[opendtv] Re: News: Will HDTV antipiracy plan unplug digital networks?
- From: Eory Frank-p22212 <Frank.Eory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2004 16:08:35 -0700
This is a fine example of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. All this
technology is confusing enough for Joe Consumer --
HDTV/DVR/1394/DVI/HDCP/HDMI/1080i/720i/480i/480p/progressive
scan/plasma/DLP/LCOS/LCD/CRT/widescreen/letterbox/pan-scan/ATSC/digital
cable/DirecTV/DISH/DVD+/-R/RW/RAM/red laser/blue laser -- good grief! Why all
of this intense focus on the possibility that a hacker might figure out how to
strip the bits off of some storage medium, or might put a high-speed A/D
converter on his YPbPr analog outputs?
I have had friends call me -- friends with an above average tech quotient --
call me in exasperation, as they try to sort through all of this and figure out
what they need and what they should buy to upgrade thier entertainment systems
to HDTV.
Hackers will eventually crack any scheme that is implemented, but ordinary
consumers will not even try -- they'll be lucky if they can just figure out how
to use this stuff in the manner intended. Millions of consumers still have
flashing 12:00 on thier VCRs, and have no clue what some of the buttons on
thier remotes are used for. And Hollywood is worried about how these consumers
might use the digital video that is flying around thier home on a wireless IP
network? Gimme a break.
Funny how Hollywood never talks about the REAL movie piracy problem. Been to
Asia lately? Every wonder how a perfect digital DVD copy of a Hollywood movie
got to be available at retail in various Asian cities while the box office run
was just getting underway in the U.S.? We're not talking about camcorders in
theaters here, we're talking gigabytes of pristine files that must have
originated from "within the industry."
I'm sure Hollywood is doing its best to clean up its own house. But it is
contrary to thier own financial interest to burden CE products with additional
cost & complexity that is completely unnecessary in protecting content from the
true CUSTOMERS that pay for that content. The non-customers -- the pirates who
want free content -- will find a way to get it anyway.
-- Frank
[opendtv] News: Will HDTV antipiracy plan unplug digital networks?
* From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
* To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
* Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2004 10:17:54 -0400
Will HDTV antipiracy plan unplug digital networks?
April 9, 2004 12:00am
Source: Copyright (c) 2004
2004-04-07, ZDNet News via NewsEdge Corporation :=20
The future of home video recording could hinge on=20
an obscure fight between movie studios and=20
consumer electronics makers over the connections=20
used to ferry digital TV signals to=20
high-definition television sets and other devices.
Hollywood wants consumer electronics companies to=20
limit how video files can be moved between=20
devices that can pick up, record and transfer=20
digital TV signals. The move aims to prevent=20
piracy, but it might also hamper legitimate new=20
media applications such as home networking--a=20
prospect that is making waves in the consumer=20
electronics industry.
Consumer groups and studios are trading barbs=20
over a set of proposals before the Federal=20
Communications Commission that could give studios=20
unprecedented control over digital network=20
technologies such as Firewire and wireless=20
routers used in so-called Wi-Fi networks. They=20
would be able to block recording capabilities,=20
unilaterally turn off digital outputs deemed=20
"unsafe," and degrade the quality of=20
high-resolution signals coming out of today's=20
analog outputs.
"There are all these things that are being rolled=20
back out of a purported need to control the=20
digital world," said Mike Godwin, senior=20
technology counsel of Public Knowledge, an=20
advocacy group focused on digital technology=20
issues. Hollywood companies "want this to be like=20
the roach motel, where television checks in and=20
doesn't check out."
The fight over plugs and piracy is just one facet=20
of the ongoing battle in Washington, D.C., to=20
control how computers and other devices can read,=20
save and copy digital content like movies and=20
music. This particular battle is focused on=20
digital television. But many observers say that=20
once strong copy protection is established for=20
one medium, it could quickly be adopted for=20
others.
Hollywood studios and TV companies have said they=20
can't afford to release their best material on=20
new high-definition digital networks if it is=20
likely to be copied and redistributed online or=20
elsewhere. As a result, they have successfully=20
pressed Congress and the FCC to add=20
copy-protection guarantees to several ongoing=20
regulatory proceedings aimed at speeding digital=20
TV to market.
That means that antipiracy protections have=20
become inextricably tangled with new "plug and=20
play" rules, allowing a broad range of consumer=20
electronics devices to plug directly into digital=20
cable networks, instead of just the set-top boxes=20
of the past.
"Digital rights management is critical to the=20
dissemination of high-value content through this=20
equipment," said Fritz Attaway, executive vice=20
president of the Motion Picture Association of=20
America. "If we cannot provide adequate and=20
effective security, those delivery systems can't=20
be used for high-value content."
