Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 6, 1994 TAG: 9404060108
SECTION: NATIONAL/INT PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The Federal Communications Commission issued regulations Tuesday designed to ease consumer frustration. The regulations will be phased in between May 31 and Oct. 31, FCC attorneys said.
There's a price for less frustration, however. Subscribers will have to buy or rent additional equipment, at least in the short term, FCC engineers said.
Currently, most cable subscribers cannot use the remote controls that come with their TV sets or cannot use all the functions on their remotes, said Alan Stillwell, who helped write the FCC's regulations.
``An operator generally turns off the remote capability in the [set-top] box if the subscriber doesn't rent a remote from the system,'' Stillwell said.
But on July 31, cable operators will not be allowed to do that anymore. In addition, cable subscribers will be able to buy a universal remote control from local cable operators or from retailers, Stillwell said.
Most cable subscribers also are unable to use their VCRs to record a program while watching another because the set-top box that brings the cable signal into the home only tunes one channel at a time.
Similarly, consumers cannot use a picture-in-picture option on many new TV sets because the function, which allows for a split screen, does not work with the set-top box.
Beginning Oct. 31, cable subscribers will be able to buy or rent supplemental equipment to fix the VCR and picture-in-picture problems, the FCC said.
Eventually, the FCC plans to adopt additional regulations setting technical standards for a new generation of TV sets that receive cable television signals. Stillwell said new sets could be in stores in three years.
When that happens, subscribers won't need supplemental equipment to use their VCRs, remote controls or other features on their TV sets, Stillwell said.
by CNB