Hollywood grabs a few more $ as TiVO caves in

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Digital video recording pioneer TiVo (news - web sites) Inc. has long promised "TV Your Way." But the company's plans for pop-up ads and restrictions on copying have sparked worries that the service may be eroding consumer control in favor of Hollywood and advertiser interests.

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Once again the Hollywood Cartel shows it's desire to be big brother's Little Brother. As the megalomaniacs in Washington take away more and more of our freedom in the name of 'security', Hollywood is taking away more and more of our choice to view what we want, when we want.

We pay the monthly fee to the providers of these broadcasts, what gives them the right to tell us we HAVE to watch all the insipid pleas for us to buy feminine hygiene products and male rigidity enhancers. Talk about your spam! Will the new laws Washington is contemplating control this type of unwanted marketing as well as that on the internet?

Time to put together a media system for the entertainment center. Can you say All-In-Wonder?

I'm in love with my TiVo. It's good to me. It knows me, and it can also be hacked. I scold it when it's bad, and praise it when it's good.

Do not speak ill of TiVo.

I'm done with consumer oriented set-top boxes. A lesson I thought i'd learned decades ago. I'll build a system that does WHAT I want WHEN I want it done. TiVO and all the other pvr's can go jump in a lake! Preferrably while they are still plugged in!

Wow, that's really pathetic. If I'm paying the monthly fee for TiVo so I can record football games or whatever, that should probably exempt me from all forms of advertisement, since I am paying a fee to be able to watch the program. I hate my pop-ups online (which I am also paying for) bad enough.

What exactly are the restrictions on copying that are mentioned?

Exactly my point. If I am forced to pay to view a program, don't I have the right to determine what part of that program I want to see? And when I want to see it?

The restrictions they are talking about are restricting whether a program can be written to dvd, and how long you can keep it on the pvr's hard drive.

Have we paid to view this or not? How many times can we be charged to view it before they think they have bled us enough?

I can't imagine pop up ads would do TiVo any good as a business. DVRs provided by cable companies, while inferior by far, are taking a bite out of the customers that TiVo has.

One thing that is done is on the main menu, you can select the bottom option for more info on cars, albums, etc. Shows and networks can pay to have their new fall show or sitcom come up on a special preview menu on the TiVo screen. During commericals, an occasional little easter egg pops up on screen while the commercial is playing that you can select to get more info. If thats all they are talking about, then thats fine by me. I just dont select those menus, and the easter eggs are fine as they do not effect the main program, and can be fast-forwarded.

To own a TiVo is to love a TiVo. Those without them just don't understand.

Originally posted by RedBalloon

To own a TiVo is to love a TiVo. Those without them just don't understand.

I own one. It does a job. There are many other ways to get the same job accomplished. When a piece of equipment- that I BOUGHT- starts intruding on my enjoyment of a service- that I BOUGHT- well, it's good night Gracie!

I don't need to view easter eggs, if I want more info about a product I have a pc for that. This whole practice of trying to make an all-in-one set top box has been tried before and has failed every time. (WebTV anyone? I see Microsoft is trying that one again, don't they ever learn?)

When you see a company desperately trying to bump up revenues to the point of annoying it's customer base, that company is on borrowed time. Might as well figure out a new way to perform this service, cause Tivo is going bye-bye.