Hollywood studios gain approval to block analog hole for new releases

By on May 8, 2010 at 9:07 AM
Entertainment May 8, 2010

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Hollywood was granted a major victory by the FCC this past week in a decision that gives the studios permission to shut down the analog ports on home entertainment equipment such as televisions, cable boxes, and satellite receivers. The decision stems from a 2008 request by the Hollywood studios which asked for the power to block analog outputs which lack copyright protection and can be recorded from freely. Blocking these analog ports is an anti-piracy measure that would force television programming to play back via digital outputs which have copyright protection to prevent the recording of the video signal. This power to shut down the analog hole would only be used for first run content which, according to the studios, has the highest rate of piracy. Blocking this potential avenue for piracy would allow the studios to bring new content to the viewing audience sooner as well. New releases in exchange for Hollywood control of home entertainment equipment, sounds like a deal with the devil great decision, no?

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39 Comments

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  • P

    Wow I wans’t expecting this at all.

    Well I guess even our grandparents are going to ask for some tv torrents now:)

    • tom

      So much for taping movies on pay-per-view? and is it now illegal to press the red button on my VCR?

  • ItsMeBeaches

    Eh…there is always a way around these limits they try so desperately to put on us…and seriously who cares?

  • John

    There idiots…

    What about the digital signal going from your HD (secure) receiver to your tv.. good job fuck heads

    • Brad

      “There idiots,” huh? Well you look like an idiot for using the word “there” incorrectly (in this case, it should be they’re, a contraction for “they are”). Sheesh, don’t any schools teach proper English anymore?

      Secondly, what about the digital signal from the receiver to your TV? That’s what this is all about. Content to your receiver is secure to begin with. It’s content coming out of your receiver that they’re worried about. Analog outputs have no copy protection on them. Content transmitted over digital outputs like HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort is encrypted and transmitted by HDCP protocol, meaning the device you output to must be HDCP capable as well (which includes pretty much all HDTVs), and I doubt you’ll find many recording devices that support HDCP. Go look up HDCP on Wikipedia and educate yourself.

      I sense some consumer backlash on this one. After all, not everybody has HDTVs yet, and there are tons of cable/satellite users out there who still have analog TVs. You’re telling me that they will not be able to watch those first-run movies on anything but an HDTV? Well, there goes pretty much all profit from non-HD PPV channels.

  • mi_canuck

    F’ing Hollywood… Like they don’t make enough coin already…

    • maxpayne79

      a lot less then they used too. or, u can look at it as…now they actually have to work for their money and come on, who wants to do that. The 80s of money making are gone and will probably never come back. what a shame. :(

  • zxc

    Thankfully, they will always find a way around copy protection.

    • David A

      yeah, and then we can all pirate only HD goodness. Thanks hollywood, we’ll get you back.

  • will

    People just throw the DVD into the computer and rip away. I do like the prospect of quicker DVD releases though.

  • Mrwirez

    Long live Demonoid.. Efff the MPAA, the RIAA, and The FCC

  • skyy_flyer

    When will they(they being Hollywood and the RIAA chiefly) realize that for every measure they take to stop “piracy”, that people come up with 15 new work arounds? I myself do go and buy cd’s as I just like having the album art in my cd case for easy organization, but I don’t think that “pirating” music really hurts the artist or the company too much.

    • maxpayne79

      well, it doesnt “really” hurt the artist but if the piracy wouldnt exists, the artist would have a lot more money. At the same time, the proffit from a simple business plan that existed in the 80s or the 90s (before napster distroyed everything) nets u practically nothing these days largly due to piracy. So u have to get very creative and do all kinds of cross marketing bullshit that no actor wants to do. but at the end of the day, if u do a BB commercial that takes 2 hours to shoot and nets u a cool 10gs…why not. But ads that pay that much dont come around often for up and comming actors. Actors like tom hanks or tom cruise that were up and commers back some 20 years ago plus, simply did their movies and went home. They had the time to focus on their art and profession. u can’t make a living on that mentality anymore cause it don’t pay. u have to work really really hard to make good money and it wasn’t like that before pirating. And because of pirating, hollywood has been forced to cater to the demographic with the most cash and the least brains to make money which is why u have a lot of dumb content out there since teenagers don’t care if a story makes sense or is well acted or well, anything. they wanna see blood, ass, shit tha makes em cry, and my personalt favourite…romantic comedies with j.lo aka jenny from the block. So u see, pirating had and still has a big chunck to with why there is so much rubbish out there. :)

  • Slamuwell Jaxson

    how exactly will this help them ‘bring content to the audience’?

    • Rich

      It won’t. It’s just another step towards killing analog connections on electronic devices. If by some miracle this ‘high value first run’ content does appear, I refuse to support it with my money.

      The MPAA and RIAA can for ef themselves. Same with the FCC and Congress for repeatedly capitulating to these bastards.

