Get ready for DCE, or “Digital Consumer Enablement”, HBO’s new name for DRM. HBO’s CTO Bob Zitter says DRM is a misnomer, because the technology “allows consumers “to use content in ways they haven’t before.”

“I don’t want to use the term DRM any longer,” said Zitter. According to the AP, Zitter confessed privately after a panel discussion that it’s lack of DRM (ha, ha, ha) that is keeping HBO from releasing programs OnDemand. Why? Because set top boxes allow analog output through the use of component cables and the mean old FCC won’t let HBO disable them. “They say we can’t turn off the analog output,” Zitter said.

Our only observation is that “enablement” is not a word, according to Merriam Webster, so we guess that one cuold define it any way one wanted. Anyone want to start a Wikipedia entry? Or maybe this is a job for Wikiality?—MEGHANN MARCO

HBO’s Zitter Says DRM Is Misnomer [Broadcast Newsroom] (Thanks, Alex!)
(Photo: nim)