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MPAA vs. Television

Posted by michael on from the stop-thief dept.

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.

8 of 512 comments (clear)

  1. Will they ever understand? by Capt_Troy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

  2. no more TV for me.... by night_flyer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.

    --


    Thanks to file sharing, I purchase more CDs
    Thanks to the RIAA, I buy them used...
  3. I 've got an idea! by af_robot · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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 :)

    1. Re:I 've got an idea! by jmorse · · Score: 3, Interesting

      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.

      --

      "You done taken a wrong turn."
      -Bill McKinney, in Deliverance
  4. Fine. by NetRanger · · Score: 3, Interesting
    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.

    --
    -- We live in a world where lemonade is artificial and soap has real lemon.
  5. Is it time for the Geek community to target... by dpilot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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?

    --
    The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
  6. Why involve the FCC? by Fjord · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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?

    --
    -no broken link
  7. Life without TV by Animats · · Score: 3, Interesting
    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.