Intel published a document a few days ago (PDF, 184 pages) in which it reviewed in detail the changes introduced in the latest generations of its Core processor line (11th and 12th). And, along with a compilation of several new technologies, they also detailed some features that the new processors had stopped incorporating.
And among them is the suppression of the SGX (Software Guard Extensions), a fundamental requirement for be able to play Blu-ray media content in 4K quality, and a feature that Intel Core processors had been counting on since their 6th generation (the Skylake, from 2016).
The DRM present in this multimedia support requires the presence of the SGX to correctly decode the video, so that, with its recent release, many consumers have begun to notice that something was wrong.
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PowerDVD developers have an answer
In Intel’s decision, without a doubt, has weighed so much the decreasing number of users of Blu-ray technology (which was always, in any case, behind the DVD in the video market) as the constant vulnerabilities of the SGX implementation, which have acted as attack vectors for numerous classes of malware in recent years.
Bad news, therefore, for collectors who opted for this format at the time. A lot of your complaints have reached Cyberlink, the developer of PowerDVD, the popular Blue-ray movie player software for Windows.
But Cyberlink can’t really do anything, because the DRM technology involved is the property of the Blu-ray Association. So the company has chosen to answer questions directly in a FAQ (compilation of frequently asked questions) on its website, where they have revealed that
“The removal of the SGX feature, and its compatibility with the latest Windows operating system and drivers, has been a challenge for CyberLink to continue to support playback of Ultra HD Blu-ray movies on our player software. “
Windows 11 is also a problem
However, Cyberlink warns users of another problem that can occur even if they are not launching a new Intel CPU of the generations indicated above: According to the company, the installation of Windows 11 can also prevent us from accessing our Blu-ray movies in maximum quality.
And it is that, as indicated in the aforementioned FAQ, an update of our operating system to Windows 11 may in turn cause an update of the corresponding Intel drivers, so that even older processors effectively lose SGX support.
So, the only option to continue playing Blu-ray HD on our PC is continue using computers with 7th-11th generation processors with Windows 10 as operating system. At least until 2025, when Microsoft stops supporting this version of its OS.