This is a clip from Wikipedia on HD dvd since the announcement that neither of the 2 leading console's will have hdmi cp output's the owners of large digital t.v's will be getting a really raw deal, not to mention the backup of these disks is not going to be easy what are your thoughts on this.

From Wikipedia
Commercialized HD DVDs will integrate copy restriction technology that is expected to be developed by AACS LA (Advanced Access Content System License Administrator). "Audio Watermark Protection" is also being created for use on HD DVD. All HD DVD players will have a sensor that listens for inaudible watermarks in the soundtrack of movies, and will be included in the soundtracks of all major movies. If a DVD player does not detect the code, the disc must be a copy made by copying a film to video, or using a camcorder and microphone on a cinema screen and will cause the player to refuse to play the disc. The mark is made by varying the waveform of speech and music in a regular pattern to convey a digital code. These variations, while being too subtle to be heard by the human ear, can easily be neutralized by the HD DVD players as well as by audio editing software. Another variation of this system can be used to prevent the playback of discs created by using a camcorder and microphone on a home entertainment center playing a legitimate disc purchased by a consumer. This variation for home entertainment utilizes a watermark that differs from the cinema mark that the player will be able to use to check whether the disc is authorized or not.

Manufacturers have also discussed plans to make players accessible for online monitoring like a digital cable box; any attempt to crack a machine, play a cracked disc, or another region's disc would disable the machine.

In addition, HD DVD players must follow AACS guidelines pertaining to outputs over non-encrypted interfaces. This is set by a flag called the Image Constraint Token (ICT), which restricts the resolution for outputs without HDCP to 960×540. The decision to set the flag to restrict output ("down-convert") is left to the content provider. Warner Pictures is a proponent of ICT, and it is expected that Paramount and Universal will implement down-conversion as well [6]. As of March 2006, 5 of the 6 studios releasing HD DVD content have announced they will not use ICT/down-conversion for the time being [7]. AACS guidelines require that any title that implements the ICT must clearly state so on the packaging.

So far the studios are behaving, having announced that they don't intend to cripple playback over the analog (component) inputs. How long this lasts, only time will tell.

I'm not buying either format, I'm waiting for one to emerge as the victor or for a unified format. It's possible a 'universal player' might tempt me to purchase.

I hope this isn't SACD/DVD-Audio all over again.