Definition: Selectable Output Control is a term applied to the ability of cable/satellite services to disable 720p/1080i or 1080p output signals on cable/satellite boxes via Component Video outputs. When this disabling can be used is at the discretion of the movie studios and/or Cable/Satellite services involved (with final approval by the FCC), thus the "Selectable" designation.
What this means is that those consumers that have older HDTVs that do not have HDMI or DVI connections and transfer high definition signals from HD Cable or HD Satellite boxes to an HDTV via Component Video connections, access to some, or all high definition programming, may be curtailed. The result would be that content selected for output control activation would only be able to be viewed in standard definition (480i or 480p) when accessed via component video connections between an HD Cable/Satellite box and an HDTV.
Also Known As: SOC
