A method and systems are provided for creating an authentication of secure
communications between a software video driver and a video display. A
video driver transmitting digital video data deemed high-bandwidth
digital content, to a display, performs authentication to determine if a
secure connection has been established with a display. The video driver
and the display both generate encryption keys that are compared to ensure
that the display used is authorized for secure communications. A single
stream of video data is encrypted using the secret keys. A first
encryption key encrypts even-numbered pixels in the single stream of
video data. A second encryption key encrypts odd-numbered pixels in the
single stream of video data. The stream is split into two streams of
data, which are transmitted to a display. The display decrypts each of
the streams of encrypted video data and merges them to re-create the
original stream of video data. At a regular interval, the video driver
securely queries the status of the video controller to verify that the
connection between video controller and video display is still authorized
and secure.