Electronics makers and public interest groups are intensifying their opposition to a request from the Motion Picture Association of America for a waiver from an FCC ban on using technology to shut off streams of on-demand-movies to cable set-top boxes deemed as insecure. In a post Thursday on the Huffington Post, Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro argued that the MPAA is not really trying to combat piracy but to gain "control of your TV" by asking to use "selectable output control" (SOC) technology. "If the FCC grants Hollywood the power to turn off analog inputs soon they will return asking for permission to unilaterally disable other features and functions," Shapiro wrote.

In a filing last week, the MPAA responded to arguments from such critics by claiming its request for a waiver for the use of the SOC technology "would be an incredibly pro-consumer development." The group argued that by using the technology to ensure the highest-level of security, the MPAA studios would feel free to stream "high-value, high-definition theatrical films during an early release window that is not available today."

Joining CEA's side are groups like Public Knowledge and the Independent Film and Television Alliance, both of which filed a fresh set of comments this week with the FCC in opposition to MPAA's request. Public Knowledge argued in its latest filing that the MPAA has not met the FCC's guidelines for a waiver nor has it adequately shown that using the SOC technology would provide the protection from piracy that it is seeking. The group noted that many non-MPAA studios already provide on-demand access to movies before they are released on DVD.