Broadcast Flag

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What is the Broadcast Flag?

The Broadcast Flag is a bit flag in the ATSC datastream. It was approved by the FCC in early 2004. Beginning in June 2005, all ATSC hardware must support the broadcast flag, and it will be illegal to sell, import, and manufacture non-compliant hardware.

What happens if a show has the flag enabled?

If the broadcast flag is enabled, the following takes place:

  • If you have a pre-broadcast flag card (made before June 2005), you see no effect.
  • If you have a broadcast flag compliant card (made after June 2005), your card will automatically downconvert the signal to 480i (interlaced DVD quality).

If the broadcast flag is disabled, there will be no effect on any type of card.

Will I be able to hack a compliant card to receive full-quality HDTV?

The broadcast flag basically prevents high-quality recording of protected content. It will theoretically be impossible to "hack" compliant cards using software, as compliance with the FCC regulations implies a hardware device handling downconverts, not drivers.

Where can I get more information?

More information on the Broadcast Flag can be found at

G4TechTV

Electronic Frontier Foundation

*NEWS FLASH 05/06/2005*

US Circuit Court of Appeals rules that FCC does not have the authority to mandate the Broadcast Flag

However, congress can still pass new legislation to grant the FCC the authority it needs to make Broadcast Flag happen.

Read more at [1]