Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/11/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Eric: This may effect TIVO use in a couple of years. Off list because it's copyrighted. Jim - http://www.hemenway.com - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SiliconValley.com Posted on Tue, Nov. 04, 2003 FCC OKs 'broadcast flag' for digital TV WASHINGTON (AP) - The government Tuesday approved an anti-piracy mechanism that will make it harder for computer users to illegally distribute digital TV programs on the Internet. The goal is to speed the transition to higher quality digital broadcasts and ensure such programming remains free. Broadcasters and the movie industry had urged the Federal Communications Commission to take such action, while consumer groups said it will force some people to purchase new electronics. Some people already share TV shows and movies online, though the practice is limited by the speed of Internet connections -- it can take many hours to transfer high-quality copies. But as Internet connections get faster and broadcasters switch to much clearer digital television, the movie and television industries fear consumers will put high-quality copies of shows and films on the Web that others can download for free. This would reduce the broadcasters' ability to sell the shows for syndication or overseas. The music industry saw CD sales fall as free music sharing proliferated on the Internet. It has started to sue listeners who illegally distribute songs online. The five-member FCC voted unanimously to allow a ``broadcast flag'' to be added to digital programming to block broader distribution on the Internet, though the two Democrats on the panel expressed some reservations. Republican FCC Chairman Michael Powell called it ``an important step toward preserving the viability of free over-the-air television.'' In its order, the FCC told makers of digital television receivers that by July 1, 2005, their models must recognize the flag, an electronic signal that broadcasters can embed in their programs. The commission said the order applies only to electronics equipment that can receive digital broadcast signals, not digital VCRs, DVD players and personal computers without digital tuners. ``The FCC scored a big victory for consumers and the preservation of high-value, over-the-air free broadcasting with its decision,'' said Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. Viacom, parent company of the CBS television network, called the decision a ``historic step forward for consumers.'' Consumer and advocacy groups reacted just as strongly against the decision. ``Having just given big media companies more control over what consumers can see on their TV sets by lifting media ownership limits, the FCC has now given these same companies more control over what users can do with that content, leaving consumers as two-time losers,'' said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a Washington-based advocacy group on technology and copyright issues. Congress already has told the TV industry to switch their broadcasts by 2007 to a digital format, which uses computer language, from the current analog format, which uses radio signals sent as waves. After the switch over, consumers who don't subscribe to a cable or satellite service would need digital tuners, either inside a TV or in a set-top box. FCC officials said the flag would not prevent consumers from using existing or new DVD or VCR machines to make copies of TV programs. But the signal is designed to make it more difficult for consumers to then transfer those copies to the Internet and make them available to potentially millions of others free of charge. Chris Murray, legislative counsel for Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, said consumers won't be able to use their old VCRs and DVD players to play back programs recorded on newer machines that recognize the broadcast flag. ``Technology always marches on, but that's normally because new devices offer consumers better features and more flexibility to woo buyers in the marketplace, not because government fiat has rendered a particular technology obsolete,'' Murray said. Under the FCC order, broadcasters will decide whether to add the flag to their programs, including, if they want, news and public affairs shows. Cable and satellite operators must also make sure that their systems transmit the flag or use some other electronic signal to prevent mass copying. The FCC plans to consider whether to allow cable and satellite companies to encrypt all digital programs. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said the decision did not go far enough to safeguard viewers' privacy. ``Improper use of the technologies could arguably allow such things as tracking personal information,'' Copps said. ``The broadcast flag should be about protecting digital content, not about tracking Americans' viewing habits.'' - ------ On the Net: Federal Communications Commission: http://www.fcc.gov Consumers Union: http://www.consumersunion.org Motion Picture Association of America: http://www.mpaa.org - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eric Welch wrote: > Marc, > > A Tivo sort of looks like a VCR. But instead of tape, it uses a hard > drive. And a service you subscribe to that lists all of the programs > coming up for the next month on your cable/satellite service. You can > set it up to automatically record a whole season of a show. You can have > it search for shows/movies that have your favorite actors, or search for > specific movies, etc. > > Then you watch the shows whenever you want, rather than when they're on. > And you can watch live TV, and it writes it to the hard drive as you > watch, so you can back up and see something again, or pause it while you > go to the bathroom. Then you can catch up by fast forwarding the > commercials. > > You can also download shows off the hard drive onto your VCR if you have > it hooked up. And with Macs and PCs you can use a software program that > costs $99 to show your still photos, movies and listen to your music > from your computer on your TV/Sound system. > > Many people say it completely changes the way they watch TV. Check it out: > > http://www.tivo.com > > I would never be without one now. They're still a bit spendy - > especially if you get the lifetime subscription with the Tivo. But it's > worth it if you want any TV at all. > > BTW, many cable companies and satellite companies like DirectTV put Tivo > parts in their cable/satellite boxes. And some digital devices such as > DVD burning hardware have it included now too. > > > On Nov 15, 2003, at 5:49 PM, Marc James Small wrote: > >> hanks, Eric -- but what IS a TIVO? I gather that it is some sort of >> computer device you add to your television, but I know nothing beyond >> that. >> > > Eric Welch > Carlsbad, CA > http://www.jphotog.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html