CBS threatens to stop HDTV

[Scott Greczkowski]

CBS threatens to stop HDTV

By Bill McConnell
Broadcasting & Cable

Faced with a hostile reaction to the broadcast industry’s preferred copy-protection method, Viacom Inc.-owned CBS is threatening to cease all high-definition programming during the 2003-2004 season.

A CBS boycott of HDTV would be a blow to the government’s effort to generate consumer and equipment-maker interest in the switch to digital transmissions.

Besides airing all 18 of its prime time comedies and dramas in HD, CBS has offered an impressive lineup of HD sports. That includes the 2001 Super Bowl, the NCAA Men’s Final Four and the Masters Golf tournament during the last three years.

Read the rest of the story at http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=story&doc_id=109348&display=breakingNews

[Allen Noland]

I think the FCC should counter that by threatening to suspend all CBS broadcast affiliates digital and analog broadcast licenses.

[Scott Greczkowski]

Unfortunately while the law says stations must switch to Digital, the law does not say anything about stations actually broadcasting in HDTV.

If CBS broadcasts in HD or not is not a concern whatsoever as long as the stations are broadcasting a Digital Signal thats all that counts to the FCC.

[MarkA]

Go CBS! I'm VERY glad that they're doing this. It shows someone in the industry is on our (the consumers and future consumers of ATSC digital television) side.

[Scott Greczkowski]

I have not read much about this, but from what I understand, CBS WANTS a form of copy protection on its broadcasts. (I could be reading this wrong)

If thats the case CBS is looking out for itself and not the consumer.

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Zac
Go CBS! I'm VERY glad that they're doing this. It shows someone in the industry is on our (the consumers and future consumers of ATSC digital television) side.

Let's face the facts here. Hollywood is not going to allow us to make perfect digital copies off air. Copy protection for HDTV is going to happen whether we like it or not (and frankly I don't like it). If given a choice, the MPAA would rather slow technological growth and let CBS stop all HD programming rather than let broadcasts go unprotected.

[Allen Noland]

I think HDTV is the only change for broadcast stations to get back market share. CBS and the rest should use HD as an opportunity to get back what they have lost to "cable" stations over the last several years. All this will do is give more non-broadcast stations time to get there signals up so that by the time the broadcast stations get it going there will already be competition for them.

[catman]

A anolog tv cost $799 . HD costs 1400 . Who has the money to go out and buy a $1400 . Not those on disabilty or Social Surity . Not to mention those of us making $200 a week .

[Martyva]

27" HDTV moniter with analog tuner = 799.99. 1979 19" bushbutton analog tv (n0 remote) 695.00

[MarkA]

"A anolog tv cost $799 . HD costs 1400"

Unless you count digital front projection, or the VERY few DLP rear-projection sets, most HD sets on the market ARE analog.

[Mark Holtz]

The whole copy protection thing will backfire on CBS. Why? There are folks like me who take an evening class. This spring, I will be taking a class on Thursday nights, so I'm recording Survivor and CSI on my PVR. If they copy protect the programs, I simply won't be watching.

[invaliduser88]

Gee more of the rabid the consumer is a pirate attitude. HDTV is why I watch more CBS shows. What a bunch of morons. All they will do is shoot themselves in the foot and anger the consumers even more.

[raj2001]

The whole copy protection thing will backfire on CBS.

The whole copy protection thing is a problem for everyone, not just CBS. The MPAA/RIAA are hell bent on not allowing us to make perfect digital copies of anything on consumer gear. The smart consumer's reaction to this is that they will not buy technology that has copy controls. SCMS (a copy flag system) was one of the reasons for home DAT recorders not penetrating the home market very much at all. Standalone CD recorders face the same issue - most people prefer to buy PC CD-RW drives, because there is little copy protection.

It's even gotten as far as record labels incorporating technology that prevents discs not only from being copied, but from not being played on a PC. Just try to play the new Celine Dion CD on your PC and you will see. PC's aren't the only ones affected either. This copy protection also reportedly affects DVD players, car CD players, game consoles and even some regular CD players.

Copy protection is also why I can't legally play my DVD's in Linux. I need not mention the lawsuit by DVD-CCA over DeCSS. Copy protection is responsible for alot of technology simply being held back or shelved until they can control how we use it. You heard me, it's not about protecting intellectual property anymore. It's about controlling consumers use of technology through UNFAIR means. This little threat by CBS is just the tip of the iceberg folks.

[rbonzer]

*If* I understand all the copy protection stuff, it won't be the end of recording as we know it. It could be, but I doubt it. What I'm saying is only based on what I understand, which could be wrong...

My guess is that CBS would mark it as copy once, which would let you record it to your PVR or any such device for time shifting or whatever. You just wouldn't be able to transfer the recording to another recording device. You could watch it as many times as you'd like (I've never seen any flags/protocol that talks about limited viewing times).

I'm not trying to argue for copy protection devices. I personally would not like any of this, but it doesn't seem as bad as everyone is making it out to be.

The problem would be if CBS used the copy protect flag to say NO recording. I would imaging that there would be lots of backlash if nobody could timeshift their prime-time lineup.

Yes, I would hate to lose (not loose!) my privilege of doing whatever I like with my recordings, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. I have yet to break open my 501 to put the hard drive to a PC and rip shows. I doubt I will in the next 10 years either.

Rob

[MarkA]

"Just try to play the new Celine Dion CD on your PC and you will see. PC's aren't the only ones affected either. This copy protection also reportedly affects DVD players, car CD players, game consoles and even some regular CD players."

Not to be picky, but I take this sersiously. It is NOT the new "CD" it is the new digital audio disc. It is not a CD. It may have the CDDA logo (I don't know. Some copy protected discs do), but that is, in my opinion (and the opinion of many others), false advertising. It is not a CDDA disc because it does not meet Red Book standards. Nor is it any other type of CD as they don't meet any of the coloured book standards. These discs will not play on devices that can play only Red Book CDDA discs. They are a different type of disc, similar to CDDA, but different. Close enough most CDDA plays will play it; yet different enough from a CD most computers, and many CD players, DVD players, and other devices will not play it. These "fake" CDs will fail in a free market economy. Educate yourself before you buy. Don't buy if it's not a 100% compliant CDDA disc.

I'm not encouraging you to steal with that last sentence. That would be wrong. Just live without this music. Maybe in time these artists will get some sense to insist on real CDs when they have nobody buying their music discs.

[MarkA]

PS, since most of you dislike me and dismiss everything I have to say (especially about stuff like copy protected CD's not really being CDs); I figured it might hold more credibility coming in the form of a quote from a representative of the company that invented CDs:

"Those are silver discs with music data that resemble CDs, but aren't," Philips representative Klaus Petri told Financial Times Deutschland.

see the full Wired News article containing that quote at http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,50101,00.html

[catman]

In wisconsin . THe promoter for star show enterprise said " there is no such thing as a copy right " . I wish they would shut star show down fire him . and then , force him to pay .

[Eyedox]

Most of us on this forum and with HDTV's prefer to watch shows that take advantage of our technology. So if you are going to show all of your crap in low-def, I'll tune in to the other networks. The only show worth a damn IMHO is CSI. Survivor can suck it. Or maybe we'll have the FCC come in again and force you jackasses to do 1080i. Merry Christmas!