"Plug & Play" refers to the FCC's long-term effort to make it easier for consumer electronics devices (like your TV, DVD recorder and TiVo) to interoperate with your cable TV service. The idea is to eliminate the "set-top box" provided by your cable company, while still making sure you can't get HBO without paying for it. This is a great idea, since proprietary set-top boxes annoy consumers and hold up innovation. Unfortunately, starting back in 2000, Hollywood jumped in, figuring this was a great opportunity to get DRM injected into devices that connect to digital cable and satellite TV. Under pressure from Hollywood, cable and satellite TV companies agreed to put mandatory DRM into their systems. In the end, the FCC rubber stamped these DRM-laden standards as part of the Plug & Play proceeding. While this was a big mistake, to its credit, the FCC imposed some limits ("encoding rules" and limits on "selectable output control" and "down-rezzing") on how bad the DRM can get.
Cleaning Up After Plug & Play
Having approved the imposition of DRM into digital cable and satellite TV, the FCC issued a "Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" [PDF 2.1M] (SFNPRM) wrestling with just how bad the DRM can get. EFF urged the FCC to prohibit down-resolution, or down-rezzing, of component analog outputs for nonbroadcast programming carried on cable and satellite systems.
The FCC's Plug & Play Ruling: FCC Approves Lockdown for Digital Cable and Satellite TV
The FCC's Plug & Play Ruling [PDF, 2.1M] Oct. 9, 2003
Initial Comments to the FCC:
Reply Comments to the FCC:
Pre-Game: the FCC Invites Hollywood into Plug & Play
In 2000, the FCC sought comment on whether DRM should be part of the Plug & Play proceeding. EFF said no, but the FCC did it anyway, laying the ground work for the DRM scheme that was ultimately approved by the FCC in 2003.