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MPAA Pushes Once Again To Close the Analog Hole

Posted by kdawson on from the encrypted-pipe-to-your-eardrum dept.

Tyler Too writes "The MPAA is once again trying to badger the FCC into approving Selectable Output Control, which would plug the 'analog hole' during broadcasts of some prerelease HD movies. MPAA bigshots met with seven staffers from the FCC Media Bureau last week, calling the petition a 'pro-consumer' (!) move designed to 'enable movie studios to offer millions of Americans in-home access to high-value, high definition video content.' At least the studios are now acknowledging that SOC would break the functionality of some HDTVs, an admission they were previously unwilling to make: 'What's interesting about the group's latest filing, however, is that it effectively concedes that the output changes it wants could, in fact, hobble some home video systems. "The vast majority of consumers would not have to purchase new devices to receive the new, high-value content contemplated by MPAA's" request, the group assures the FCC.'"

3 of 275 comments (clear)

  1. You just can't change... by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 0, Troll

    People just can't change. Once a pigopolist, always a pigopolist.

  2. Re:Future Post by e-scetic · · Score: 0, Troll

    I actually think folks who watch TV and movies ARE chumps. I stopped ages ago, you should too. What will it take to get the majority of people to stop? Sometimes I think people will take ANYTHING up the ass and say thank you too.

  3. Re:What about this one? by ajlisows · · Score: 1, Troll

    If the movie sucked anyway, why are you downloading it? Obviously it was worth something to you as you took the time to seek it out and then to watch it....likely 2-3 hours of your life. There are options other than shelling out $20 for a DVD to see content.

    This isn't just an issue of you not paying some faceless Movie Studio execs/lawyers, and Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt....there are thousands of working class individuals in the industry that need to get paid too. If profits are down, guess who is out of a job first? A lot of people depend on that money people shell out to see movies and not all of them are super wealthy or complete bastards.

    I myself just use the Netflix thing. For $15 a month I get to cycle through 3 DVD's at a time and watch the streaming content they put up. If I really really like one of the movies I do go purchase it, although this is very rare. For the cost of 12 movies a year I can watch as many as I want. Not a bad deal.