Other studios claim they cannot speed up their release windows due to fear of piracy. But they know this argument does not hold water, since most illicit files are uploaded within a day or two of a movie’s theatrical release. By the time a movie hits cable, the piracy horse is long out of the barn. Little wonder the studios have provided the FCC with zero evidence that “selectable output control” would reduce illicit file sharing.

In reality, “selectable output control” is not about controlling content, but about controlling your TV. If Hollywood gets the right to unilaterally turn off outputs on consumers lawfully purchased equipment, they will gain a broad and extraordinary power to dictate the specific designs of televisions and other products.

We believe that consumers, not big movie studios, should choose the features of their televisions and determine how they are used in the privacy of the living room. That is why we oppose Hollywood’s onerous and anti-consumer “selectable output control” scheme.

Michael Petricone
Consumer Electronics Association