MPAA vs. Television

Today brings several articles on the MPAA's attempt to create a "broadcast flag" to kill home recording of broadcast television. Lunenburg writes "Apparently too impatient to implement the Broadcast Flag in digital media through legislative means, both Sen. Hollings and Rep. Tauzin have both sent letters to FCC Chairman Michael Powell urging him to mandate the implementation of the Broadcast Flag under FCC rules, according to the EFF's Consensus at Lawyerpoint blog." There's a CNet story about a presentation given by the MPAA to pro-business lobbying groups, and a MSNBC story about digital video recorders.

Comments

Wee... this is going to be fun.

[canwaf]

The MPAA going to the FCC so they don't have to use their paid senitors

Will they ever understand?

[Capt_Troy]

At what point in time will the government and big business understand that watermarks and "broadcast flags" will not work? I can't imagine the ammount of money spent on technology that will (and has) failed in persuit of curtailing piracy...

When will they figure out that P2P file sharing networks (not to mention IRC, which apparently they are oblivious to) won't be going away? They need to play the cards life has dealt them and figure out how to use these to their advantage or provide a system that is better and more aligned with their business (selling commercials). The world is about change, did all the radio stations get angry when they invented TV? No, they all became TV stations too!

For example, if you assume all TV brodcasts are going to be pirated. Make it easier for the people downloading these shows by providing them for free on a website and keeping the commercials in the show. If you stream them then they cannot fast forward through commercials. So you basically provide all of your content on demand with commercials (more air time for advertisers thus more expensive commercials). Personally, I'd go watch Alias streamed (if it was a good 300k stream) with commercials rather than sifting around and waiting in queues on IRC or spending days trying to get it on gnutalla. And if we are worried about modem users, they can't download pirated TV anyway, files are too large.

Just a thought.

no more TV for me....

[night_flyer]

thats it, Im through, there is nothing worth watching anyway, so good-bye boob-tube, we had some good times in the past, twilight zone, Barney Miller, MASH, I love Lucy, Hogans Heros, Bugs Bunny and Road Runner, but today it is nothing but drivel like "When batchlorettes in Alaska go bad 3" Its not worth it anymore, and this just seals the deal.

I 've got an idea!

[af_robot]

If they'll enforce broadcast flag under FCC rules, then it will create a good opportunity to ads-free recording: you just have to reverse firmware in your recorder to store programs WITH broadcast flag...So all ads will be skipped
hehe :)

Re:I 've got an idea!

[jmorse]

Actually, you can do that now with the V-Chip signal. That signal is broadcast during shows so that Tipper Gore types can set their TV up to block their kids from seeing evil things like TV news and keep them focused on the healthy stuff like Marilyn Manson and Barney. The signal is not broadcast during ads.

You can try this at home if you have a V-Chip TV. Just set it to some prudish PMRC-level setting and try to watch something. The program will be blacked out but the ads will show just fine.

Fine.

[NetRanger]

If I cannot control the equipment I bought with my own money, then I expect the content providers to pay for everyone's televisions. I think that's damn fair.

Otherwise they need to stay the hell out of my equipment, because it belongs to me.

Why be so drastic?

[mblase]

I like my TV, for one reason: it lets me watch movies I rent and own. I don't like broadcast television, because it's saturated with commercials and the selection just isn't there and the quality is spotty and I have to stick to someone else's schedule (I can't afford a TiVo). Plus my wife and daughter like their soaps.

So I keep the TV, got a good pickup antenna for network broadcasts, and refuse to pay for cable. Yeah, there are shows on Sci-Fi and Cartoon Network I wish I could catch, but when it's a big deal I ask a friend or family member to tape 'em for me. And they generally do. And if they don't, I wait until I can buy or rent the DVD and watch the whole thing without commercials (or download them off of KaZaA while I'm waiting, if it's really that important me).

Bottom line: I'd rather spend $40/month on two DVDs I really like and want to own, than on cable television piping hours upon hours of useless junk into my household.

Is it time for the Geek community to target...

[dpilot]

People like Hollings for non-re-election? Perhaps we need "The Geek Lobby Page" where information about key publicly elected officials is kept.

When is Hollings up for re-election?

Who is running against him?

Are the opponents views any better?

We all grumble, complain, and flame. We also say we're too small. But have we tried yet to use tried-and-true mainstream political techniques?

Re:As Marx said

[Anonymous Coward]

What capitalists? There are no capitalists to be found in this story. This situation is an example of socialism, not capitalism. If you are a socialist, this story should make you happy.

Just because the welfare cheats in this story are businessmen, does not mean it is capitalism at work. The fact that there are welfare cheats in the story at all means it is socialism at work, regardless of who the welfare cheats are.

Do not confuse pro-business with pro-market.

Re:Tried and true solution

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh come on...

There are Very VERY few programmes on the telly that are worth a damn or are entertaining to anyone but those with the lowest IQ and are easily distracted by shiny objects (dont believe me? watch MTV... they cater to the absolute stupidest segment of the population.)

PBS used to be high-grade television... unfortunately all the good shows were stolen by Discovery with promises of being paid and then summaraily(sp?) killed.. (Yes NOVA is still on, but without carl segan it sucks...) Discovery has turned into the Cop channel with a smattering of cutsie animals.. so any real scientific or educational programming is gone.. sci-fi is now the horror channel (hey, Mass mruder movies is NOT SCI_FI you dolts!) and any of the real arts are too boring to the braindead culture they nurture with the telly's programming today. Cripes... some of the shows that are supposed to be about the smartest aske questions that 10 year olds should know, survival shows where a real survivalist or even a regular camper wouldn't even be uncomfortable and are stocked with morons and idiots...

Tes the television is worthless, and those that like it are the exact idiots that the marketing companies love...

so be glad, you are the exact kind of idiot that these companies love :-)) happy now?

Why involve the FCC?

[Fjord]

If the MPAA owns the copyright, then why don'tthey just tell the television stations that they can't air it without the bit set? Why push in FCC regulations when you can just require it anyway?

Life without TV

[Animats]

I've never owned a TV. I have a VHS player and a monitor, but nothing that can receive. I rent tapes, but haven't seen much broadcast TV in many years. It just doesn't do anything for me. Too many commercials. Occasionally I watch TV when in hotels, but get bored after an hour or so and go out.

A friend gave me a Radio Shack 1" TV, which I last used on September 11, 2001. It's in a drawer with the flashlights, extra batteries, and other emergency supplies.