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Blu-Ray To Punish Users for Modifying Hardware

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the you-can-buy-it-but-it-isn't-yours dept.

datemenatalie writes "As reported on Engadget, consumers should expect punishment for tinkering with their Blu-ray players, as many have done with current DVD players, for instance to remove regional coding. The new, Internet-connected and secure players will report any "hack" and the device can be disabled remotely. As the article asks, "Are they talking about PVP-OPM techniques and rejected HDMI keys, or something else far more sinister? Because apparently "A hacked player is any player that is doing something it's not supposed to do," which open to a pretty fair amount of interpretation--most of which egregious.""

3 of 557 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Regional Coding by Paul+Bristow · · Score: 4, Informative
    If we go in that direction our TVs will report us when we channel flip to avoid commercials.

    Umm, you do realise that many Digital TV services and ALL IPTV services do this already, right?

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    - Paul
  2. Re:Huh? by stwrtpj · · Score: 4, Informative
    We've been through this before. This is not the first time this has shown up on Slashdot. Several times before this particular piece of misinformation gets out claiming that the next generation of DVD players will require internet hookup. Each time the companies involved categorically state that NO internet hookup will be required for stand-alone play.

    Now, what MIGHT happen is that the new players will allow DVDs to run code that checks for modified players and refuse to allow themselves to be played if it finds such a modification. That is more what we need to be concerned about.

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    Karma: Frotzed (mostly due to the Frobozz Magic Karma Company)
  3. Re:Regional Coding by Paul+Bristow · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sure. Nielson is tracking Tivo usage http://www.koeppeldirect.com/infomercial-media-res ources-pvr-article.htm

    OpenTV, the middleware used by DirecTV has audience measurement code http://www.opentv.com/products/middleware_products .html

    For IPTV services, the "tuning" is done at the DSLAM end, not in the consumers home, so if they log it, they have every zap you ever make at any time. The best case is a reference in the ToS where they promise (like Tivo) to only use this information anonymously.

    So far, there are no consequenses made public for this, but the technology is in place already for the most part.

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    - Paul