Vista uses two technologies to enforce digital rights management protections: Puma and PVP. Puma, which is an abbreviation of Protected User Mode Audio, and PVP, Protected Video Path, have the power to control playback of media files on your computer. If for instance the media file or the hardware in your computer does not meet the requirements playback will stop or not start at all.

This will be especially frustrating for users who want to view HD content on their computer but can’t get it to work because their monitor does not support HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection). If you are lucky the content will play but in reduced resolution, if you are unlucky it won’t play at all.

To sum it up. Vista is the first step of the (media) industry to take control over your computer to decide what you can and what you can’t play. This is all software based at the moment but the capabilities to integrate hardware based solutions are there.

Hackers will most likely be able to defeat the protections once Vista comes out but this takes time. Your alternative ? Keep XP or make the move to Linux. Linux has the big advantage that the media companies do not have control over it, they can’t apply pressure to force their opinions on the developers. That is one of the main reasons why I will make the switch.