recently, according to an article in the chicago tribune (free registration required)... they announced that directv and comcast, two of the largest pay-tv providers in the united states, will sell "on-demand" episodes of tv shows that were broadcast only hours earlier on cable channels, and *gasp*, broadcast networks.
why then, in addition to the decades-old vcr, do they also sell dvr's that (when setup properly) will do the exact same thing for you? i'm just wondering that in doing so, will they block you from using a dvr (tivo, etc..) to record these shows so that they can make an extra buck? it doesn't say, but it wouldn't surprise me... and if this is the case, i'd expect a bit of public revolt from the consumers.
as it stands now, usually hours after an episode of a popular show has aired, you can find it for free, in HD (if available) and stripped of commericials on bit torrent.... all you have to do is search for it. which makes me wonder that in addition to the already-out-of-touch organizations RIAA and MPAA, we'll we see the broadcast networks sue middle school kids and grannies for making episodes of sesame street and columbo available online?!? only time will tell.
for now i say, enjoy the commercial tv model and buy products from the companies that advertise during your favorite shows to keep the existing model working.
1 comment:
One thing I do know is that they will be putting digital watermarks on their on demand movies and shows, so if you record on demand programming and spread it across the internet, they can trace it back to you. Also, they're trying to get congress to change the "fair use" standard for analog recordings to that of digital. Your VCR won't become illegal, but you might not be able to legally buy another one if it breaks. Of course, even if this gets through congress, the courts might not hold it up. Only time will tell.
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