In an order last week, the FCC granted a limited authority to cable and satellite services that allows them to selectively disable ports on your set top box. This order grew out of an original petition by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in 2008. The FCC prohibited the use of “selectable output control” [...]
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HDTV Almanac - FCC Orders Remote Kill Switch
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alfredpoor
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Roger Halstead
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Kill Switch blocks users
This ruling does more than worry me a little. For one, it essentially eliminates the ability to watch a recent run movie on any set except the main one connected to the cable or satellite receiver.
If you are still watching on analog it appears you will be out of luck. I have a second receiver and set in the shop...analog although I could watch on the computers. Still they would also be cut off. OTOH I never have yet purchased "on demand" video so most of the stuff I watch *probably* won't be affected.
As to more, new movies...maybe, but they'll be at a premium and I seriously doubt that it will affect those who really pirate the early releases. It has become a challenge to those people and they will continue to work their mischief while the end user is the one penalized.
I also doubt that the cable and satellite companies care one way or another as to what their customers do with the signal unless they have a vested interest in said movies. I think this is pressure from the motion picture industry.
If you are still watching on analog it appears you will be out of luck. I have a second receiver and set in the shop...analog although I could watch on the computers. Still they would also be cut off. OTOH I never have yet purchased "on demand" video so most of the stuff I watch *probably* won't be affected.
As to more, new movies...maybe, but they'll be at a premium and I seriously doubt that it will affect those who really pirate the early releases. It has become a challenge to those people and they will continue to work their mischief while the end user is the one penalized.
I also doubt that the cable and satellite companies care one way or another as to what their customers do with the signal unless they have a vested interest in said movies. I think this is pressure from the motion picture industry.
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Rodolfo
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Persistence brings results
Since the late nineties the noise for analog cut-off on STBs is being growing.
Over a decade ago it was even a disclaimer on the box of the first DirecTV HD satellite receiver (DTC-100) in 1999 that warned the possibility of that.
When DVI and HDMI came along a few years later the pressure for abandoning analog connections grew as the MPAA got in love with the security features of those, but the FCC stood against it. Except for the broadcast flag, pushed by the FCC, which the courts took care of it.
This particular matter of analog cut-off for ONLY recently released content is not new, it started over 2 years ago:
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/20 ... its-it.php
Persistence and lobbies made this possible. The analog-sunset on Blu-ray players to disable analog outputs is another movement in that direction.
There are over 10 million early adopters with first/second/third generations of HDTVs having only component analog inputs. Regardless if the owners move those old HDTVs for secondary viewing they will still have a limited use for which they were created: HDTV viewing at the full resolution of HD.
Best Regards,
Rodolfo La Maestra
Over a decade ago it was even a disclaimer on the box of the first DirecTV HD satellite receiver (DTC-100) in 1999 that warned the possibility of that.
When DVI and HDMI came along a few years later the pressure for abandoning analog connections grew as the MPAA got in love with the security features of those, but the FCC stood against it. Except for the broadcast flag, pushed by the FCC, which the courts took care of it.
This particular matter of analog cut-off for ONLY recently released content is not new, it started over 2 years ago:
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/20 ... its-it.php
Persistence and lobbies made this possible. The analog-sunset on Blu-ray players to disable analog outputs is another movement in that direction.
There are over 10 million early adopters with first/second/third generations of HDTVs having only component analog inputs. Regardless if the owners move those old HDTVs for secondary viewing they will still have a limited use for which they were created: HDTV viewing at the full resolution of HD.
Best Regards,
Rodolfo La Maestra
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videograbber
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Another foot in the door. Another nail in the coffin.
Roger commented:
> I also doubt that the cable and satellite companies care one way or another as to what their customers do with the signal unless they have a vested interest in said movies. I think this is pressure from the motion picture industry. <
That's correct. However, what DOES concern them is the effort it takes to comply with the implementation, and the bitching they have to listen to from the MPAA. Therefore, as usual, their response will be to impose restrictions across the board, even when not required, simply to avoid hassle and cover their a$$e$. If the customer is negatively impacted by those changes, as we've seen already in many other ways, it will simply be, TS Elliot. And if there are other "unintended negative consequences", those will also just be a "small price to pay" (their opinion) for safeguarding their "high-value content".
I was already paying one of those "small prices" when I was using HDMI from my cable box. Every time I switched over to that source, I got to stare at a blank screen for 8-9 seconds, while the HDMI handshaking took place. Yanking the plug on that and switching over to HD component video connections eliminated that PITA completely. But this ruling can now eliminate that option.
Luckily I have a solution for that problem, which I will be implementing soon. If they chose to keep restricting the things that legitimate paying customers do with their content, then they'll simply have fewer customers. Cable and satellite are no longer the only ways to obtain programming, and viewers have many more options now than they used to. These tactics will do nothing more than accelerate the movement from the established cable/sat distribution channels to those alternatives. Then the cable cos. will be crying, "Where did all our customers go?"
