FCC gives content industry more control over your TV

[Newsjock]

Source: San Jose Mercury News

You may not have noticed it, but a division of the Federal Communications Commission made a decision earlier this month that could have a big impact on your TV viewing.

On the positive side, many pay-TV customers may soon be able to watch recently released movies from the comfort of their couch long before they are available on DVD.

But many other consumers, especially those with older TVs, won't be able to watch those films at all. For the first time, the FCC will allow cable and satellite TV operators to switch off outputs on set-top boxes, making them unable to transmit video signals over older, generally analog ports.

This limitation will affect more than just owners of older TVs. By shutting off those ports, pay-TV operators will make it impossible for consumers to record the first-run films on external media recorders to watch them later on other gadgets, or to use devices such as a Sling Box to watch them in places other than where their pay-TV set-top box resides.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/twitter/ci_15120168

[RandomThoughts]

1. Will everyone see the same TV shows and News broadcast?

or will some people get the 'special' versions of stories and news?

If someone wanted to, they could send different news and tv to some households, to marginalize some viewers. Same thing online could be done simply by using cookies or IPs. And with CGI being able to create images indistinguishable from reality, do you really know what is on TV?

I often wonder if that is how some people think such different things then some other people, and remember when in 2004 Sinclair refused to show shows pointing out failures of Bush on TV.

[DJ13]

2. Comcast switched off all analog signals last month here

What really sucks is they give you a 'free' digital converter, but for recording on a vcr or DVD recorder you cant program more than a single channel.

I bet Comcast sees an increase in DVR cable box rentals.

[jotsy]

3. Layer them markets, baby!

There are days I swear they think we're mutant cows with ever sprouting utters which must be milked.

[Newest Reality]

4. Ah, but you all have the ultimate control over your TV!

Look for the special, user control called on/off. Now, simply switch it off and you have triumphed over the content industry. So simple and effective.

Plus, act now and you will still be able to watch DVDs that you choose yourself. Wow! Power to the viewers ;)