Is this true?

[eddiebrock]

Is it true that Tivo won't let you save tv shows on your tivo? This blog has a screenshot saying it won't you let you save shows. It won't let me post the link, but it says

"TiVo has added several anti-features to its PVR. Now, some shows can't be saved forever, or moved using TiVo2Go.
It used to be that it was hard to explain the TiVo. I'd tell people, "It's like a VCR, but it's smart enough to program itself."

Now I've got a new description: "It's like a VCR, but it it's evil enough to screw you over if some rightsholder demands it."

Hey, TiVo: since 1984's Betamax decision, Americans have had the right to record TV shows even if the rightsholder doesn't like the idea. That's straight from the Supreme Court's mouth. I don't know what kind of special privilege the enteraintment industry has offered you in exchange for this spectacular display of wanton shark-jumping, but it wasn't enough. I sold my TiVo when I left California. You can be ********* sure I won't be buying another one. Ever"


Is it also true that you can't skip comercials and that tivo spies on you and puts ads on? What kind of features does tivo have to copy shows to your hard drive?

[gastrof]

Seems there are some shows that don't fall into the catagory of "allowed recording material".

Things like Pay Per View or maybe some movies on HBO or other pay channels.

These can be coded to tell the TiVo "Don't record this" or "Don't allow permanent storage of this".

It's illegal for these "flags" to be attached to normal TV shows.

Sometimes there have been mistakes on the part of TV stations or cable companies (causing the "flag" to be there when it shouldn't), but most of the time there's no problem.

[eddiebrock]

The example on the page was of a "King of the Hill" episode. The reason I'm asking it because I bought a pioneer DVD recorder and every time I tried to actually put something on DVD it said "copyprotected material" so I had to sell it. I don't want to buy a dvr and have it not let me save shows.

[ZikZak]

It is mostly not true. Tivo has this capability, but it's only used (very seldom) for PPV.

On the other hand, about a year ago, some FOX stations accidentally broadcast an episode of King of the Hill with the Broadcast Flag activated.

[classicsat]

Its not directly TiVo's fault. for TiVo to be acceptable to the netowrks and studios, they have to use Macrovision copy protection, and part of the license with them is the so called "anti features"

[JacksTiVo]

In the 5 years I have had a TiVo unit, I have never ever had a program not record because of a network or studio block. This includes all of the premium channels of such as HBO, Starz, Encore, etc. I have never attempted to record (or even view) a PPV showing, so I can't comment of their record-ability.

[Turtleboy]

Say what?

Get your post count to 5 so you can link.

[dalee18]

Just for what it's worth, I have tivoed PPV showings and had it work. My tivo thinks that the PPV channels show 4-hour blocks of "Information Channel" so it actually has no idea what it's recording, in my case.