[opendtv] Re: Senate Drafts Huge Telecom Bill
- From: "Albert Manfredi" <bert22306@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 21:35:38 -0400
Tom Barry wrote:
>Except it grants the FCC the power to implement
>things like the Broadcast Flag, limiting what technology
>can be legally implemented to record OTA signals.
Tom, that depends entirely on which FCC regulations the manufacturers think
they can circumvent. I'm not sure why, for example, DVDR manufacturers now
think it's "safer" to prevent copying of "copy never" programs, given that
the FCC has stated unequivocally that time-shift recording must be permitted
always. What makes them think it's "safer" to ignore an FCC order?
So it's up to the FCC to *enforce* its orders, already, and not let
manufacturers get yanked around by the nose by the Hollywood studios or
whoever it is they feel threatened by. I think it's all a question of what
is perceived, by manufacturers, to be the greater risk.
Here's a f'rinstance. If manufacturers feel so threatened by whomever, they
can invent a DVD+/-RW in which the recording only lasts a matter of weeks or
months. If such a DVD is loaded in the recorder, the recorder must allow
recording of any program, even "copy never" ones.
Another possibility is to allow this sort of copy-never program to be
recorded only if the recorder on which the DVD is burned imprints a key on
the recording. After which, that same machine is the only one which can play
it back. Inconvenient for those who legitimately want to play back the DVD
in some other home appliance, but at least it doesn't flagrantly ignore an
FCC order.
The FCC is supposed to respond to the interests of consumers too, not just
consider consumers as an afterthought. It really frosts me to see COPY PROT
on my recorder, and then have the broadcaster play the "Gee, it isn't us, it
must be your recorder" game. TiVos and other legit time-shift devices should
be perfectly safe, no matter broadcast flag. And not just for OTA signals,
either.
Bert
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