Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., said Monday that congressional hearings and round-table discussions have brought some progress, but he worries that the process will drag on past Congress' 2006 deadline for digital television to reach all Americans.
"We got a lot of work done, but they simply haven't crossed the finish line," Tauzin said in an interview. "They have one last chance between now and September to close the final gaps between all the different issues that they haven't yet agreed upon. Otherwise we're going to begin the process of legislating."
Several industries, including companies that make consumer technology products like televisions and DVD players, computer makers, cable companies and television and movie companies are contending over how to make digital TV attractive to consumers while protecting it from pirates.
Harris Miller of the Information Technology Association of America, a trade group that includes Intel Corp. and Hewlett-Packard, was skeptical of the September deadline.
"Nothing is going to get finalized in a matter of a couple of months," Miller said. "You can't simply snap your fingers and make the technical issues go away."
The various sides have agreed on one major issue, a new technology called a "broadcast flag" that would be embedded into television shows and movies. That flag could tell DVD recorders and other devices not to record those programs.
But there are many nagging questions, such as whether the broadcast flag should work with existing DVD players and computers and how to protect the right to make a copy for personal use.
The chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, Jack Valenti, praised Tauzin's announcement.
"We are near the edge of an agreement on remaining technical aspects of the broadcast flag, and we're anxious to avoid further delay," Valenti said in a statement. "We hope to resolve these remaining matters in the very near term so that we can move forward with implementing the broadcast flag as expeditiously as possible."
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