Found this on DIGG thought you guys would be interested in reading this.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080608-mpaa-wants-to-stop-dvrs-from-recording-some-movies.html

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I'll have to go back and read, but SOC would generally mean the ability to disable/downres outputs like Component, not "disable" recording on a PVR.

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Chris Lanier
The Green Button Forum Moderator

Its interesting to see the MPAA refer to movies as time sensitive products. Naturally their value is indeed time sensitive but an overt admission of this is a little unexpected IMO. Their assertion makes some small point but it is totally circumvented by the obvious hole of illegal DVD copying.

They seem to be saying that they want to block consumers from recording recently released movies on their DVR for HD until these movies are released in disc form. Since the disc form, DVD, HD DVD and Blu-Ray is really the likely arena where these movies will be misappropriated and will thus effect sales it’s a pointless endeavor.

This seems like a case of, “we have the technology to block PVRs so lets use it”. It really just seems like a power trip. It’s unfocused and inappropriate action and quite frankly I don’t even think my cable co releases new movies before they are available on DVD. They are attacking the wrong people here.

Not to mention, HD PVRs as it would apply here at the Greenbutton would refer to cablecard users. That Media seems fairly secure IMO unless there is some hole I don’t know of.

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Octavean:

I don’t even think my cable co releases new movies before they are available on DVD.

The MPAA is saying they'd be willing to allow cable providers to distribute movies in HD via PPV after their theatrical release but before their DVD release IF the FCC is willing to relax their restrictions on SOC technology.

Am I correct in presuming that without restricting outputs, it would be possible for a cable subscriber to rent a digital cable box with analog component/composite/S-video outputs, use that box to order a PPV movie in HD, and then capture (record) the HD feed via a separate DVR unit through those analog outputs?

In other words, is it possible for DRM flags to remain attached to the content after it has been fed out of the cable box via analog outputs?  My understanding is that it's not possible, which in effect, means that once the signal is transmitted out of the cable box via this method, it is totally unprotected, whereas if it's transmitted out of the cable box via coax, the DRM flags remain intact.

What the MPAA is asking for from the FCC is permission to demand that cable providers selectively disable those analog outputs, depending on the content being viewed by the final user.  Considering the vile history of the MPAA and RIAA when it comes to this kind of thing, this latest development is hardly surprising or alarming, although on a basic level, it never ceases to disturb me.

I see,…

Well when you put it that way then it seems like they are simply trying to close the analog hole. I for one don’t really care to have faster distribution of movies if it means added restrictions on principle alone. I can wait for movie XYZ to hit HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, Max-HD and so on and so forth.

If its coming from the MPAA it’s not likely to the benefit of anyone other then the MPAA. Therefore, I too find this disturbing.

PPV aside, it’s the same old story, in place of innovation and striving to provide something truly new and unique it seems as if they seek to deny services that we already have (recording / time-shifting) only to turn around and sell them back to us.

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For someone like me, who isn't interested in HD and is totally happy watching SD analog signals on my PC and my high-resolution (for its time) 27" Zenith TV that hole will never be closed.  All I need is a STB to convert the digital channels to analog and I'm good to go forever.  Even if they shut off the composite video outputs from my STB, I can still use a VCR to convert a coax signal (from the STB RF output) to composite, which will rip out DRM.  That's why I don't want to upgrade my PC.  It does everything I need and then some.  In fact, with the use of a multi-input RF modulator in conjunction with the S-video out on my PC's video card, I'm going to attempt to use Media Center as a full screen video & audio capture device, meaning I'll be able to record everything I do on my PC.  The quality might not be so great, but hopefully it will be fine for low-resolution videos.

It's definitely impossible for DRM to be passed through composite or S-video cables, correct?

For the sake of prospective, I’ll just say that I still have concern for things that take place in the world even if they do not directly effect me. I’ll also say that no man is an island.

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