TiVo OS Update Adds Content Protection 615
generic-man writes "According to PVRBlog, TiVo's new operating system update enables content protection flags on a per-show basis. On some programs, notably syndicated shows, a red flag appears to indicate that the copyright holder has requested that TiVo devices not save a program past a certain date and that the program may not be copied to a PC using TiVo to Go. TiVo users were told to expect this style of flag only on pay-per-view and video on demand programming, and as such are upset that TiVo has restricted the capabilities of the receivers they bought and subscribed to use. The TiVo Community boards have some screen shots and firsthand accounts."
Driving Sales! (Score:4, Informative)
There has to be something else here, this just doesnt make buisness sense.
BUG!!!! (Score:5, Informative)
See
http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2005/09/
Update: Jim Denney, director of product marketing for TiVo, said the instances of standard TV shows being affected by new copy protection restrictions likely are "false positives."
Denney said the copy protection is trigged by a flag in the video signal. The reports appearing on the Web appear to be cases where TiVo misinterprets noise in the signal as a copy protection flag, and imposes the restrictions.
"During the test process, we came across people who had false positives because of noisy analog signals," he said. "We actually delayed development (of the new TiVo software) to address those false positives."
Apparently they still didnt fix the issues.
Different Account of it over on PVRBlog (Score:5, Informative)
Quoted from one of the posters: This is a BUG!
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.p
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.p
TiVo recognizes the Macrovision flag but there have been NO cases of a network or studio actually utilizing it.
Even HBO whose websites says OnDemand stuff can't be DVR'ed... well, I could TiVo my OnDemand stuff just fine. I did all the time. That was before 7.2 and I don't have HBO any longer but it did work.
Again - this is a BUG. Neither the local station or FOX intended for this syndicated rerun to be flagged like this.
Are bug bad? Sure. But it's not worth getting all up in arms at TiVo about.
And if you don't kneejerk... (Score:5, Informative)
The whole macrovision flag is for PPV shows, not regular shows.
ReplayTV Tivo (Score:5, Informative)
I highly recommend both of these products for the geek who wants a great DVR and the freedom to DivX content at will.
Re:Relevant question (Score:5, Informative)
(I am not affiliated with magicitx in any way, just found a link to them on ebay.)
Re:Relevant question (Score:1, Informative)
http://mythic.tv/product_info.php?products_id=44 [mythic.tv]
You can buy the box from them, or build it yourself (as I am doing).
ReplayTV is better (Score:5, Informative)
Re:MythTV Doesn't Do HDTV (Score:3, Informative)
uh yes it does... HD-3000 PCHDTV [pchdtv.com]
And affordability varies on what you want to do... but if you have an existing reasonably spec'd spare PC... a 90 dollar hauppauge wintv pvr 150 hardawre encoding card with remote/ir blaster is pretty reasonable. Especially if you don't have to deal with recurring subscription costs.
although the real reason to build a DIY PVR is NOT to save $$$, it's for freedom/control over your box and content and the flexibility to add functionality without waiting for Tivo to ask permission from content providers/FCC first (e.g. tivo2go). Commercial flagging/deletion, DVD ripping, cool parsing of closed captioning, etc...
e.
Re:MythTV (Score:2, Informative)
On some programs, notably syndicated shows, a red flag appears to indicate that the copyright holder has requested that TiVo devices not save a program past a certain date
So if that NFL game is flagged, "keep until I delete" won't work.
Re:And still nobody will care (Score:2, Informative)
Last week I watched my tape of Quantum Leap (the first episode where Sam leaps into the Jet Fighter tester).
Haven't watched broadcast television for about three years ever since I got tired of Fox overrunning it with sports.
I watch the 8 discovery channels mostly and record the stargates/BSG on fridays. You know - so I can watch them during the week without commercial intruding?
And to be fair - I have bought all the stargate series on DVD -
Re:You miss the point (Score:2, Informative)
I am saying I don't expect THEM to modify the boxes and take things away from me after I bought their product, and expect me to continue paying them.
Luckily I didn't buy their product.
Re:That's fine for us ... (Score:3, Informative)
Make up your mind, do you want a network or not?
In the meantime, check out knoppmyth [mysettopbox.tv].
Re:That's fine for us ... (Score:3, Informative)
It is also why my five year old box, that I paid $199 for, is still worth at least $199.
I've replaced the two moving parts (fan and hard drive) and just bought a new remote... good investment as far as I'm concerned.
And a hell of a lot cheaper than the monthly fee over the five years! (I paid $199 for lifetime sub)
And... I also have a Myth network to catch the stuff I want to record while the Tivo is busy or perhaps save a bit longer. As far as I'm concerned... it (Tivo vs. Myth) isn't an either / or situation.
Re:That's fine for us ... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:ReplayTV Tivo (Score:3, Informative)
If anyone is avoiding TiVo because of this, well you sure as hell do not want to get a ReplayTV either. It seems the only option is to buy or build a Myth box.
-
Re:I don't think you get it... (Score:3, Informative)
Copyright law is involved even when you're doing things in your own home.
However, there is no law that mandates this particular action. Recording any copyrighted material from TV for any amount of time is infringing, unless the particular act of recording in question is exempted somehow, e.g. as a fair use. (n.b. that fair use depends, each time, on the circumstances; there is no blanket rule permitting time shifting, etc.)
If it is exempted, then there's no time limit. If not exempted, then you'd need permission from the copyright holder, with whatever restrictions they'd include, if they even permitted it at all.
In any event, it's none of Tivo's business, and they shouldn't be involved. The reason is just that they're knuckling under.
Re:Relevant question (Score:2, Informative)
Re:What kind of logic? (Score:3, Informative)
The second problem is that if you sell a service, especially when you sell a lifetime subscription to that service, it is unethical and probably illegal to remove parts of that service from customers who have already paid.
From the Tivo terms of service [tivo.com]:
It's actually been over two years since I subscribed to Tivo (through DirecTV) so I don't know if this is a new addition or not. In fact DirecTV probably had its own version. But suffice to say that this is the agreement that (presumably) every Tivo user agreed to when they set up their service initially.
I'm not saying it's necessarily good, but... legally Tivo isn't doing anything that the subscriber hasn't agreed to let them do.
Re:That's fine for us ... (Score:3, Informative)
PROBLEM is that the subscription is tied to the box? I see that as a MAJOR benefit. Say you don't want your TiVo anymore, ups the resell that's for damned sure. I'd sooner buy a TiVo off of eBay with a lifetime subscription for $300 than a new one for $99 with a monthly subscription. Of course it takes a couple years to make up the difference, but I see it as completely worth it..
I think in writing this I see your point.. You can't transfer your lifetime subscription to a new TiVo if you decide to upgrade.. but then, you can still pawn off your old TiVo (which you'd need a subscription for 2 TiVos if you kept it anyway) for enough to cover the lifetime subscription for your new box.. I don't see it as a downside, major upside for purchasing a used TiVo, or selling one, but not really a good or bad thing for if you want to upgrade..
Re:I don't think you get it... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:That's fine for us ... (Score:2, Informative)