EFF: FCC Getting Fuzzy on Digital Television

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 11:39:00 -0800
From: Will Doherty <wild () eff org>

Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Advisory

For Immediate Release: Monday, March 15, 2004


Contact:

Fred von Lohmann
  Senior Intellectual Property Attorney
  Electronic Frontier Foundation
  fred () eff org
  +1 415 436-9333 x123 (office), +1 415 215-6087 (cell)


FCC Getting Fuzzy on Digital Television

Consumers Should Get Full Benefits of Hi-Res Devices

Washington, D.C. - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
will ask the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today
to prevent satellite and cable television providers from
intentionally reducing the quality of digital television
signals on analog outputs, a practice known as
"down-rezzing." Endorsed by the motion picture industry as a
content-protection measure, the practice would force people
who have invested in high-definition digital television
equipment to accept inferior-quality content.

Over five million American consumers have already purchased
high-definition displays (such as flat panel plasma screens)
that have only analog inputs, and who therefore depend on
analog outputs from cable and satellite set-top boxes for
high-definition programming. The FCC has already prohibited
the use of down-rezzing for any high-definition broadcast
television signals retransmitted on cable or satellite, so
these consumers can rest easy that their favorite network TV
shows will remain available in high quality for their
existing equipment. The question remains, however, whether
programming on "premium" channels like HBO and ESPN will be
subject to signal degradation over analog outputs. By
down-grading the quality of programs on analog outputs,
Hollywood hopes to push TV viewers to use content-protected
digital outputs, irrespective of the impact on the millions
of Americans who have equipment that depends on analog
outputs.

"If I have paid for high-definition ESPN or HBO, there is no
reason that I should be forced to use a lower-quality analog
signal just because the motion picture industry wants to
impose more content protection restrictions on me," said EFF
Senior Intellectual Property Attorney Fred von Lohmann.
"Until the FCC acts to prohibit 'down-rezzing,' consumers
won't know whether their DirecTV and cable set-top boxes
will continue to provide them with the high-definition
content they paid for."

Despite the potential negative consequences for consumers,
DirecTV and the National Cable Television Association have
filed comments supporting down-rezzing, fearing that the
motion picture industry would otherwise withhold content
from satellite and cable broadcasters.

EFF joins other organizations such as the Consumer
Electronics Association, Home Recording Rights Coalition,
Public Knowledge, Consumers Union, and the Consumer
Federation of America in urging the FCC to prevent
down-rezzing of digital television signals.

For this advisory:
http://www.eff.org/IP/Video/HDTV/20040315_eff_pr.php

EFF comments to FCC (available later today):
http://www.eff.org/IP/Video/HDTV/eff_fcc_comments.php


About EFF:

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading civil
liberties organization working to protect rights in the
digital world. Founded in 1990, EFF actively encourages and
challenges industry and government to support free
expression and privacy online. EFF is a member-supported
organization and maintains one of the most linked-to
websites in the world at
http://www.eff.org/

                           -end-




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