A new report suggests that users who want to record gameplay from the PlayStation 4 using an external capture device will have to break the DRM of the High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) imposed on the system's HDMI outputs.

The video report from Machinima's Inside Gaming Daily cites a "reliable source" in reporting that HDCP will be enabled on the PlayStation 4, just as it was on the PlayStation 3. While gameplay capture on the PS3 was still easily possible through the "analog hole" provided by the system's component cable output, the PlayStation 4 only supports HDMI output. This would mean that US players who want to capture PS4 gameplay with an external device will have to use an HDCP stripper and will be in technical violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which prohibits breaking any kind of technical means of copy protection.

Sony, of course, has taken pains to promote the PS4's internal video-capture capabilities along with the ability to share recorded gameplay via online services. However, that same Machinima report suggests that the PS4 won't be able to share directly to Google's popular YouTube service. Sony has thus far only announced Share button support for UStream, Twitch.tv, Facebook, and Sony's own PlayStation Network. Sony's Mark Cerny did include YouTube in a list of services that the Share button would support during a June appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, but that's the closest we've gotten to anything official.

It should also be noted that Sony has said individual developers will be able to block Share button functionality on their games and that the PS4 only keeps track of the last 15 minutes of gameplay in a persistent buffer (it's unclear if this sets a hard limit on the length of recordings, however). Desperate YouTube streamers will still likely be able to grab and edit footage from archived streams made through Twitch.tv (or from Facebook videos that they share with themselves), but this seems like a rather inelegant solution for the thousands of commentators and streamers that have made YouTube gameplay sharing a major phenomenon.

Microsoft confirmed last month that the Xbox One will not implement HDCP on its gameplay output. The Wii U also doesn't limit external capture devices through HDCP, but Nintendo has waffled on the legality of popular "Let's Play" videos made using its titles (and even streamed tournament footage of its games).

Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but we'll update you if and when we hear more.