06.19The next culture of ownership demon: the DTV transition?
Tom Yager at Infoworld has an excellent read on how easy–and likely–it will be to lock down content post-digital TV switch. Plus, a good refresher on just how convoluted and downright bad the HDCP over HDMI is for consumers. In essence, his column winds up as a call to arms to the electronics and software industry, who have thus far laid right down for the entertainment industry (hello, Microsoft and your broadcast-flag-embracing copy-protection schemes!).
I agree that the consumer electronics industry should fight harder against Big Entertainment, and certainly the Consumer Electronics Association has been a major advocate for user-friendly gadgets that aren’t crippled with overzealous attempts at DRM. (I was on a panel a couple of years ago, and others since, with Michael Petricone, senior VP for government affairs for CEA, and he can mix it up with the MPAA better than almost anyone I’ve seen.)
But at this point, almost all consumer electronics are becoming part and parcel of the entertainment-delivery machine: Media Center, media players, multimedia-friendly cell phones, media extenders, you get the idea. And access to media means playing ball with Big Media. Is the tech industry at the mercy of the entertainment industry? And if so, is there a pro- fair use, innovation, and consumer rights champion left with enough clout to take on the Hollywood machine? Hello? Anyone? Helloooo?
3 Responses to “The next culture of ownership demon: the DTV transition?”
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Molly,
I agree in the short run that many media companies will take advantage of this and work to limit what we as consumers can do with their content.
Consider, however, that most who see this issue today are techie-nerds like us. The general public isn’t going to care until it directly affects them. Once everyone has PVRs and suddenly John and Jane Doe can’t record NASCAR and General Hospital, the outcry will be loud and the media companies will have to back down.
It’ll be the whole music industry BS ALL over again.
Netcasters will possibly see this as a positive wind fall though. Especially if the new DVRs and media connectors allow for connectivity to stuff like CNetTV and Rev3, etc.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:10 am
I agree until it hits my Mom and Dad it will continue. The other problem is with devices like the iPhone and iPod, people want those things and even tho they come with some DRM they will still sell and as long as people buy movies and songs with DRM the industry will go, see people want this drm stuff. It will only hit the Hollywood machine when people stop buying what they sell and the money pool dries up, and they can no longer buy votes in Washington. I would not be surprised to see the 20 somethings of today taking up the fight when they reach their mid to upper 30’s.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Funny thing.. I have 2 DVD-players at home. One is attached with HDMI, the other with SCART.
When I play a 4:3 aspect ratio DVD in the HDMI upscaling player, it refuses to use that setting on my widescreen HD-ready tv.
So the movie looks stretched. (And I can’t change the aspect ratio, not on the player nor on my tv, says “operation not permitted”)
When I put that same dvd in my SCART player, it uses the correct aspect ratio. (And I can change it freely)
What’s weirder, I have a 16:9 aspect ratio DVD (Out of Sight) that has black bars at the top and bottom of the screen using the HDMI player (and again I’m not permitted to change the aspect ratio on player nor on tv). Making the movie look stretched.
Those bars are not there when I play that dvd in the SCART player.
I barely notice the difference in image quality, when I press the “Upscale” button, so I more often use the older but in my view better SCART player, rather than the HDMI player.
For me the HDMI option is a dud. An empty promise, and quite frankly defective by design.
September 8th, 2008 at 2:53 am