DECE Gathering Strength

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on Thursday, the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) announced six new members, reports the Los Angeles Times. The DECE wants to standarize DRM, including file formats and distribution methods, in order to make it possible for consumers to play copyrighted content across multiple platforms - for instance, eliminating the inability to play a video bought from iTunes on a music phone. With Panasonic and Samsung now on board, the initiative is supported by five of the largest TV manufacturers, six Hollywood studios, and five big tech companies, but notably not Apple, which just removed many DRM locks from its iTunes Music Store. Also at CES, the Walt Disney Co. supported a new Intel chip which allows TV viewers to interact with their favorite programs by powering Internet applications of TVs. Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC Television group, said audiences may possibly be able to access complementary content during the series finale of the hit TV series "Lost" next year through the chip.