The new rules, passed provisionally in September,=20
say that almost any device can receive and=20
unscramble copy-protected digital cable=20
signals--if in turn, it can ensure that the=20
programming isn't passed further along in=20
unprotected digital form. That means that if a=20
TiVo box records a digital program, it has to=20
keep it wrapped in high-grade copy-protection in=20
order to send it digitally to another device on a=20
home network, for example.
In its September ruling, the FCC left several of=20
the most controversial antipiracy issues=20
unresolved. The agency is expected to address=20
them this year, setting off a bitter lobbying=20
battle.
Leaving computers out?
One question to be answered is whether PCs, which=20
can be easily upgraded and changed by their=20
users, will qualify as a safe device under this=20
copy-protection standard. If personal computers=20
don't make the grade, it would be a major blow=20
for an industry looking to products such as Media=20
Center PCs as a new source of revenue.
While the FCC has yet to rule definitively on=20
that issue, it has hinted that it does not mean=20
to regulate PCs completely. Most observers expect=20
that some computing devices geared specifically=20
for video and audio, such as Media Center PCs=20
from Hewlett-Packard and Gateway that sport=20
large, flat TV-like screens and use a remote=20
control as well as a keyboard, ultimately will be=20
approved.
Computer companies such as Microsoft and Apple=20
Computer are particularly intent on ensuring that=20
the new rules won't bar some common home=20
networking technologies such as Wi-Fi from=20
transmitting digital cable signals and are asking=20
the FCC for clarification on the issue. They also=20
want to make sure that new connection standards=20
developed by the information technology industry=20
can be quickly approved in the future.
"We believe that we can build a product that=20
should be able to connect to cable--and can=20
protect content," said Andrew Moss, Microsoft's=20
director of technical policy. "They need to=20
define the regulations so PCs can connect to=20
cable."
Hollywood studios also are asking for two=20
features associated with new devices supporting=20
digital cable that would substantially expand=20
their control over how content is passed between=20
devices on home networks.
One feature, called "selectable output control,"=20
would essentially allow them to turn off a=20
device's outputs if a particular destination=20
device was deemed unsafe--for example, in the=20
event a particular kind of copy-protection scheme=20
was hacked and no longer considered secure. Under=20
this retroactive scenario, consumers might wake=20
up one morning to find that they can no longer=20
play back shows from their TiVo digital recorder=20
on their high-definition television (HDTV).
Consumer groups and electronics companies say=20
that's not fair. If a consumer buys a device with=20
the expectation that it will be able to play HDTV=20
movies, that capability shouldn't be turned off=20
because a hacker somewhere broke through the=20
industry's copy-protection plans, they say.
"Barely two years ago, a senior studio executive=20
assured (lawmakers) that his studio and other=20
content companies had 'explicitly abandoned this=20
proposal many years ago,'" Gary Shapiro,=20
president of the Consumer Electronics=20
Association, said in a statement following the=20
MPAA's proposal. "No one disputes that MPAA and=20
its member companies have the right to change=20
their mind, but they should at least level with=20
the American public, the FCC and Congress about=20
what they now want and why."
Goodbye analog?
The pending ruling also has the potential to=20
cripple the familiar analog plugs that are used=20
to connect virtually all consumer electronics=20
devices today, with an explicit eye toward=20
phasing them out altogether.
The FCC is currently mulling both sides'=20
arguments on the issues, without a scheduled date=20
to make its decision.
Content companies don't like these older=20
connections, because they are less able to=20
support antipiracy features. In the HDTV realm,=20
they want to be able to limit the pristine=20
pictures to the copy-protected digital outputs,=20
sending a lower-quality signal out the older=20
plugs.
Studios say this would be used only for new=20
services, such as video on-demand, and that the=20
"downrezzing" would be almost imperceptible with=20
today's generation of televisions, many of which=20
only have analog inputs. Newer televisions would=20
certainly have the digital plugs and so would not=20
be affected, the content companies say.
"We think that downrezzing is important to=20
provide an incentive for consumers...to purchase=20
equipment that has digital inputs," the MPAA's=20
Attaway said. "That's important, because it=20
hastens the transition" to all-digital television.
Again, consumer groups say that's inequitable,=20
because analog inputs and outputs are ubiquitous=20
on today's equipment and are unlikely to=20
disappear anytime soon.
"They want to get rid of analog because they can't control it," Godwin said.
<<ZDNet News -- 04/08/04>>
<< Copyright =A92004 Copyright (c) 2004 >>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:
- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at
FreeLists.org
- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word
unsubscribe in the subject line.
Other related posts:
