made a post about this over in the american gladiators thread (entertainment forum).

I had American Gladiators set to record on my Vista Media Center box (in HD, OTA). 8 o'clock or whenever it comes on rolls around, and I get a notice that "the show cannot be recorded due to copyright restrictions the content provider has placed on this show." I thought maybe it was just some random bug, and don't care much about Gladiators anyway so I didn't give it too much thought.

I've been reading about it a little online this morning and apparently NBC decided to activate a Copy Protection Flag (or whatever it's called) for this show + Medium, which comes on right after. This prevents DVRs (or at least computers running Windows Media Center) from recording the show.

Anyone else had this type of issue? I honestly didn't think they could touch me if I was getting my signal OTA, since most of this type of protection usually comes from the cable companies themselves (or so I thought).

questions/thoughts/comments?

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 12:56 PM. Reason : d]

5/13/2008 12:56:27 PM

this is BS... i can't believe they'd do this... this would make DVR's obsolete.

5/13/2008 12:57:39 PM

Quote :

"This prevents DVRs (or at least computers running Windows Media Center) from recording the show."

I'm curious if this just affects homebuilt stuff or also if those shows aren't recording on the TWC DVRs and TIVOs of the world...I'm thinking the former.

5/13/2008 12:59:17 PM

why would they do this? i mean i know WHY, but i think it's crap, just because we aren't paying the cable company some enormous fee for an "official" DVR...

i mean it would leave virtually ALL Media Center PC's crippled.

5/13/2008 1:04:02 PM

^ which would probably bring up an antitrust lawsuit

5/13/2008 1:38:53 PM

I'll be REALLY pissed if they do it with 30 Rock, The Office, and Earl on Thursday.

And guess what... just like other draconian DRM schemes, if they keep this one up, it will push everyone towards bittorenting these shows instead.

GG networks!!


maybe microsoft will be able to fix it by including provisions for these kinds of protection schemes in the media center software? Like Prospero said, my HTPC box is pretty much useless if this kind of thing becomes the standard.

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 1:55 PM. Reason : d]

5/13/2008 1:46:49 PM

Quote :

"I'll be REALLY pissed if they do it with 30 Rock, The Office, and Earl on Thursday."

i'm sure you'd rather record it yourself, but NBC puts all of these online.

5/13/2008 2:08:53 PM

Good idea NBC. Now, there is at least NO chance I'll catch a commercial or two during your 30 minute show if none of it is recorded.

5/13/2008 2:13:51 PM

but hey, at least it will definitely stop these shows being uploaded to the internet!!!!!1

5/13/2008 2:43:26 PM

Quote :

"GG networks!!"

5/13/2008 2:48:32 PM

lol

hello usenet

5/13/2008 2:50:29 PM

still, it pisses me off b/c in terms of ease of use:

media center >>>>> usenet

5/13/2008 2:54:34 PM

well I have never seen the payout to invest monies into hardware just for DVR and video storage. since RR is now 10Mbps it makes it more lucrative to just get a usenet account and download the shows, most 1hr shows are about 1-2GB, not but a little while to download. and you can just queue up a bunch for over night transfer.

then you have one more thing access to a lot more than shows and movies.

5/13/2008 3:03:56 PM

next they'll block primetime shows from being recorded on DVR's so that you can't skip the commercials.

5/13/2008 3:07:38 PM

^ummm... that's what this thread is about.... as in, they've already started...

^^I can't sit on my couch with my remote and record/navigate/watch shows with usenet. No thanks. I agree usenet is probably more flexible in terms of what it can do, but I don't want to have to operate a computer (in the traditional sense) to watch tv.

5/13/2008 3:14:08 PM

Quote :

"^ummm... that's what this thread is about.... as in, they've already started..."

well gee wizz...i wonder why I posted in here then?

5/13/2008 3:25:03 PM

I don't know... why did you?


all you did was predict that they were going to start doing what I described them doing in the very first post.

You're not so good at reading comprehension, especially for someone who likes to chastise others about it.



[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 3:39 PM. Reason : d]

5/13/2008 3:36:43 PM

has anyone found a good article on this telling us exactly whats happening?

5/13/2008 3:41:35 PM

^^you are an idiot. American Gladiators is not the equivalent of Lost and many other prime time shows. You listed 2 shows on the same station that did this. Your slowness is starting to get annoying.

You are one out of five people who've actually scheduled American Gladiators to record.

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 3:43 PM. Reason : .]

5/13/2008 3:42:10 PM

Hey, I've got an idea... Let's derail a perfectly sensible thread where people were discussing things that actually matter to argue about the FUCKING MEANING OF PRIMETIME. (btw, even if it's not up to *your* standards, Gladiators is prime time... look it up).

A new low, even for you. get out, no one wants you in here.

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 3:45 PM. Reason : f]

5/13/2008 3:44:13 PM

i have it set to record :-/

but i view it differently

5/13/2008 3:45:08 PM

Quote :

"next they'll block primetime shows from being recorded on DVR's so that you can't skip the commercials."

thats the first thing I posted...followed by your derail attempt because the little kid in you has to derail every thread you post in.

5/13/2008 3:45:14 PM

you have serious issues man.

moving on

this is the only place I could find anything about this:

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/45/262361/ShowThread.aspx

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 3:47 PM. Reason : h]

5/13/2008 3:47:42 PM

Quote :

"next they'll block primetime shows from being recorded on DVR's so that you can't skip the commercials."

uhh, thats what this thread is about. i don't know what all this "next they'll....." crap is about. it's already happening...which is why the OP made this thread. either you're slow, or trolling. i predict the latter since that's your game

5/13/2008 3:47:56 PM

Quote :

" since RR is now 10Mbps it makes it more lucrative to just use the free Usenet account you get with Roadrunner get a usenet account and download the shows"

5/13/2008 3:48:43 PM

^two shows is now all of prime time? sweet. I'm clearly watching the wrong fucking television. Send me a pm when they start blocking 'prime time' shows that people actually watch.

5/13/2008 3:49:29 PM

Quote :

"Send me a pm when they start blocking 'prime time' shows that people actually watch."

another troll attempt. you never stop do you.

5/13/2008 3:50:36 PM

wow...fanatik isn't the only one at the bottom. congrats.

So...since apparently this is happening everywhere...does this mean I can't record Lost this week?

5/13/2008 3:51:50 PM

who the hell said it was happening everywhere???? you're the only one talking about everywhere/all of prime time. and i'm thinking its you trying to cover up the fact that you didn't read the first post of this thread before posting.

if you're not going to contribute anything worthwhile to this thread find somewhere else to post.


moving on......
im thinking this only affects computer based DVRs (like windows MCE)...but its just a guess

5/13/2008 3:53:15 PM

^^will you have anything relevant to say once they do start putting these restrictions on the "real" prime time shows??? Probably not. So maybe you should just stay out of this thread.


[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 3:56 PM. Reason : ^<>V]

5/13/2008 3:54:52 PM

lol...is fanatik's slowness contagious or something?

He said he couldn't record American Gladiators because of this flag.

my response...

Quote :

"next they'll block primetime shows from being recorded on DVR's so that you can't skip the commercials."

how does that not make sense to you? IF they're starting this on less popular shows like American Gladiators next it will be Lost and other shows that are just as popular which will THEN effect the masses. Take action now against the studios rather than later while its only unimportant TV thats being effected.

the two of you have filled this thread with garbage. GG.

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 3:57 PM. Reason : .]

5/13/2008 3:55:56 PM

yeah and gladiators is prime time you idiot...regardless of its popularity

Quote :

"if you're not going to contribute anything worthwhile to this thread find somewhere else to post."

Quote :

"if you're not going to contribute anything worthwhile to this thread find somewhere else to post."

5/13/2008 3:57:06 PM

dude you are a moron. Nobody cares what you think of the shows we watch.

Quote :

"IF they're starting this on less popular shows like American Gladiators next it will be Lost and other shows that are just as popular which will THEN effect the masses."

"affect", idiot

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 3:58 PM. Reason : g]

5/13/2008 3:57:11 PM

gladiators is 1 show. And its not all of prime time. kthx my point still stands.

5/13/2008 3:57:52 PM

no one ever said it was all of prime time. You have not contributed anything to this thread except your usual. Do not pass GO.

5/13/2008 3:59:15 PM

Quote :

"gladiators is 1 show. And its not all of prime time. kthx my point still stands."

Gladiators + Medium was the entirety of NBC's Monday primetime schedule last night - 8pm to 11pm.

5/13/2008 4:00:12 PM

synapse nailed it. he didn't read the OP and he's just too childish to admit he was wrong.

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 4:01 PM. Reason : ooooo]

5/13/2008 4:01:02 PM

^^good thing I don't watch NBC.

ABC does not do this yet. So i guess I should have specified which prime time network I watch.

^lol? i read your entire post which is where I got the count of 2 shows, Gladiators + medium? (which i've never heard of) and the fact that they air on NBC...which again, is why i've never seen medium because i hardly watch NBC.

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 4:02 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 4:02 PM. Reason : ^^]

5/13/2008 4:01:03 PM

i guess there are really two possibilities here:

1) he didn't read the first post and therefor didn't see that the two shows that were mention, are absolutely prime time shows...then made a stupid post about prime time shows.

2) he's trolling. and the bait is acting like your shows don't matter...aka they aren't even on his radar, they suck whatever

normally i'd go with #1, but given his history of trolling tech talk i'm going with #2

either way there's no reason to keep talking about it, so lets move on

5/13/2008 4:07:03 PM

^^really? fascinating!!!!

anyway:

I wish this were getting some more attention on the webz. I found something on digg about it earlier, but cannot seem to find it anymore. It needs to be clear to the networks that this sucks, even if it was (for now) only a show a LOSER would watch.

[Edited on May 13, 2008 at 4:08 PM. Reason : d]

5/13/2008 4:08:05 PM

well again the question i want answered is whether this is affecting cable provider supplied boxes or not.

5/13/2008 4:09:25 PM

Quote :

"ABC does not do this yet. So i guess I should have specified which prime time network I watch."

OR he read the OP, doesn't watch NBC therefore doesn't know that Gladiator and Medium(?) are prime time shows therefore made the post that he did indicating prime time shows on other networks will be effected next.

5/13/2008 4:09:51 PM

The fact that you choose to be ignorant about television shows, doesn't make you correct.

Medium is a pretty highly acclaimed show, averaging 15.6 million viewers per episode this season.

Lost averaged about 13 million viewers per episode this season.

American Gladiators averaged about 10 million viewers per episode in its first season.


Medium is MUCH more popular, and American Gladiators is hardly a flop. So shut the fuck up

5/13/2008 4:10:18 PM

I also think it's #2, which is even funnier because I couldn't care less about:

-American Gladiators
-What he thinks of American Gladiators.

But he seems to think that's what this thread is about.

5/13/2008 4:10:47 PM

Quote :

"The fact that you choose to be ignorant about television shows, doesn't make you correct."

I never said it did. ABC doesn't do this...and as I said...i watch ABC and i won't be surprised if ABC starts doing this very soon.

Sorry that my TV trivia knowledge isn't up to your level.

5/13/2008 4:20:36 PM

keep on backpedaling mr:

Quote :

"next they'll block primetime shows from being recorded on DVR's so that you can't skip the commercials."

Quote :

"American Gladiators is not the equivalent of Lost and many other prime time shows."

Quote :

"Send me a pm when they start blocking 'prime time' shows that people actually watch."

5/13/2008 4:36:43 PM

here's some more posts about it

seems like it's only affecting Windows MCE devices

http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2005/10/25/484995.aspx (mostly in comments)
http://thedigitallifestyle.com/cs/forums/permalink/1747/1747/ShowThread.aspx
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter/browse_thread/thread/4be2c74c437031c6

5/13/2008 4:45:44 PM

I use Beyond TV, I'll try to record it next week and report back

5/13/2008 10:13:50 PM

Golovko, just shut the fuck up

5/13/2008 10:57:25 PM

I seriously doubt this is the case but I wonder if this has anything to do with being able to purchase TV shows from the Zune store now.....

Golovko, go die now ok? Damn you are a waste of life.

5/13/2008 11:04:13 PM