MPAA pushes again to control TV output

The movie industry, still pushing to control the analog outputs on your televisions and set-top boxes, is trying to make its case more palatable to the consumer and to the Federal Communications Commission.

The ongoing debate is over “selectable output control,” which would give Hollywood the power to lock down your TV set’s outputs, preventing you from feeding the audio and video signal to a DVR. This idea interests the Motion Picture Association of America, as it would allow movie studios to release video on demand before DVD without jeopardizing sales, as you wouldn’t be able to simply rip the signal onto a disc or a file.

Opposition groups, such as Public Knowledge, argue that output control would hobble millions of television sets across the country, leaving consumers without fully-functioning analog outputs. They argue that if you don’t have the proper setup, you’ll have to buy a new television to enjoy video on demand at all.

Now, the MPAA is trying to address those concerns, arguing selectable output control won’t harm TVs as they function now. Incompatible TVs simply won’t be able to watch early video on demand, but since that feature doesn’t exist yet, no foul. I’d like that in writing as part of the deal if the FCC allows selectable output control — still a long shot given that previous commissions have upheld a ban on it.

In any case, there are some other holes in the MPAA’s argument. First, piracy already runs rampant even before movies are released, so concerns about illegal copying seem over-the-top. Second, Public Knowledge points out that Warner Bros. already released two movies (Observe and Report and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past) to VOD before their theatrical releases, so there’s a chance the need for selectable output control might be overblown. I’m hoping more studios will experiment with early VOD releases, and that they’ll benefit without messing with people’s televisions.