MPAA Is At It Again

[PrincipalityFusion]

Looks like the MPAA is up to it's old tricks again of trying to get hardware manufacturers to do thier dirty work for them. In this latest scheme, they are selling early release of Video On Demand (VOD) to cable/Satellite companies so that consumers can watch VOD movies before the movie is released on DVD/Blu Ray. Currently, it is the opposite. Movies are released on DVD long before they are on VOD.

What do they want for this favor. Well, here's the trojoan horse. They want to be able to control the analog outputs of consumer hardware by embedding flags in the content that will disable everything but the HDMI input on your TV. If you don't have an HDMI connection or an approved MPAA setup, then you don't benefit from this "altruism" by the studios.

How does this relate to AnyDVD HD users you might ask. Well, just like with Macrovision and high definition copy protection, it's part of the MPAA's history of trying to get manufacturers to protect thier content for them and having consumers foot the bill. As it stands now, they are basically telling cable and satellite companies that they will be able to get the newest releases only a few weeks after theatrical release IF they help the MPAA fight for this new consumer "feature".

I don't think its too much of a stretch to see them putting these same flags in movie disks and requiring optical drive makers to start reading them before they will be able to play a disk. Then again, we have Slysoft on our side, so it may mean nothing for us. At the very least, it's worth it to be informed as to just how the MPAA is attempting to limit our fair use for thier own profit motive.
http://www.publicknowledge.org/issues/soc

Sorry if this is more appropriate in another thread. Please move as appropriate.

 

[Pelvis Popcan]

They want to be able to control the analog outputs of consumer hardware by embedding flags in the content that will disable everything but the HDMI input on your TV. If you don't have an HDMI connection or an approved MPAA setup, then you don't benefit from this "altruism" by the studios.

So you are saying that these VOD's will only play via the HDMI output on the cable box with HDCP?

This should take care of that problem.

 

[Adbear]

You wouldn't be able to make them check for the flag before playing from optical disc and only play them if the flag is there as the players also have to be able to play back disc created by home users, and as far as the player is concerned that's exactly what it's doing after you've run it through AnyDVD HD