FCC allows blocking of recordings

[ZetaVu]

FCC allows blocking of set-top box outputs - Yahoo! News

With the restriction that " the technology cannot be used on a particular movie once it is out on DVD or Blu-Ray, or after 90 days from the time it is first used on that movie, whichever comes first." So this could potentially limit the functionality of HD PVR's on newer movies. How long before the MPAA (pronounced mafia) tries to remove the restriction?

This of course will screw over anyone with an older HDTV (no hdmi input). All I can say is, after being a loyal Directv customer for over 10 years, if they start implementing this, I am dumping them and going all internet other than OTA recordings. Now, if this only applies to pay-per-view, then I could care less, as that is overpriced and I never use it. For that, I have Netflix.

[Zogg]

Sigh, the news never gets better, does it?

[lsilvest]

Good article about this on TechDirt.

They think it's just the opening of another Pandora's box for Hollywood obtrusion.

[Jakesty]

I guess they'd try to prevent your access then to the RGB or Coax connections of the HD-PVR and force you to use HDMI from STB to TV?
I would assume an HD-Fury will get around that issue. No one wants to spend $140+ more dollars on their system, but I feel they can't tell me what I can or can't do with my PVR.

I should probably order one of these HD-Fury's before someone (FCC?) bans them.

[Wolfie351]

Originally Posted by Jakesty

I guess they'd try to prevent your access then to the RGB or Coax connections of the HD-PVR and force you to use HDMI from STB to TV?
I would assume an HD-Fury will get around that issue. No one wants to spend $140+ more dollars on their system, but I feel they can't tell me what I can or can't do with my PVR.

I should probably order one of these HD-Fury's before someone (FCC?) bans them.

Devices like these will sell like crazy and get cheaper if they start flagging content. Even if there were some sort of law against them, I think they would be easily obtainable.

[ZetaVu]

My concern is that they can always revoke the HDCP codes on the fly for the HD Fury, which would basically make it no better than rgb.

What I'm curious about is if it were possible to wire a splitting cable or repeater type adapter. Something that the source device would see as just an HDMI cable, and it would connect to any HDCP compliant monitor, but would branch off a second cable that could plug into any other device and send info one way. The source device would only see the compliant device, but the other device will receive full digital signals at the settings of the compliant device.

I bring this up out of intellectual curiosity, as I am not sure if such a cable would be legal or not, definitely a gray area, but if something like that could be built by a home hobbyist, I don't see any way it would be restrict-able.

[jorgea]

This sounds unfair for regular tv viewers