CEA urges Senate to safeguard consumer rights

[Gregg Lengling]

The US Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has called on the American Senate to safeguard "fundamental consumer rights" and ensure that all Americans have access to high-definition television (HDTV) to achieve a consumer-friendly transition to digital television.

CEA president and chief executive Gary Shapiro said in a statement to the Senate committee on commerce, science and transportation: ""First and foremost, we must continue to preserve consumers' home recording rights as the nation goes digital. Americans' customary viewing, recording and time shifting rights are critical to the continued embrace of HDTV.

"Congress and regulators should reject outright the content industry's demands to impose 'downresing' (sic) and "selectable output control" on DTV consumers. "

The CEA statement, titled Completing the Digital Television (DTV) Transition, went on to urge Congress to keep a close eye on the introduction of digital cable ready (DCR) products, adding that it is vital that the conditional access CableCARD, obtained directly from the cable provider, be readily available to consumers on request and at reasonable cost.

Shapiro added: "Satellite companies must be allowed to import distant network HDTV signals in so-called white areas - areas where consumers are not being served by an over-the-air broadcaster. This will allow all Americans easy access to the excitement of HDTV programming."