TV Limits Copies

DVD Compatibility

Today, most inputs into recordable-DVD devices are analog, says In-Stat senior analyst Michelle Abraham. That means these products do not yet have to be modified to conform with the flag.

But next-generation blue-laser DVD recorders, like HD-DVD and Blu-ray devices, will record digital TV broadcasts and will have to recognize the flag. Blu-ray recorders are currently shipping in Japan and should hit the United States in the next few years, while HD-DVD recorders are expected to ship in the U.S. in the second half of 2006, Abraham says.

Pioneer didn't have to modify its current lineup of DVD recording products, says Andy Parsons, the company's senior VP of product development.

But Pioneer is planning for future DVD recorders--high-def or with DTV tuners--and these will have to understand flag technology, he says. As with the next-generation TiVo devices, you'll be able to record and make a copy, but the content will be encrypted on the optical disc to prevent redistribution online, he adds.

"A lot of people expect that you're not going to be able to record anymore, but that's not true," Parsons emphasizes.

As the industry finalizes standards for HD-DVD and Blu-ray recorders, one possible trouble spot looms: the encryption standard used. If multiple standards evolve, a recordable disc might work in your Blu-ray player, but not in your friend's player.