Does an Active HDMI to DVI Converter Strip HDCP?

Active HDMI-to-DVI converters generally do not strip High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) if they output a standard digital DVI-D signal, as the DVI specification natively supports HDCP encryption. While older or non-compliant hardware occasionally bypassed this handshake, standard active converters maintain the digital protection chain, preventing capture cards from recording protected content. This guide explains how HDCP behaves across HDMI-to-DVI conversions, why the misconception exists, and the effective methods to manage HDCP when recording gameplay.

How HDCP Works Across HDMI and DVI

HDMI and DVI share the same underlying video transmission technology: Transition-Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS). Because digital DVI (DVI-D) supports HDCP, an active converter that translates an HDMI signal into a digital DVI signal is technically required—and designed—to preserve the HDCP handshake.

If an HDCP-encrypted source (such as a PlayStation, Xbox, or Blu-ray player) sends a signal to an active HDMI-to-DVI-D converter, the converter will attempt to complete the handshake with the receiving device (the capture card). Because capture cards strictly prohibit the recording of HDCP-protected content, the handshake fails, resulting in a black screen or an explicit HDCP error in your capture software.

The Misconception: Why Some Users Think It Works

The belief that active HDMI-to-DVI converters remove HDCP originates from two specific hardware exceptions:

  1. Digital-to-Analog Converters (DVI-A / VGA): Some active converters convert digital HDMI to analog DVI (DVI-A) or VGA. Because analog connections cannot carry HDCP digital handshakes, cheap, non-compliant converters would drop the encryption entirely. However, modern capture cards require digital inputs, making this approach ineffective for standard recording setups without converting the analog signal back to digital.
  2. Non-Compliant Legacy Hardware: In the early days of HDCP, several budget converters and splitters failed to implement HDCP compliance properly, inadvertently stripping the protection. Modern hardware manufacturers are tightly regulated by the Digital Content Protection (DCP) licensing body, making non-compliant HDMI-to-DVI adapters rare today.

Can an Active Converter Help Your Capture Card?

An active HDMI-to-DVI converter will not reliably bypass HDCP for game capture. If the converter outputs a digital DVI-D signal, the capture card will still detect the HDCP flag and block the recording.

Practical Solutions to Record Gameplay

If HDCP is preventing your capture card from recording gameplay, use one of the following methods instead of relying on a DVI converter:

  • Disable HDCP in System Settings: Both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 include an option to disable HDCP directly within the system settings (under Settings > System > HDMI). Disabling this allows capture cards to record standard gameplay without issue. Note that media apps like Netflix and YouTube will not run while HDCP is disabled.
  • Use a Powered HDMI Splitter: Many standard, powered 1x2 HDMI splitters (distribution amplifiers) handshake the HDCP key at the splitter input and output a clean, unencrypted signal across both ports to ensure compatibility with older displays. This is the most common hardware workaround used by streamers and content creators.