James Delahunty
18 Sep 2009 3:01
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has appealed to regulator Ofcom to be allowed to use encryption on Freeview HD data to prevent piracy. Of course, the request was immediately criticized as under licensing rules, the BBC is not allowed to encrypt video or audio streams. However, the BBC is requesting it be allowed to encrypt the data associated with TV listings, which in effect will stop set-top boxes from decoding TV content.
"We are committed to ensuring that public service content remains free to air i.e. unencrypted," the broadcaster said in a statement. "However, HD content holders have begun to expect a degree of content management on the Freeview HD platform and therefore broadcasters have recognised that a form of copy protection is needed."
A vocal critic of the plan is Labour MP Tom Watson, who says the plan results in limiting consumer choices. "In an attempt to satisfy the fears of powerful rights holders, the BBC will prohibit millions of people from programming their existing set top boxes," he in a blog entry. "If implemented this will make it difficult to view or record HDTV broadcasts with free software. Where's the consumer interest in that settlement?"
Under the new system, only trusted manufacturers would be offered the decryption keys for the HD data. Many set-top-boxes use open source software such as Linux to bring down costs, and critics say that the BBC's request will hit these boxes, because DRM is incompatible with open source software. As a result, it would be more difficult for producers of the boxes to get the necessary permissions from the BBC.