Hollywood and NFL Fight TiVo 344
An anonymous reader writes "MSNBC/Washington Post is reporting that the NFL and tinseltown have asked the FCC to stop TiVo from expanding its service to include the ability to transfer recordings to PC's and other remote devices. TiVo says the system is secure. I say its source code will end up on the box. You do the math."
But I need it... (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Too Hard to Regulate (Score:0, Interesting)
Re:Too Hard to Regulate (Score:5, Interesting)
Tivo Is Just Legitimizing What's Already Possible (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't understand the NFL's concerns (Score:5, Interesting)
There are two reasons a fan would want a TiVo'd game. (1) the game isn't broadcast in their area. E.g., a Steelers fan who lives in Nebraska might not get the Steelers on their TV. The solution: NFL Sunday Ticket. "But that's exclusive to DirecTV?" says the NFL. Well whose fucking fault is that. There are plenty of people who would be willing to pay for NFL Sunday Ticket if it were available through Cable companies. They can't because the greedy NFL signs a multi-billion dollar contract with DirecTV. (I want Sunday Ticket, but my apartment faces north. I can't get DirecTV.)
(2) the game is blacked out. A Steelers fan might not see the Steelers because the game is blacked out. Actually, the Steelers are a bad example because they haven't been blacked out in 30 years. So let's use the Cardinals. Their home games are never broadcast in Phoenix because they never come close to selling out. The whole purpose of the blackout policy is to force fans to buy tickets to prevent the blackout. It obviously doesn't work because the Cards still only get 30,000 fans per game. So why do they still use this outdated, policy that doesn't work? None of the other major sports black out home game.
The NFL can end the market for Tivo'd games by merely offering NFL Sunday Ticket to all cable companies and ending the blackout policy that doesn't work.
Dammit dammit dammit! (Score:4, Interesting)
- VoIP must be stopped! It lets people make phone calls without paying someone [other than the broadband provider]!
- Making people pay [a fortune] for commercial television. I remember when people thought it was okay to pay for cable because you got things like HBO, which didn't have commercials. HBO still doesn't have commercials, but it's still an extra $12/mo on your $60 cable bill.
- When did ease-of-use become piracy? I used to make mixtapes for girlfriends. I had the Jerky Boys calls on some umpteenth generation copy of a copy. I don't remember anyone up in arms about this--the Jerky Boys got a movie deal out of that underground phenomenon. Now that I can easily make a share a mix it's illegal?
Don't give up everyone. Write your Congressperson [house.gov]. Some of you live in Utah [eff.org]. Do something about it [senate.gov].Re:let me beat the mythtv diy PVR drum =) (Score:3, Interesting)
There ARE easy to setup PC PVR options. I shlopped a PVR350 in a box paired with SageTV (review) [byopvr.com] and it was pretty simple.
The cost thing is a valid concern. There is potentially a larger initial cash outlay (but no subscription fees.)
With that said the DirectTV deals with Tivo (which are they still being offered? Didnt't DTV and tivo have a bitter divorce quite publiclly last month?) ARE a great value if you go the satellite route. Dual tuning, digital only stream, Tivo ease of use, low subscription...
But out of the box without modification (software or hardware) you can't get the content off your DTV tivo box, which is the point of this article.
Another compelling reason is if you are a paranoid schizo and don't trust TiVo (no matter WHAT their privacy statements say, and oh by the way they can change them at any time) about collecting info on your viewing habits... if you DIY you can have more control over what goes in and out of your DIY PVR (unless you tape MTV, I can't help the GIGO there)
Note: I own and love my tivo and don't wear a tinfoil hat, just thought I point it out as a potential reasoning.
Now if Dishnetwork and DirectTV would supply the needed daughter cards/access cards to digital satellite PCI PVR cards [hauppauge.com] we wouldn't be able to argue about the "re-encoding digital content" issue. (you can use those cards in Europe with subscription satellite services, but not here, from what I understand)
*shrug* YMMV,
e.
Re:Who would download an OLD football game?! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Who would download an OLD football game?! (Score:3, Interesting)
To begin with you would actually need to be a football fan. Since you start off with "Football is boring enough as it is" I think it's safe to assume that you're not one. Obviously this precludes any ability to see the point of recording football games (not that there's anything wrong with that of course).
I live in Houston Texas. I'm a football fan and in 2002 the Houston Texans began playing. I've recorded every game and every off season I make about 100-120 copies for other Texans fans. Maybe the games aren't being shown in their area and they couldn't watch them or maybe they just want to watch a specific series or play again. Whatever the reason the demand seems pretty real to me.
The NFL is exceptionally stupid in the way they handle their old footage. While TV studios are making bank selling old television series by the season the NFL sits on their old games and from time to time doles out a highlight DVD. If they would sell teams seasons to the fans they could be fleecing them year round (instead of just during football season with expensive tickets, parking, and $8 beer).