FCC Issues Plug-n-Play Rules for Digital Cable Devices

The FCC issued new rules to facilitate the direct connection of digital "navigation devices" or customer premises equipment purchased from retail outlets -- including television receivers, set-top boxes and digital recorders -- to cable television and other multichannel video programming distributor ("MVPD") systems.


The plug-n-play ruling, which follows in the wake of a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") reached by representatives of the cable television and consumer electronics industries earlier this year, aims to establish a "plug and play" standard for digital cable television, with the goal of proving consumers the opportunity to purchase navigation devices from sources other than their MVPD service provider.


Apart from technical and engineering specifications, two critical issues that have remained unresolved have been the unauthorized access to service (theft of service) and unauthorized redistribution or copying of programming content legally acquired for a limited use (copy protection/digital rights management). No decision on the so-called Broadcast Flag proposal for carrying digital content was reached.


FCC chairman Michael Powell said the new rules would ensure protection of high value content on cable systems by providing incentives for cable and consumer electronics manufacturers to work together to include various content protection technologies in consumer devices. Powell also promised to deliver a draft decision on the Broadcast Flag proceeding in the very near future.
http://www.fcc.gov