re US: Hollywood can disable TV set features

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Michael Painter <tvhawaii () gmail com>
> Date: May 7, 2010 9:00:49 PM EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: Re: [IP] US: Hollywood can disable TV set features

> >>“This action is an important victory for consumers who will now ha 
> ve far greater access to see recent high-definition movies in their  
> homes,” Bob Pisano, president and interim chief executive officer of 
>  the MPAA, said today in a statement.<<
>
> And I see it as a slap-in-the-face and a middle finger to consumers  
> as it's de facto instant obsolescence for the multi-millions of  
> dollars worth of displays, switchers, sources, etc. presently being  
> used for High Definition viewing and not using HDMI (or without that  
> capability).
> Two years ago I installed a $14,000 16x16 matrix component switcher  
> at a 'SportsBar"because it was the -only- method available to  
> deliver HD at the distances required (multiple displays 75-125 ft.  
> from source) and now that system will only deliver 480p,  
> distribution of which could have been accomplished for $2000.
>
> >>The Motion Picture Association of America asked the FCC in 2008  
> for a waiver from rules against disabling video outputs so that its  
> members could send movies over cable and satellite services using “s 
> ecure and protected digital outputs,” according to the trade  
> group’s petition at the agency.<<
>
> Trouble is, there is -lots- more content delivered by those services  
> than just Hollywood's movies and now the Set-Top-Box will  only  
> output 480p on analog for that content as well.
>
> IMO, this is another indication that if you're a big money corporate  
> lobbyist, you can get the ear of the FCC.  Stuff like this, along  
> with Hundt's admission that he tried to 'sabotage' Broadcast HD,  
> tells me what the FCC thinks about the "consumer".
>
> --Michael
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Dave Farber
> To: ip
> Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 12:35 PM
> Subject: [IP] US: Hollywood can disable TV set features
>
>
>
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> > From: Richard Forno <rforno () infowarrior org>
> > Date: May 7, 2010 5:35:41 PM EDT
> > To: List Infowarrior <infowarrior () attrition org>
> > Cc: Farber Dave <dave () farber net>
> > Subject: US: Hollywood can disable TV set features
>
> > Film Studios Allowed by U.S. to Use Anti-Piracy Technology on  
> > TV      Equipment
> >
> > By Todd Shields - May 07, 2010
> >
> > http://preview.bloomberg.com/news/2010-05-07/film-studios-said-to-be-allowed-to-use-anti-piracy-technology-on-tv-sets.html
> >
> > The film industry can block outputs on home television equipment so  
> > studios can offer first-run movies while preventing viewers from  
> > making illicit copies, U.S. regulators said.
> >
> > Temporarily disabling the outputs will “enable a new business mode 
> > l” that wouldn’t develop in the absence of such anti-piracy  
> > protection, the Federal Communications Commission said today in an 
> >  order.
> >
> > Home viewing of recently released movies over cable and satellite  
> > systems would provide revenue for studios such as Viacom Inc.’s Pa 
> > ramount Pictures and Sony Corp.’s film division, which have seen D 
> > VD sales drop as more people get films through Internet, mail-orde 
> > r and kiosk rental services. The advocacy group Public Knowledge i 
> > s among opponents who say the plan interferes with viewer choice.
> >
> > The FCC order “‘will allow the big firms for the first time to  
> > take control of a consumer’s TV set or set-top box, blocking viewi 
> > ng of a TV program or motion picture,” Gigi Sohn, president of Was 
> > hington-based Public Knowledge, said in a statement.
> >
> > The Motion Picture Association of America asked the FCC in 2008 for  
> > a waiver from rules against disabling video outputs so that its  
> > members could send movies over cable and satellite services using  
> > “secure and protected digital outputs,” according to the trade  
> > group’s petition at the agency.
> >
> > “This action is an important victory for consumers who will now ha 
> > ve far greater access to see recent high-definition movies in thei 
> > r homes,” Bob Pisano, president and interim chief executive office 
> > r of the MPAA, said today in a statement. “It is a major step forw 
> > ard in the development of new business models by the motion pictur 
> > e industry to respond to growing consumer demand.”
> >
> > The Washington-based MPAA represents Paramount Pictures, Sony’s fi 
> > lm unit, News Corp.’s Twentieth Century Fox, General Electric  
> > Co.’s NBC Universal, Walt Disney Co. and Time Warner Inc.’s  
> > Warner Bros. Pictures.
> >
> > To contact the reporter on this story: Todd Shields in Washington  
> > at tshields3 () bloomberg net
> Archives        



-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com