Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: MPAA - still not preventing piracy

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-09-2010, 07:25 PM:

Link to story

quote:
Studios gain approval to block analog hole for new releases.

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?

This story links to the main story:

Link

quote:
U.S. Lets Hollywood Disable Home TV Outputs to Prevent Piracy

May 7 (Bloomberg) -- The film industry can block outputs on home television equipment so studios can offer first-run movies while preventing viewers from making illicit copies, U.S. regulators said.

Temporarily disabling the outputs will “enable a new business model” that wouldn’t develop in the absence of such anti-piracy protection, the Federal Communications Commission said today in an order.

Home viewing of recently released movies over cable and satellite systems would provide revenue for studios such as Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures and Sony Corp.’s film division, which have seen DVD sales drop as more people get films through Internet, mail-order and kiosk rental services. The advocacy group Public Knowledge is among opponents who say the plan interferes with viewer choice.

The FCC order “‘will allow the big firms for the first time to take control of a consumer’s TV set or set-top box, blocking viewing of a TV program or motion picture,” Gigi Sohn, president of Washington-based Public Knowledge, said in a statement.

The Motion Picture Association of America asked the FCC in 2008 for a waiver from rules against disabling video outputs so that its members could send movies over cable and satellite services using “secure and protected digital outputs,” according to the trade group’s petition at the agency.

“This action is an important victory for consumers who will now have far greater access to see recent high-definition movies in their homes,” Bob Pisano, president and interim chief executive officer of the MPAA, said today in a statement. “It is a major step forward in the development of new business models by the motion picture industry to respond to growing consumer demand.”

The Washington-based MPAA represents Paramount Pictures, Sony’s film unit, News Corp.’s Twentieth Century Fox, General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal, Walt Disney Co. and Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. Pictures.

quote: Bob "moron" Pisano

“This action is an important victory for consumers who will now have far greater access to see recent high-definition movies in their homes,”

Ummm, no it isn't. This isn't going to stop anything you moron.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 05-09-2010, 07:53 PM:

What does this mean for the art/rep theatres that are being forced to show classic movies on DVD/BR? Will they be forced to upgrade their still perfectly video projectors for digital output (presumedly HDMI)? I'm presuming this analog disabling will be standard for DVD/BR as well as TV.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 05-09-2010, 08:48 PM:

Doesn't appear to be at all related to blu-ray/dvd viewing. The article says specifically that this is from the MPAA asking 2 years ago for being given a waiver from the rule against blocking analog ports for cable. It would appear that now they have granted the request.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-09-2010, 09:02 PM:

First of all, they can do whatever they want, but if the movie is playable, then there's a way around everything.

Secondly, if the studios are worried about copies of their movie making it out there before it's released in theaters they should try NOT sending copies of their movie out there before it's released in theaters.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-09-2010, 09:17 PM:

quote: Bob "moron" Pisano
“This action is an important victory for consumers who will now have far greater access to see recent high-definition movies in their homes,”

That is perhaps the most stupid thing I've ever read and I read a lot of stupid shit! No analog = greater access? Whatever you say, man... whatever you say. [Roll Eyes]

If anything, Hollywood will lose money because of this. If people aren't able to watch stuff because of crap like this, they will stop buying it. My PS3 is hooked up via component video because it looks better than HDMI on my TV. I use HDMI only for sound. But this makes me an evil pirate? I don't get it.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 05-09-2010, 11:45 PM:

That's interesting. So I guess the pirates will just set up their camcorders in front of the TV and record the content off the screen. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-10-2010, 03:21 AM:

The MPAA is wicked smart. They are always one step ahead of the pirates. That's why we'll soon get home video CAP code!

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-10-2010, 05:23 AM:

Maybe they're going to offer the screeners directly to the general public now and try to put bit torrent out of business.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-10-2010, 09:20 AM:

quote: Bloomberg article
Temporarily disabling the outputs will “enable a new business model” that wouldn’t develop in the absence of such anti-piracy protection, the Federal Communications Commission said today in an order.

New business model? This sounds like yet another attempt to lay the ground work for a day and date system where movies are released in commercial theaters and on home video at the same time.

