Moving beyond day-and-date releases via internet and HD video-on-demand, movie studios may be ready to move towards regularly putting movies online ahead of the DVD release date for a premium price -- that surveys say some of us are willing to pay -- but prepare to have your analog hole plugged again. The MPAA petitioned the FCC earlier this month to lift the existing ban preventing cable and satellite providers from remotely disabling analog outputs on their set-top boxes via selectable output controls (SOC). In a bit of ICT redux, the movie studios haven't said definitively that they will use the technology, but insist on having the ability to force anyone wanting to view high definition movies to only see them through an HDCP-protected HDMI output to a compatible TV. The failure of AACS and BD+ to prevent high quality copies isn't a deterrent to the MPAA's push, so while ICT has gone unused on Blu-ray and HD DVD, we're still too fond of our component outs, switchers and homemade cables -- and too wary of a future change in policy -- to support any changes in the law.

Whoa boy, we can't imagine this going over well with the Blu-ray junkies in attendance. On a conference call held earlier today, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings made mention that it planned on instituting a "modest monthly premium" to its normal subscription rate for folks who rented BDs. Of course, the move only makes perfect sense -- after all, the discs do cost more, and according to Mr. Hastings, "consumers are used to paying more for high-definition content." Unfortunately, we're not sure if the price hike (exactly how much has yet to be disclosed) will apply flatly to every single Blu-ray renter or if the premium will be applied in a tiered fashion based on how heavily you rent HD media versus traditional DVDs. With the change slated to occur "later this year," though, we won't be wondering for long.

[Via CNET, image courtesy of WorkItMom]

Proton's no stranger to taking the wraps off new products in lively Las Vegas, and this year it looks like a few 1080p gems will be showing their stuff alongside the LED-backlit versions we've been hearing about. Dubbed the first two sets in the company's "premier" lineup, the 42-inch P42D5 and 47-inch P47D5 both sport a newly designed aluminum enclosure, 176-degree viewing angle, and a "Puriti" processing engine that purportedly helps to eliminate jaggies among other color enhancements. Aside from the full blown 1080p support, built-in digital / analog tuners, PIP, and HDMI inputs on both sets, the P47D5 also features a 1200:1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 8-millisecond response time, and a pair of integrated 5-watt speakers. Both sets should be on display at next month's CES, and while the 42-incher will sell for $1,999, the flagship 47-inch model will demand $2,999.