[mythtv-users] Here it is. MPAA wants to close the analog hole

[jarpublic at gmail.com]

On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 10:59 AM, Kevin Kuphal <kkuphal at gmail.com> wrote:

> From the article at Ars Technica:
>
> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081123-trade-group-video-output-limits-will-hit-millions-of-hdtvs.html
>
> "The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA <http://www.ce.org/>) says
> that, if the Federal Communications Commission gives Hollywood a waiver on
> Selectable Output Control, 20 million HDTV sets will cease to function as
> they did when they were bought by U.S. consumers. These controls limit the
> ability of consumers to send a broadcast to both their sets and other
> devices, but current FCC policy prohibits SOC use. The request for a waiver
> from that policy comes from the Motion Picture Association of America (
> MPAA <http://mpaa.org/>)."
>
>
They are seeking a narrow exemption allowing them to enable the SOC for
movies that are released on VOD or elsewhere prior to being released on DVD
and Blu-ray. So it would only be allowed during the time period prior to the
DVD release. It isn't a blanket disabling of component outputs like the
subject and the blurb implie. However, I don't think anybody is doubting
that the MPAA would like to use this narrow exemption to get their
proverbial foot in the door, and do something more restrictive in the
future.
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