maximum amount of time that can lapse between player key renewals, per AACS LA]."

According to Chen, once an update becomes available, CyberLink will send a notification to users when they launch the software player. Each user can then download from CyberLink's Update Center the newest software build, with the new keys.

Though Corel requires a manual update as well, the company recognizes that key renewal will be a continuing issue for consumers, and it is working on streamlining the process.

"Our first responsibility is to ensure consumers enjoy their high-definition content in every way possible with a minimum of interruption/intrusion. As a part of this, we've begun development of an automatic notification and update program for registered users," reveals Blaine Mathieu, vice president and general manger of product and strategy at Corel. "In the future, updates will be automated, and seamless for users [to implement] any and all upgrades."

Future Watch

In light of the latest attacks, actions open to the AACS organization include revoking the keys yet again from software players. The current key revocation does not impact existing hardware players, but that could certainly change.

A more drastic move would be to revoke the keys for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player--and, presumably, other HD DVD-ROM and Blu-ray Disc burners already on the market. This step would be a stopgap, though, and its effectiveness may be limited.

Furthermore, to do so would come at a price: If AACS has to revoke hardware keys for PC devices, such a move would be disappointing, and could constrain adoption of the next-gen formats. Back when DVD first launched a decade ago, many computer users adopted DVD for their PC well before buying a pricey living-room player.

Fast-forward to the present, an era when PCs are prevalent in the home and more commonly serve as video players--whether displaying on a large, flat-panel monitor or outputting to an HDTV. As prices for high-def options drop, adding high-def playback to your desktop or notebook PC is an attractive alternative to buying a dedicated player for your living room.