[mythtv-users] (Fwd) tv tuners and information regulation

[Wendy Seltzer]

Yes -- if you live in the US, buy your HD tuner cards now, because 
you won't be able to for much longer.

The FCC's broadcast flag mandates that HDTV receivers respond to the 
ATSC flag and be "robust" against modification, which will make it 
impossible to get receiver cards with open-source drivers.  The flag 
takes effect July 2005, but who knows when manufacturers will wind 
down production.

--Wendy

At 10:37 AM -0700 5/24/04, Harondel J. Sibble wrote:
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>
>This got posted on our local lug today.  I'm sure glad I live in Canada
>
>Some related links
>
>http://bpdg.blogs.eff.org/archives/000121.html
>http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=7503&mode=thread&order=0
>
>------- Forwarded message follows -------
>Date:	Mon, 24 May 2004 03:52:46 -0700
>From:	"Wm.G.McGrath" <wgm at telus.net>
>To:	vg <vanlug at gweep.ca>
>Subject:	tv tuners and information regulation
>Sender:	owner-vanlug at gweep.ca
>
>Hi all,
>
>I came across this comment from Don Marti (LJ) about impending
>changes to tv-tuner cards in line with IP driven legislation.
>
>" In a major setback for those who choose to build their own
>entertainment devices, the US Federal Communications Commission has
>approved the so-called "Broadcast Flag" regulation. That's bad news
>for Linux boxes, Ultimate and otherwise. Future HDTV-capable tuner
>cards will be required to enforce a to-be-determined copy
>restriction regime. This is one product category that won't get
>better next year; it'll be worse. If you live in the US, before the
>end of 2004, if you buy no other PC hardware, pick up a pcHDTV card.
>Think of it as the digital equivalent of your dad's humidor of Cuban
>cigars. "
>
>   b.
>
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>------- End of forwarded message -------
>--
>Harondel J. Sibble
>Sibble Computer Consulting
>Creating solutions for the small business and home computer user.
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-- 
--
Wendy Seltzer -- wendy at seltzer.com || wendy at eff.org
Staff Attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/seltzer.html