TiVo bug wrongly activates DRM copy protection feature
While reading the PVR Blog today, a post titled "TiVo 7.2 OS adds content protection, blocks transfers, and auto-deletes some shows" caught my eye. It seems like what I've been expecting would happen with DVR/PVR recorded show is finally coming true, such as TiVo exerting excessive control over what you can and can't do with your recorded TV shows, and basically eliminating one of the major benefits of the TiVo.
However, it turns out that TiVo's new DRM feature is a bit buggy and goes a bit overboard when it experiences noise in the signal.
TechBolg's Dwight Silverman has more details on how this happened and makes a point that I think is on a lot of TiVo owner's minds.
I'm a TiVo user, and while I'm a fan of the machine, I'll bolt as soon as this new "feature" kills out a show I'd been saving. There are alternatives that don't do this, including Windows XP Media Center Edition and my cable company's DVR....more
As Dwight mentions, there are alternatives. One option he didn't mention was to build your own DVR. Phillip Torrone at the Make:Blog says
It might be time to build that MythTV box... more
In fact, there are instructions on how to do this on the site. It doesn't look too difficult
Comments
There is one thing to remember about building your own PVR.
While that is preferred, the more people that do it, the more it will cut into any agreements that Tivo may have cut with copyright owners and there could be a backlash of these selfish and greedy people who run Tivo and the studios. They may start going to Congress or the FCC and requesting (and getting) laws or regulations which will seriously restrict what you can/cannot do in building your own PVR or even outlaw building your own PVR outright.
The industry did it to the folks who made software which allowed you to make a copy of your DVD's. They wants to be sure that you could no longer save the master and use the copies for daily use.
Posted by: JohnC | September 14, 2005 12:02 PM