HDCP repeater bit
feature of the HDMI cable
The HDCP repeater bit (Bit Field 0 in "Table 4.4 RxCaps Register Bit Field Definitions" p58 of the HDCP Specification rev2.3) is a part of the High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection specification and applies to intermediate devices (HDCP Repeaters) between the Source device and the Presentation device. For example, a Blu-ray connected by HDMI to an AV Receiver which in turn is connected to a TV using HDMI makes the AV Receiver an HDCP Repeater.
The AV Receiver reports to the Transmitter whether it is a Repeater or a Receiver (no downstream devices) using the REPEATER bit.
Details
Following the above example the AV Receiver must report whether it has downstream devices or not using the REPEATER bit. E.g. when the TV is turned on, the AV Receiver should set REPEATER=TRUE, and when TV is turned off it sets REPEATER=FALSE. Since there is no proper way to notify on REPEATER status change, the AV Receiver must reset the connection with the Source. In order to avoid this redundant reset cycles on the connections, which has annoying user-experience, HDCP v1.x allows devices that are potentially Repeater to set the REPEATER all the time, even when no downstream devices are connected (e.g. while the TV is off).
In HDCP v2.x that smart has been lost and the Repeater must not keep the REPEATER flag set once it has no downstream devices.
The repeater bit is a part of the HDCPv1 and HDCPv2 specifications, which is available on the digital content protection LLC web site.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “HDCP repeater bit” as feature of the HDMI cable. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as feature of the HDMI cable. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 7, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q5629181. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “HDCP repeater bit”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow HDCP repeater bit primary sources, HDCP repeater bit archive and HDCP research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “HDCP repeater bit”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “HDCP repeater bit” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.