Bad news if you're a movie theater owner; good news if you don't want to see Iron Man 2 with some idiot kicking the back of your seat the entire time. From the New York Times: "[The F.C.C.] approved a request to allow companies that sell movies via video-on-demand services to activate signals that would block the copying or other re-use in home entertainment systems of recent releases." Uh-huh. And what does that mean for you?
With the added layer of Big Brother-like security -- don't worry, the movie studios will only be able to control what you record for 90-days -- movie studios will be free to release more of their products in a VOD format without the fear of having them copied. So, this is just the first step on a path that will end with you watching Iron Man 3 from the comfort of your own couch on the day it opens in 2015. Sounds fun, right?
Well, maybe. Of course this would be a major death blow to movie theaters owners -- expect to see them pushing for more 3D screens as a result -- but it could also mean higher prices on the consumers' end; would it shock anyone to see Paramount charging $15-20 for Iron Man 3 on Demand? Still, the added benefit of not having to deal with fellow human beings might outweigh any price gauge. Not that I'm still bitter about the guy sitting behind me at Iron Man 2 for playing footsie with my seat. For future reference: Three dirty looks in one movie means stop.
ยท F.C.C. Allows Movie Studios to Block Copying of New Video-on-Demand Releases [New York Times]