It’s already hard enough for the average consumer to figure out all those plugs and wires behind a television and other video devices well enough to get all the channels working properly or record programs.
So imagine what it would be like if the big media companies were suddenly able to virtually turn off some of those plugs and rendering your perfectly legal and reliable equipment incapable of picking up certain programming you now get just fine.
As far-fetched as that might sound, it is exactly what would happen should the Federal Communications Commission go along with a waiver request now pending before it from the Motion Picture Association of America, which represents the big movie and television studios.
MPAA has asked for FCC for permission to engage in something called “Selectable Output Control,” or SOC. In essence, SOC would allow content providers to put codes into its products that would effectively turn off the analog input plugs on your video devices. Those are the ones that are usually red, blue and green component plugs on video devices, including DVRs and cable boxes.
MPAA is telling the FCC it needs to be able to do this so it can release theatrically-released movies and popular televisions programs more quickly to the home television market.
As you might expect, allowing entertainment companies to virtually monkey around behind you television and DVR would not be a good thing for consumers.
Here’s how the Electronic Frontier Foundation describes the situation:
"The basic premise of those who back SOC is that content owners should be able to decide not just who can watch their content, but how they can watch it. You want to watch my new movie on that digital TV you bought a few years ago? No, sorry, I don't like your TV (perhaps because I'm afraid of the analog component inputs it uses). You want to space-shift using your Slingbox (which lacks digital rights management-enabling (DRM) controls on its outputs)? Oh, no, I don't think that's a good idea. You were hoping to TiVo that show that's on this afternoon so that you can watch it when you get home from work? Hm, not unless you upgrade to a new TiVo, because I won't allow the signal to make it to TiVos that don't have digital outputs. You want to record that program so that you can make a fair use of an excerpt? Dear dear, we can't have that “
Consumers unlucky enough to own equipment not outfitted with MPAA-approved – that would be nearly all of us – would have to buy new stuff in order to watch certain content, such as on-demand movies or sports events.
The FCC had the wisdom to shoot down this incredibly anti-consumer idea the last time MPAA brought it up in 2003. We trust they will be just as wise this time.
We’ll be watching.
