A set of digital rights management (DRM) restrictions for Blu-ray media and players that use the AACS copy protection system. Plugging the so-called "analog hole," starting January 1, 2011, AACS-compliant Blu-ray players are required to allow HD movies over HDMI only, which supports copy protection. If analog component video outputs are used, the movie must play in SD format. All analog outputs are prohibited as of January 1, 2014.
For Older Players
To plug the analog hole on existing players, as long as the label informs the customer, Blu-ray discs can optionally contain an Image Constraint Token (ICT) that limits analog playback to SD only. In addition, if the disc is released within six weeks of theater release, a Digital Only Token (DOT) can prohibit all analog playback. See
AACS,
analog hole and
HDMI.