Operation
When using an AACS-enabled player, all components in the display chain (including the display panel) must be considered "secure". This security is enforced through the High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) system, available on some devices which support DVI and HDMI video connections. If any components in the display chain do not support HDCP (such as a display connected to the player through analog connections like component, composite or S-Video) and the ICT flag is enabled, the player automatically reduces the high-definition video to the resolution of 960x540 pixels before outputting it. Hence, while higher resolution than that of a standard DVD, the resulting video signal is no longer truly high-definition.
The Image Constraint Token applies on a per disc basis, so that one movie title could have it enabled while another from a different studio could have it disabled. It impacts video only, and has no effect on audio signal quality. Discs with ICT enabled will (theoretically) have it marked on the outside of package, allowing consumers to see if the specific disc has the flag enabled.
Note that ICT in conjunction with HDCP is used to protect the display path over which the video data travels, not the actual data on the disc itself.
Read more about this topic: Image Constraint Token
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