Playing all kinds of multimedia content on our computers, whether mobile or desktop, has become a very common task. We have the possibility of making use of files of all kinds of qualities related to both audio and video, although sometimes we come across some difficulties, for example, with the blu ray.
Along these same lines, we are going to focus on high-definition video content. We are telling you all this because, as has recently become known, Intel has now removed the SGX security function on their 11th generation and later processors. The relationship with the aforementioned multimedia content is that this functionality is one of the requirements to play Ultra HD Blu-Ray discs on the devices.
Keep in mind that the format Ultra HD Blu Ray, also known as 4K Ultra HD or 4K Blu Ray, supports playback at a pixel resolution of 3840 x 2160. Thus, one of the requirements for playback of these Ultra HD Blu-Ray discs on PC is that the processor and motherboard firmware support SGX. This is something that was imposed by the Blu-Ray Disc Association as DRM requirements. In addition to SGX, this playback is protected by the HDCP 2.2 and AACS 2.0 standards, while some discs use AACS 2.1.
Something we should know in this regard is that the Intel software protection extensions, known as SGX, allow both user and system code to define private regions of memory. These are called enclaves and their content is protected, so it cannot be read or saved by any outside process.
Most modern PCs won’t let you watch Blu-Ray on Windows
Even processes with higher permissions are included here. But Intel’s 11th and 12th generation processors say these software protection extensions are outdated. As you can imagine, this is something that directly affects the playback of Blu-Ray discs on Windows systems. Keep in mind that this Microsoft software is the most common on most desktop computers.
All of the above translates to the fact that PC users using devices with these recent processors will not be able to play Ultra HD Blu-Ray discs. The reason for this is the one exposed and related to this requirement. Thus, the removal of the SGX function and its compatibility with the Windows system and drivers is a major challenge for some software developers. We refer to those who have projects focused on playing Ultra HD Blu-ray movies.
In fact, some of the CyberLink majors believe that this won’t be possible with the newer CPUs in Windows PCs. At this point, some of the aforementioned software developers suggest that users who wish to consume this content stick with older Intel processors. Specifically, they refer to the seventh to tenth generation, as they support the SGX function and ensure that Ultra HD Blu-Ray discs can be played on Windows.
In turn, you recommend not upgrade to windows 11 and don’t update Intel drivers, as these may remove the aforementioned SGX feature.