A flurry of new graphics cards featuring HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) ports and supporting HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) are set to hit the market this summer, with graphics card vendors GeCube and Sapphire announcing products in the past few days, while Tul will soon announce its HDCP-supporting PowerColor X1600 Pro.

HDCP implementation as a requirement of HDTV (high-definition TV), Blu-ray and HD DVD applications. Graphics cards that dont support HDCP will degrade the resolution of HD signals from 1080P to 540p, sources recently indicated.