  • McHale

    So, since I have an analog TV and have to use analog outs (though my receiver and player have digital as well), I won’t be able to watch purchased content? Doesn’t that FORCE me to use pirated content now?

  • Ryan

    I hate the decision but its a very limited decision. All they can do is block analog ports on content that has never been on physical media and then only for 90 days. So its no quite the panic that BGR is making it.

    • skyy_flyer

      No panic=no views… Panic=Views(money)…

  • Mike

    Instead of knocking this like I probably would do under normal circumstances…I’m going to say it like it is.

    This is a huge business opportunity. Whoever can develop a model that adequately compensates the creators/distributors of media as well as have it readily available at a market equilibrium will be a VERY, VERY wealthy person.

    That’s all these lawsuits and changes are: a desperate cry for change. AKA Clearly the current model is not working and we need something more effective.

    • David

      Indeed. I am one of those who wants to pay for content. I don’t believe people should work for years of their life, use x amount of resources to create something, and then have everybody expect that its all for free. They do need compensation. Not every movie is Avatar, and not every band is Metallica. It does effect those who spend the time to make these things for us.

      I eagerly await for the perfect model.

  • Aaron

    I find it amusing that they actually think it’s gonna stop piracy.
    They (RIAA & Hollywood) really have to look at a new business model, not new laws to try keep their antiquated business model alive.
    Fail.

  • Ricky

    This is stupid. It’s a 90 day restriction on digital output. So that’s determined by the date on the blu-ray device? So just unplug it from anything like the internet and set your clock 90 days ahead on the blu-ray player. Then it should play over component?

    Please tell me that this isn’t the basis for their entire approach.

    • drksilenc

      blue ray is encrypted that wont work

  • mingkee

    The absolutely best way to stop piracy is never release movies.
    There are a lot of hackers to crack down these protection.

  • Jim

    The U.S. Federal Court ruled that the FCC does not have the authority to make electronic manufacturers to this back during the Bush FCC. The court will enforce this ruling against the FCC again.

  • Pops Monahan

    The only ones negatively impacted by this are criminals. So good for the studios. You have a problem with it, then no use their product. What a bunch of whiny little kids.

    • Jim

      You’d be surprised that a lot of people have no problem not using their product.

      Nobody NEEDS first run movies. I can wait until something hits cable, ten months later.

      Example: when the RIAA started suing grandmothers, many people chose to stop buying CDs. That industry is now a husk of its former self.

    • drksilenc

      really what about people with old non hdtvs?
      my grandmother says she wont get a tv until her old ones go out and theres still quite a while aways from that so?

      • FML

        Your grandmother has bigger problems. The MPAA is suing her for “intent to use analog ports”. Hopefully the cops haven’t busted down her door yet.

  • scarshapedstar

    How are they going to block the ports, though? Won’t this require new hardware?

  • bradywassam

    It’s obvious what they’re trying to accomplish by this, they want people with “obselite” TV’s to do away with there box TV. It’s the same as they’re tryin’ to do with this “at home 3D” rush (that’s not even fully together yet). It’s also, in theory, what they did with VCR. They started putting analog out (instead of coax) on the VCR so people would have to buy the converts until shortly after, they simply stopped selling VCR’s/VHS and only DVD players/DVD’s.

  • chet stovepiper

    this method is like, the least prevalent method of piracy available

  • MeDaG

    The entire reason I buy encryption breaking software is because movie studios no longer use their brains. For example, I bought Avatar on Blue Ray and received a free DVD copy with my purchase. Why would I want a free DVD of the same movie I bought on Blue Ray? I would rather have a digital copy. Instead I used the DVD and other software to break the encryption, copy the movie and then convert it to view on my IPod. Movie Studios should throw out they’re antiquated business models and build one around modern times. Maybe piracy wouldn’t be an issue if studios catered to the needs of its user. Remember it’s not what you want; it’s what the consumer demands.

  • Jeremy

    So apparently my old(er) HDTV which still works just great thank you very much won’t be allowed to show these movies because it doesn’t have an HDMI port? HD looks good out of my set-top box using component video but apparently the industry wants to force us to buy a new TV. :(

  • lkyfluke

    have not had cable or direct tv for years .
    we buy dvds and cds of what we want to watch and hear .this may or may not save us $$$

  • FG

    Im sure glad we live in a free country , Oh wait seems I dont anymore . Time to fire up my new stero and just live in the $5 ben at retail stores for old dvd’s . Looks like I have today retired from all new movie purchases no more bluray for me trashed that junk . time to just boycott everything I guess , Until the public gets off their dumb arshes and starts speaking with their wallets that they dont like something . as long as the majority of you people continue to be stupid sheep and continue to to act as if your some genius and try to correct everyone online , you will never get beyond a mindless dipshit without control of your own entertainment . let the flam and grammer correction begin , for the OCD in the world .

  • user

    Yes it’s English, but not proper, and my brain can compensate for it and understand it.

  • StevenGlansburg

    you have 0 brains

  • user

    Correct. I only have one brain.

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