TiVo Thinks Copy Protection Is A Trade Off

from the think-again dept

TiVo is getting some press attention today for expanding the ability of their TiVoToGo offering so people will be able to move TiVo shows to things like the video iPod or the PSP. Of course, what the Associated Press article on this makes clear is that there was a tradeoff by TiVo to get this done: more stringent copy protection technology. TiVo has admitted in the past that it had to do some horse trading with the entertainment industry to even allow TiVoToGo to exist -- but all that really created was a seriously crippled service that wasn't too interesting for most users, especially when they knew they could get unencumbered TV shows elsewhere. That's even more true today, and with people more distrustful than ever of copy protection, why would people want to buy into this offering? Companies need to realize that copy protection isn't a "trade off." It's a limitation. It's taking away the ability to do what users want with content, thereby making it less valuable to them. The TV industry has a huge opportunity to embrace more open file sharing of television shows in a way that benefits them. They can release shows in open formats with commercials, and encourage file sharing. They get more viewers and more loyal viewers -- and that can be used to sell more ads. Instead, they force the content to be locked down so tightly that no one even bothers with the official offerings.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  1. identicon
    SV, 21 Nov 2005 @ 3:10am

    "but dude" argument

    you can say that DRM is a stupid limitation for the legit customers, but there will always be people with the arguments like "but dude they will share it with their 1000 friends and studios will loose money and stop making movies".

    to which you can reply "but dude if they do force DRM on legit users, they turj legit users into pirate users"..

    so it's never going anywhere - there's only one way it seems, which is more and more DRM until the studios go bankrupt and can't produce content anymore.

    this makes way for independent content producers which are more willing to experiment -> and no DRM, and problem solved.

    until the next technology wave...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    giafly, 21 Nov 2005 @ 5:23am

    Meanwhile back at Sony

    Masking tape defeats Sony DRM rootkit: "Gartner has discovered that the technology can be easily defeated simply by applying a fingernail-sized piece of opaque tape to the outer edge of the disc. This renders session two — which contains the self-loading DRM software — unreadable." - The Register

    "How to Enable or Disable Automatically Running CD-ROMs" - Microsoft

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    sick, 21 Nov 2005 @ 6:27am

    bias

    Don't waste your time reading this site, every post is completely biased.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    The Truth, 21 Nov 2005 @ 6:35am

    Re: bias

    Aren't all news sites bias in some way? This site is wonderful because it is saying things the way they need to be said. It's not just dull news like other sites. It's news written by talented writers who do an exellent job. If you don't like it then don't read it. Your loss not ours.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Happy user, 21 Nov 2005 @ 7:05am

    Re: bias

    ...and that is what makes this site "techdirt" and not "tech[POLITICALLY CORRECT]dirt". Thanks Mike, Carlo and the entire rest of the TD team... You make my mornings before work, a pleasure to sit down in-front of the computer and read up on all the dirt happening in this technical world.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Nov 2005 @ 8:25am

    No Subject Given

    I have difficulty imagining the technology-challenged individuals who would even considering buying a TiVo.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Ivan Sick, 21 Nov 2005 @ 8:47am

    Re: bias

    I've posted a bit here so I'd like to clarify "sick" is not me.

    sick, this is not a straight news site. The articles are more editorials than "reporting."

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    mo, 21 Nov 2005 @ 10:04am

    Re: bias

    You won't be wasting your time reading this site, every post is completely unbiased.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Haggie, 21 Nov 2005 @ 3:09pm

    TiVO and iPod

    Sending "Desperate Housewives" from your Tivo to your video iPod makes you the brightest kid on the short bus...

    link to this | view in thread ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.