> I also doubt that the cable and satellite companies care one way or another as to what their customers do with the signal unless they have a vested interest in said movies. I think this is pressure from the motion picture industry. <
That's correct. However, what DOES concern them is the effort it takes to comply with the implementation, and the bitching they have to listen to from the MPAA. Therefore, as usual, their response will be to impose restrictions across the board, even when not required, simply to avoid hassle and cover their a$$e$. If the customer is negatively impacted by those changes, as we've seen already in many other ways, it will simply be, TS Elliot. And if there are other "unintended negative consequences", those will also just be a "small price to pay" (their opinion) for safeguarding their "high-value content".
I was already paying one of those "small prices" when I was using HDMI from my cable box. Every time I switched over to that source, I got to stare at a blank screen for 8-9 seconds, while the HDMI handshaking took place. Yanking the plug on that and switching over to HD component video connections eliminated that PITA completely. But this ruling can now eliminate that option.
Luckily I have a solution for that problem, which I will be implementing soon. If they chose to keep restricting the things that legitimate paying customers do with their content, then they'll simply have fewer customers. Cable and satellite are no longer the only ways to obtain programming, and viewers have many more options now than they used to. These tactics will do nothing more than accelerate the movement from the established cable/sat distribution channels to those alternatives. Then the cable cos. will be crying, "Where did all our customers go?"
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Rodolfo
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The actual FCC ruling, specifics are important
Actually the comment of “But this ruling can now eliminate that option (of using component analog for other content)” is overreaching based on the actual ruling.
The “potential” of using SOC always existed since 1998 but the FCC prohibited it several years ago. Virtually all STBs have internal circuitry that would allow them to perform SOC but they were never activated by the content providers, nor permitted by the FCC.
In this case for this particular VOD content the SOC is allowed ONLY for 90 days after the first activation of the SOC or “until a movie is released on any pre-recorded media, including DVD or Blu-ray, whichever is sooner” (the latter not mentioned in the column).
The FCC was clear that the feature must be used ONLY for that specific VOD content and for that short period of time. From the ruling:
“The Commission will also investigate any alleged violations of Section 76.1903 of our rules and take swift enforcement action against any covered entity that violates that rule. Selectable output control may be used only in the limited manner allowed by this waiver.”
“Therefore, on balance, grant of MPAA’s waiver request will provide a benefit to those who have the appropriate equipment and would like to view movies in their homes in an early release window that outweighs the limited impact on consumers with legacy devices. These findings of course apply only to the proposed service before us, involving an early release window for first-run theatrical content”
“IV. CONCLUSION
19. When the Commission adopted the prohibition on SOC, it specifically contemplated waivers for high value content to facilitate new business models. MPAA member companies have proposed a new business model – films available to consumers for in-home viewing earlier in the release process – and have made a compelling argument that they will not introduce that new business model in the absence of the content protection that SOC affords. Our SOC prohibition serves an important purpose in ensuring that owners of legacy television sets continue to receive the programming that they are accustomed to receiving. Given that the service that MPAA member companies propose will not affect any currently existing programming services, we conclude that the benefits of the new service outweigh any potential harms that could result from waiver as limited above. Therefore, we grant MPAA’s waiver request in part and deny it in part, as set forth in this order.”
I hope the above clarifies the extent of this order.
Best Regards,
Rodolfo La Maestra
The “potential” of using SOC always existed since 1998 but the FCC prohibited it several years ago. Virtually all STBs have internal circuitry that would allow them to perform SOC but they were never activated by the content providers, nor permitted by the FCC.
In this case for this particular VOD content the SOC is allowed ONLY for 90 days after the first activation of the SOC or “until a movie is released on any pre-recorded media, including DVD or Blu-ray, whichever is sooner” (the latter not mentioned in the column).
The FCC was clear that the feature must be used ONLY for that specific VOD content and for that short period of time. From the ruling:
“The Commission will also investigate any alleged violations of Section 76.1903 of our rules and take swift enforcement action against any covered entity that violates that rule. Selectable output control may be used only in the limited manner allowed by this waiver.”
“Therefore, on balance, grant of MPAA’s waiver request will provide a benefit to those who have the appropriate equipment and would like to view movies in their homes in an early release window that outweighs the limited impact on consumers with legacy devices. These findings of course apply only to the proposed service before us, involving an early release window for first-run theatrical content”
“IV. CONCLUSION
19. When the Commission adopted the prohibition on SOC, it specifically contemplated waivers for high value content to facilitate new business models. MPAA member companies have proposed a new business model – films available to consumers for in-home viewing earlier in the release process – and have made a compelling argument that they will not introduce that new business model in the absence of the content protection that SOC affords. Our SOC prohibition serves an important purpose in ensuring that owners of legacy television sets continue to receive the programming that they are accustomed to receiving. Given that the service that MPAA member companies propose will not affect any currently existing programming services, we conclude that the benefits of the new service outweigh any potential harms that could result from waiver as limited above. Therefore, we grant MPAA’s waiver request in part and deny it in part, as set forth in this order.”
I hope the above clarifies the extent of this order.
Best Regards,
Rodolfo La Maestra