The movie studio big wigs and their multi-national media conglomerate parents can't seem to see past their quarterly balance sheets. They're only thinking about making as much money as possible in as short an amount of time as possible to maximize positive cash flow and minimize interest payments. It's a bunch of accounting bullcrap completely ignorant of the proverbial big picture.

I think these guys believe they can "have their cake and eat it too" -meaning they believe they can pull in just as much money from the theatrical run and just as much money from home video release all at the same time if the movie is released in both platforms simultaneously. I do not agree with that view at all. I think such a ploy would be ultimately self-destructive for the movie industry.

Despite what movie theaters are charging for tickets and snack counter items as well as surcharges for digital 3D, fake IMAX and premium balcony seating they still have a fairly narrow profit margin. Theaters can't afford to lose too many viewers to an option of seeing a newly released movie simultaneously available on home video. A widespread day and date policy would cause many commercial movie theaters to close for good.

I also believe the movie industry would be turned into a mere shadow of its former self without commercial theaters. The movie theaters provide an exclusive platform for legit movie releases, separating them from the tide of direct to video garbage. This also works as a marketing tool to make the real movies sell better when they arrive on home video. Customers remember the real movies that played in real movie theaters. Often customers will buy a movie they saw previously in the theater if they liked it a lot. If the entire movie industry is stuck in a direct to video system the corporate fathers won't have the guts to risk big sums of money on 2-hour feature movie projects. The studios will be stuck making their best stuff for TV networks.

quote: Chris Slycord
Doesn't appear to be at all related to blu-ray/dvd viewing.

Not at the surface, but the Blu-ray format does support a feature called Image Constraint Token. The ICT can be used to limit component video output only to 480p or block it completely. Considering millions of older HDTV sets lacking HDMI outputs are still in use it would be really stupid for any Hollywood movie studio to use the ICT feature on any Blu-ray disc. More than a few customers would demand refunds for discs that wouldn't play properly. Those customers would likely be really pissed about the deal and spread bad word of mouth about Blu-ray and HDTV in general. Even if the discs were clearly labled with some sort of ICT warning many customers wouldn't understand the techie stuff and still buy the disc for their old HDTV set anyway.

quote: Mark J. Marshall
First of all, they can do whatever they want, but if the movie is playable, then there's a way around everything.

And that's why a lot of this "plugging the analog hole" business is a waste of time. Given that some or many movies on Blu-ray have been cracked and uploaded to the Internet the effort of blocking component output wouldn't stop pirates. Apparently they have figured out ways to crack HDMI.

quote: Mark J. Marshall
Maybe they're going to offer the screeners directly to the general public now and try to put bit torrent out of business.

The problem is the studios would cause enormous harm to movie theaters if they made such a move.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-10-2010, 11:52 AM:

If "would-have-been-paying-customers" are willing to watch a torrent recorded off of a theater screen, they will also be willing to watch a torrent recorded off of a nice flat panel display.

And to drive the issue home further, most of those are actually "would-not-have-been-paying-customers" that watch torrent files.

Idiots. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-10-2010, 02:02 PM:

quote: Joe Redifer
The MPAA is wicked smart.

That's true, Joe! While we all thought Jack Valenti was long dead and where he belonged...you know, rotting in his grave...it was all a scam. They faked his death just so he could still pull the strings of the MPAA puppets so they could find NEW ground to harass the Digital TV and DVD crowd.

OBTW: I do NOT believe in conspiracies... [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-10-2010, 03:32 PM:

quote: Bobby Henderson

quote: Mark J. Marshall
Maybe they're going to offer the screeners directly to the general public now and try to put bit torrent out of business.
The problem is the studios would cause enormous harm to movie theaters if they made such a move.

Sorry, forgot the: [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 05-10-2010, 03:32 PM:

Tell those communists to get their hands out of MY equipment. I hope people will just stop buying what they cannot use the way they want to.

Posted by Ian Parfrey (Member # 5122) on 05-10-2010, 04:22 PM:

The time is coming for those studio suit-wearing tossers to decide where their priorities lie.

First, they try and cripple theatrical screenings with CRAP code and farting soundtracks because, hey, theatres are the main cause of piracy and our loss of profit.

