Why we can't record our TV shows (was: In case you have not seen it.....Linux Media Center)

[Thomas Charron]

On 3/26/07, Tom Buskey <tom at buskey.name> wrote:
> On 3/25/07, Ben Scott <dragonhawk at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 3/25/07, Thomas Charron <twaffle at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > The problem is, someone needs to stand up and say 'this ain't
> > > right'.
> >   This hearkens back to the wireless phone carrier subthread I
> > accidentally started.
> >   As long as people continue to subscribe to the service as it is now,
> > DirectTV Inc has no incentive to change their ways.
> >   If people refused to pay for service they couldn't record
> > themselves, I can guarantee this problem would disappear.
> As a TiVo owner and former DirecTV subscriber, I couldn't figure out why
> people would get a DirecTiVo instead of a stand alone.
> The standalone lets you transfer between 2 TiVos or to a PC that you can
> burn to DVD.  The standalone can run HME java apps and view weather, movie
> listings, etc.
> The stand alone is free with a 1 year subscription up front.  The DirecTiVo
> has a slightly smaller subscription.
> Neither can do HDTV.  Of course, the Series 3 can.  $700 + subscription +
> cable card.  No HME or HME or TiVo2TiVo or TiVo2PC.

  Actually, DirecTV was using Tivo in their first HD DVR.  Originally,
this is the box I wanted to get, but was informed they no longer
support them.  So I went to get one 3rd party.  But within a year,
they'll be worthless for DirecTV HD content, as they are migrating to
MPEG4 video streams rom MPEG2, and the older DirecTivo boxes cannot
handle it.  I was sad.

> Of course, my next TiVo will be MythTV.  Anyone got a way for them to play
> .TiVo files directly?  Or script Myth to run tivodecode to convert to mpg
> before playing? :-)

  Are you speaking of Tivo2Go encrypted/signed files?  The unencrypted
files can be batch translated, not sure about on the fly conversion,
however.

-- 
-- Thomas