RtpiFan
Are you saying, both Coolsat STBs 6100 and 7100 currently have no hardware Blindscan feature? Or maybe firmware of the STB you sold was not finalized yet at the time you were using it?
melgagra
I agree. It looks though that current evolution of content protection bypass techniques, which in some convoluted way supports FTA survival, may lead one day to setting up the processes similar to Napster prompted review by the society, including legislative bodies and involved businesses, of relevant law, methods and practices of creative content distribution that should gradually adapt to evolving sociaty needs instead of being frozen in time by enforcement reflecting interests of one side only with no regard to public interest at large. I think, FTA support by the state should be looked at from public interest standpoint. Of course, its harder to control diverse and independent info sources. But diversity of information leads to more healthy society and economy. As an example, I haven't heard indepth analysis or reporting yet, what caused current economy crisis, how such business practices become possible, and why some of the most responsible for it were rewarded by huge money influx.
It would be foolish not to own up to the fact that without the "dark side" of this hobby, we on this side would have a limited selection of very plainjane and expensive hardware to choose from. Money greases the axle, and when there is more to be had a healthy R&D program by any given mfgr is usually the result.
As to
".....setting up the processes similar to Napster prompted review by the society, including legislative bodies and involved businesses, of relevant law, methods and practices of creative content distribution...."
that already exists, it's called the DMCA, which as part of its failings, does cause a
".....freezing in time by enforcement reflecting interests of one side only with no regard to public interest at large."
amongst other things. That is the legislative response to the needs you outlined. That and the Digital OTA debacle and smokescreen ....but that's whole other subject in and of itself.....
Yes it would be a good thing for govt to support and educate it's populus about FTA, but that will never happen. The SIG lobbists would resort to performing "unmentionable acts" to keep their legislative connections from going there. As for subsidizing the FTA, not much danger in that, but do you REALLY want to pay the price of having the govt involved in our biz anymore than they already are? The best we could hope for is a less preferential treatment position towards the existing SSP/CSP/ISP structure and players, and encourage free resource development and distribution via satellite, but I dont think any of us will live long enough to see it happen.
AFAIC, the DMCA allows far to much power and latitude to the govt entities. Maybe it's just the way the juducial entities are interpreting it, regardless, responses should not be carried to the same extreme used to crush a terriost plot. The laws are drafted and passed with the idea that an accusation is as good as evidence, and due process, a constitutional fudamental is all but totally disregarded. We had a similar fear of the "Red Mennace" driven behavior between WW II and the mid 60's, it was also known as McCarthyism.....
Too_ much_power.
Generally speaking the real problem is that legislators do not represent their constituants. The think for us and what they say is in our best interest is what they legislate, often with vested interests. We have commitees and commissions, spewing out rules and policies that somehow get equated to LAW yet no citizen had the first word of input on the subject.
When the average citizen was uneducated, uninformed, and did not have the resources to overcome this, (NOT the case today in this "information age") it made sense to decide in the best interest of the population. Unfortunately that attitude prevails to this day so
"....diversity of information leads to more healthy society and economy."
is not a position "Big Brother" agrees with. Knowledge is power. Knowlwdge shared is power lost.
Without getting partisan I dont think the subject of
"....what caused current economy crisis, how such business practices become possible, and why some of the most responsible for it were rewarded by huge money influx."
can be effectively discussed. I have views and opinions on the root cause of the current state of affairs, but I'm not sure Scott sanctions such discussions on the board. They can get volitile, as I've seen on other boards, and probably not worth the headache to the staff to moderate. Suffice it to say, a lot of things would be different if just a thing or two had gone differently.