Then, they decide to use KDM's on Digi-prints and locks on film prints because, hey, exhibition is the main cause of piracy and our loss of profit.

Now, they want to knobble the analogue outputs on domestic equipment, because, hey, home video is the main cause of piracy and our loss of profit.

The studios wont be happy until -:

The Exhibition Industry is removed from the equation. I have said this for ages- In the eyes of the studios the Exhibition Industry is a pain in the studios arses and a money sponge that sets the studios money men into apoplexy.

... And...

The studios won't be happy until the final, "hard copy" of the product- eg physical media, 35mm, DVD, Blu Ray, USB stick or whatever - is removed from the equation and pay-per-view is the norm. The studios can then get rid of all physical distribution and manufacturing issues regarding physical media and just pump the product under a KDM-like key system where the product remains under total studio control and flagged to prevent copying.

Now tell me this isn't going to happen.

quote: Bruce Hansen
Tell those communists to get their hands out of MY equipment.

Proper communists would OWN the studios and distribute profits amongst the population. [Big Grin]

Actually, this is capitalism at it's most vile..maximise profits and fuck everyone else....and another reason to tell them to stick their Digi push where the sun don't shine because the studios WILL demand off-site monitoring and access to YOUR Digi projectors and WILL gain off-site control.

Ever get the feeling that all but the studios are evil pirates who are out to rob them of hard earned monies?

A final two words to any suits out there reading this post -:

Goldman Sachs

Get the hint?

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 05-10-2010, 05:59 PM:

Shorter version: Vertical Integration.

When was the last time the Paramount Consent Decree was enforced or even invoked?

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-10-2010, 10:06 PM:

This has nothing to do with Capitalism, Ian.

Posted by Jake Spell (Member # 5294) on 05-11-2010, 12:11 PM:

The simple truth, as stated earlier, is that if YOU can see the movie then SOMEONE can and WILL make a copy of it and sell it.

Posted by Todd McCracken (Member # 4718) on 05-11-2010, 03:44 PM:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32714

And a 50$ cable will make this all redundant.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 05-11-2010, 05:03 PM:

Someone email that link to Bob Pisano, president and interim chief executive officer of the MPAA.

Good grief...such time and effort wasted for absolutely no reason.

Email to bob_pisano@imadipshit.com

Posted by Ian Parfrey (Member # 5122) on 05-11-2010, 05:24 PM:

Mark.

Have to agree to disagree on that point.

It is an extremely fine line between "fair and equitable commerce" and greed, and as seen with the Goldman Sachs case, it is not hard to cross that line.

But as Jake and Todd have both shown, this is a moot point as the studio's war on piracy just won't work unless the studios have TOTAL control over how their product is used.

Crap code, farting soundtracks, knobbled analogue signal paths won't work.
Capitalism can be very beneficial for the greater good, but in this case, where is the greater good?

In my opinion, (and it is only my opinion) taking control over an exhibitor's projection equipment, and wanting control over how the BUYER ( e.g domestic or professional purchaser) of studio product is just greed.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-11-2010, 08:40 PM:

Greed can exist in any economic system. The difference with free market capitalism is that it allows the market to reject greedy behavior if it chooses to. You can blame the people if that's your argument but it doesn't make sense to blame the system.

Either way, I don't see how arguing economic models makes any sense in this thread so I'll stop here.

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 05-12-2010, 10:14 AM:

When I was living in China, I probably bought about 100 DVDs. All of them copies. Only a couple of them were filmed by someone in a theater. The newer titles were copies of screeners. They all had the correct artwork on the boxes and discs. The shop owner would always pull out a box of new releases when I came in. If I asked for something they didn't have, they had it the next day. I even started asking for titles that were starting in theaters in the states the next day, and the owner would tell me he'd have it the next day. They all were in English and had the full menu. I would watch them with my girlfriend and turn on the Chinese subtitles for her.

One day I went in and the owner was sitting at his desk with a stack of blank DVDs and blank covers making and printing everything as I was looking around.

Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 05-12-2010, 02:22 PM:

If intelligence is sent over a wire or wires anywhere in the system, it can be recorded with a high enough bandwidth analog recorder. No such recorder may be available, but that doesn't mean that someone couldn't develop one by modifying tape recording parameters.