[mythtv-users] Is the Digital Future bleak?

Michael T. Dean mtdean at thirdcontact.com
Sat Jun 2 01:20:19 UTC 2007


On 06/01/2007 08:50 PM, Cory Papenfuss wrote:
>> There's also the possibility that within a few years there are cards
>> capable of doing on-the-fly transcoding from unencrypted HD analog to
>> MPEG-2. Yes, I know the bandwidth involved and the staggering amount
>> of processing required to make this happen, but I also remember a time
>> when 100 MB of storage was an exorbitant luxury.
>  	Yes, but that's why they've been working so hard to "plug the 
> analog hole" on BluRay/HD-DVD players.  Once on-the-fly capture and 
> compression become feasible at the consumer level, they'll simply flip the 
> bit in the stream that says, "down-res all component output to 480p."

Which, rumor has it, the studios have agreed (among themselves) not to
use for at least 3 to 5 years.  During that time, consumers will happily
go about replacing all their flag-unaware technology components with
DRM'ed components.  Then, when the content producers start to use the
flag--and consumers start to realize what happened--the technology that
supports it will be so ubiquitous that consumers will be unable to
afford to replace it all...

Cory Doctorow is calling it the "Manchurian DRM".  You'll find a lot by
searching the 'net for those words.  I love a good conspiracy theory. 
It's when the theory gets proven that it's annoying.  So, in 2010 or
2012, I'll know whether this is one I like or dislike.

Mike


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