The deadline for broadcasters to switch from analog to digital has come and gone. Many of us have made the switch without any problems. But some unlucky souls will have to make another conversion if they want to see some local channels. Many cable subscribers have been complaining about losing local channels like CSPAN or University broadcast of local community information.
The cable companies didn't tell the general public there was a conversion going on within the conversion. The analog to digital was once switch. This requires broadcast TV viewers who only received free over the air channels with rabbit ear antennas to buy a digital convert box. Cable and satellite subscribers with set top boxes were suppose to be OK. As a cable subscriber, if you noticed some change in your channel line up, that was the second switch. When cable providers offer new features they have to store these features somewhere. And that somewhere happens to be your old public access and CSPAN channels on the analog system. They must make room for all the new HD channels and special features sold to you.
Here comes the crazy part, you will need a converter box attached to your cable set top box to get those lost channels back AND you will have to pay extra for it! After numerous complaints some cable providers have offered one free converter box for one year. Once the year contract is up, you must decided if you would like to pay for the channels that were once free.
Check out NPR's article Cable Users Could Lose Channels With Digital Switch
or you can download the podcast below.
NPR Podcast
MPAA and the Classroom
The Motion Picture Association has recently decided that educators across the country are violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 by circumventing copyright when DVDs are ripped. The act of breaking the encryption on a DVD by using ripping software is illegal, but under the fair use provision, educators can do so without any consequences as long as its for educational purposes. I had to break out a copy of the DMCA and review why the MPAA is making such a fuss. I have provided a link to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act below for more info.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act
So, here is what the MPAA suggest educators do to make them happy for now. A teacher must project the film on a screen and videotape the screen. Sounds kinda ridiculous, right? Here is a video posted by Timothy Vollmer of pureinformation.org on the MPAA at the Library of Congress making their case as they demo this technique.
http://vimeo.com/4520463
MPAA shows how to videorecord a TV set from timothy vollmer on Vimeo.
I think the MPAA is missing the point on why educators are using film to teach. If the MPAA is ok with videotaping a screen, then what other ways can we think of to make copies of movies that does not violate copyright?
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act
So, here is what the MPAA suggest educators do to make them happy for now. A teacher must project the film on a screen and videotape the screen. Sounds kinda ridiculous, right? Here is a video posted by Timothy Vollmer of pureinformation.org on the MPAA at the Library of Congress making their case as they demo this technique.
http://vimeo.com/4520463
MPAA shows how to videorecord a TV set from timothy vollmer on Vimeo.
I think the MPAA is missing the point on why educators are using film to teach. If the MPAA is ok with videotaping a screen, then what other ways can we think of to make copies of movies that does not violate copyright?
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