[mythtv-users] FCC allows blocking of set-top box outputs

[Brian Wood]

On Saturday 08 May 2010 04:39:30 am Yeechang Lee wrote:
> Mache Creeger <mache at creeger.com> says:
> > On slashdot
> >
> > http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100507/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_fcc_movie_recordin
> >gs
> 
> Not ideal, but it could've been worse. The blocking is only for:
> 
> 1. Component jacks, and applies only to
> 2. Films that are sold on pay-per-view while they are still available
>    in theaters, and
> 3. Must end within 90 days or when DVDs/Blu-rays are available,
>    whichever is earlier
> 
> Since there aren't yet any movies that fall under #2, the blocking
> doesn't actually eliminate any content that is currently
> available. The sunset provision is quite nice, under the
> circumstances. Still, I do hope lots of people who connect their
> settop boxes and HDTVs with component cable complain.
> 

So who is going to police these limitations? The Cable companies certainly 
won't explain what you are entitled to, they will simply turn off whatever they 
can and expect (probably correctly) that confusion will prevent consumers from 
asserting their rights.

In a way I sympathize with the cable operators, do they have to hire someone 
to keep track of what moves can be "protected", what is released on DVD or BR 
and when etc.?

The movie companies certainly aren't going to help the cable operators comply 
with this ruling.

The government is not going to spend money to make sure the ruling is complied 
with.

So it will be "self-policing", with the cable operators insisting they will 
handle it all, we all see how effective that was with offshore drilling 
platforms.

Once again the government caves in to big business, with just enough confusing 
"limitations" to make it unlikely there will be any protection for the 
consumer at all.

The ruling will also probably be used to push $70+ HDMI cables.