From: Sten Drescher <stend@grendel.texas.net>
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 11:15:52 +0800
To: mpd@netcom.com (Mike Duvos)
Subject: Re: V-chip?
In-Reply-To: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960124174011.17116A-100000@echo.sound.net>
Message-ID: <199601252305.RAA03150@grendel.texas.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


mpd@netcom.com (Mike Duvos) said:

MD> oO F145C0 Oo <fiasco@echo.sound.net> writes:
>> Apparently the US government is planning on starting up its V-chip
>> program again, which will allow public/cable TV to be censored at
>> will. What does everyone thing about this ploy?

	Yes, it is censorship.  At least, it is if you aren't watching
every program on every channel available to you right now, because
your channel selection allows you to censor public/cable TV at will
right now, without the V-Chip.  What the V-Chip does is allow you to
censor what is shown on your television, even in your absence.  I'll
concede that there are positive aspects to this for parents, but I
resent the 'you must install it in all TVs' part. If enough people
want it, they can get TVs with it.

>> And whats next? Chips in my radio, to prevent music, or a chip in
>> my phone to make sure i dont call anyone bad? The V-chip is just as
>> much a privacy/1st amendment violation as the clipper chip
>> is/was. I believe the worst part of the V-chip plan, is to force
>> all new TV's manufactured or imported to the US, to have this new
>> chip. Could this chip even be part of a Chinese lottery?

MD> As I understand it, the basic concept behind the V-Chip is to
MD> allow selective blocking of material a particular viewer might
MD> find offensive based on content information transmitted along with
MD> the program.  As long as the program material itself is
MD> transmitted unaltered, and there are multiple non-governmental
MD> providers of content descriptions catering to the spectrum of
MD> human likes and dislikes, this sounds like ideal Cypherpunk
MD> technology.

	The content information is transmitted as part of the program,
in the between-frame band which is normally not in the displayed area
of the picture, not on a separate signal.  (Now why can't they use
this band for something truely useful, like an automatic time sync and
VCRPlus ID, so that your VCR could pick it up, and know that VCRPlus
ID 69 is on channel 13, and is broadasting with a +2:30 skew from what
you think the time is?)  Because of this, there will be _one_ content
code, not a select-your-rater content method.

	The other reason for not having a select-your-rater method is,
first, the sheer volume of TV broadcasting.  No service could possibly
rate all TV content.  Second, no service could rate _live_ TV, such as
the nightly news, or post-game NFL locker room films.  My guess is
that the producer of a program will get first shot at putting a label
on a program, or not.  Then the distributor will be able to keep the
producers label, change it, add their own, or remove it.  This will
continue until the broadcaster gets to decide whether or not to
transmit a V-Code, and whether to use the last distributors label or
their own.  But do you really think that MTV will use a V-Code?  (It
could be amusing if they did - 10 minutes of blank screen, then 2
minutes of commercials when someone cranks all of their settings to
Full Filter.)

[...]

MD> It should be noted that the V-Chip is currently vaporware, and
MD> exists only in the minds of politicians.  There probably will
MD> never be an actual "V-Chip", just a little additional software in
MD> our already heavily computerized televisions, radios, and personal
MD> computers.

	Incorrect.  The 'V-Chip' exists (at least according to a
demonstration on NBC News ("Home of the Exploding Chevy") the other
night), there just isn't sufficient consumer demand for it to have hit
the market yet.  And, from appearances, it doesn't pixelate the
picture, it blocks the signal entirely.  They should at least have put
a 'Sorry, kiddies, you have to hack your parents passcode to see
this.' message up.  That's the weakness here - it was only a 4 digit
passcode locking the V-Chip level - does anyone really think that some
kid who wants to watch HBO or MTV isn't gonna cycle through the
numbers, even if it is only a few dozen at a time?  Or that there
isn't a reset mechanism for when Pop forgets the code and he really
wants to watch 'Showgirls' on PPV?

-- 
#include <disclaimer.h>				/* Sten Drescher */
1973 Steelers    About Three Bricks Shy of a Load    1994 Steelers
1974 Steelers         And the Load Filled Up         1995 Steelers?
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