Going to jail for fast forwarding commercials

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the bill is to regulate the technology for fast forwarding past content, not the actual act of fast forwarding.

There is a huge difference between the two.

Current systems and cards do not have the broadcast flags systems installed.

Future systems will.

I wouldn�t get too hyper over this. Laws like this that try to regulate technology are doomed to ultimate failure.

Originally posted by Katolu
I've found that with some newer releases that I can't simply hit the menu button to bypass all the crap. I get a "That operation is not available" message. Guess I'll dust off the ol' BetaMax...

Yes, I've seen that too. If that becomes the standard hackers will surely come up with ways to get around it.

Actually the lawsuits on commerical advance have taken its toll:

I have a ReplayTV with commercial advance. WOrks great and its gotten to the point where my wife and I do not watch shows live anymore, but will delay them at least 1/2 hour so we can skip the comms. Its automatic and not always perfect, but its pretty good. I went to buy another one the other day (Thought a 80 hour capacity was enuf when I bought the first one) and found that that feature had been litigated out of existance.

Bummer

Edit: now you can buy the older model like I have for more than a new one would cost of the same capacity on eBay

[edit on 11/18/04 by FredT]

I'm a pirate anyway. I'm not giving them any money.

Uh, the comment of the plenty of room for gods creatures, that is so wrong, but funny, so good one. Kind of like "If guns kill people, then spoons made Rosie O'Donnel fat." Anyways, I have DvDs that do the "program not available" and it pisses me off. For one I have to go through 12 mins, 17 seconds of ads and crap just to get to the menu. I tried FF, Skip, Menu, Programming, so forth, none work. I haven't watched that movie in uh, well, this year?

i guess its all about the money, because i guess the more previews that are on a movie, the more money the movie makers and producers make. they get money for advertising all of those other movies on a diff. movie. movie being dvd movie or vhs for that fact. i already have a dvd that dont let you skip through the previews. their are quit a few of them. now unless you think this if bigger than what it really is. i dont think it is that big of a deal. unless like i said you think it might be bigger than just fast fowarding. i really dont know how it could go any deeper or be any bigger than that, but let me tell you this, bush is on a f-ing rampage, whatever the guy wants he is getting. i mean come on, the guy just got another 800 billion to spend on war. what have we spent so far in iraq on this war like 300 billion or something, that tells me something is going on. i guess we arnt stopping with iraq, gonna take out the whole middle east huh, sorry to side track you all. just wanted to throw that out there.

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
Having seen what passes for TV in the USA I don't know how you guys put up with it. Seriously.

The ad breaks are so frequent and so long that I really started to forget what I was watching.

In the UK's commercial 'terrestrial tv' programming ad breaks seem to be limited to around 2mins in every 15 minute slot.

On UK commercial satellite (Sky, a Murdock company has the monopoly here and carries the various channels) it is more like 3mins in every 10 minute slot.

....and in the USA it seems to have little structure at all and 4 and 5 minute breaks are not uncommon every 10 minutes (if you're lucky!).

I recall that the 'PDC' (program delivery control) was originally developed to allow video recording to automatically pause to omit the ad breaks when videoing.
The ad industry went nuts (like everyone doesn't skip the ads anyway

) and got the system restricted and turned into a general program 'tag' to say when a show began or ended.

I suppose this is just a continuation of that insanity.

.....then they wonder why viewing figures are down.

This should just about kill it off sales of video recorders and DVD recorders completely......and if you can't skip the boring ads at the start of a DVD it is guaranteed to slow their sales down significantly
(imagine sitting down with the kids to endure the millionth showing od whatever - as kids do - and having to also suffer the umteenth jingles and retarded 'jokes' and etc etc.....you get the idea?
Talk about attempting to indoctrinate!)

Some of these sales people, they're soooooo bright, eh?

[edit on 18-11-2004 by sminkeypinkey]

[edit on 19-11-2004 by sminkeypinkey]

Shockingly as it appears i agree with you 100% Sminky Pinky

You could just rip the DVD to your hard disk (using CloneCD or some other ripping prog) and burn the main movie onto a DVD-R. I think you're legally allowed to make 1 backup copy of any DVD you own, so it's legal.

edit:sp

[edit on 19-11-2004 by Chris McGee]

They (Lawmakers & Industry) can go Cheney themselves.

Originally posted by TrueLies
Ok I'm watching NBC this morning around 7ish, and their talking about a bill thats trying to get passed through on making it a criminal offense to fast forward through movie ads and commercials in your own home!

So you could go to jail for ffwing through these commercials on the dvd or video that you rent...

I'll try and find a link... This is just really insane... ok found a link:

If the proposed changes are to be interpreted literally, it may become an offense to ship VCRs that contain a fast-forward button and the very useful "skip xxx seconds" feature of most PVRs will also be deemed illegal.

Yes, in their movie-industry-funded lust to erode the public's rights, the US lawmakers are planning to make it illegal to skip past the ads in any copyrighted work or broadcast.


link

Invasion Of Privacy Anyone ?
What about the old VCRs you'll goto jail for having an old a$$ VCR
What a stupid a$$ law.

Man, if I want to buy something, I'll buy it. Why should it be law that someone be able to tell me to buy something. If I need it, I'll buy it. Until then, STFU! Seriously. That would be my defense in court. A wholehearted FU and the laws you think will control my time and my mind. If I only have enough time to watch 15 minutes of South Park, then I'm not watching the commercials! Get bent foolish overlords! Put the commercials in your can for all I care.

And after that, they can convict me for doing my girlfriend doggy style, and they can convict her for performing some oral sex on me. Get the hell out of my god damn kitchen, fed bastards!

I don't know the complete details, but frankly, I hate that they include commercial for movies on the movies you buy. It is especially annoying when the previewed movies are lame and out-dated to boot.


www.wired.com...

What a total outrage! I can't believe that this is happening. Isn't that a violation of our rights? Probably not, but it is still wrong.

On a side note people...... I'm sorry, but this is really bugging me.

Examples of proper word usage:

There (The dog is over THERE)
They're (THEY'RE eating dinner right now)
Their (That is THEIR car)

Just to clarify. =)

If I buy the DVD, then its mine to do what I want with including fast forwarding advertisements. Give me free DVDs and I'll watch all the advertisements they want me to (well, let them play while I go do something else or mute them).

Would this apply to VHS tapes? Would one's TiVo forbid you from fast forwarding commercials? Would you HAVE to watch those lame ads before feature movies in theatres?

Why we have to legislate and ban everything is beyond me. Too bad people have less and less common sense every day.

Wait a minute... I think I misunderstood something...

Are we talking about rental dvd's or dvd's you buy???

Well all i can say about this is no wonder piracy is so popular.

With the dvd player i have i can skip anything i want even the "warning" "piracy fbi" etc #e but i think most dvd players can.

So lets see... spend �20 on a brand new DVD thats just been released in the high streets with 15-20 mins of advertising at the beggining of the DVD.

Or spend �2.50 for a pirated DVD thats exactly the same quality (Mine are!I only buy the DVD SCR/RIP) with no advertising/adverts or fecking warnings etc.

I have a feeling i have gone off topic here, but im sure i read someones post about them advertising on VHS/DVDs and making it illegal to skip them, if not then ignore my post

This has got to be BS, what kind of world is this? I am so sick of being told what I can and cannot do and would not be too surprised if this story was true.