Television : The Torture Continues

NBC-Vista copy-protection snafu reminds us why DRM stinks


Handfuls of Windows Vista Media Center users found themselves blocked from making recordings of their favorite TV shows this week when a broadcast flag triggered the software's built-in copy protection measures. The flag affected users trying to record prime-time NBC shows on Monday evening, using both over-the-air broadcasts and cable. Although the problem is being "looked into" by both NBC and Microsoft, the incident serves as another reminder that DRM gives content providers full control, even if by accident.


DRM = Digital Rights Management


I don't blame the TV media for trying to make a profit. I blame the public for not being able to add up a column of figures.


How much are you paying for tv a month ? 60$ ? 80$ with a few specialty channels ? More ? And what do you get ? 22 minutes of show and 38 minutes of commercials. Oh , I forgot, that doesn't count the openning and closing credits so it's really 20 min of show and 40 minutes of commericals.

And the broadcasters continue to tighten those screws. Squeeze for just a little more, and a little more. Like how you can't hear the show, so you turn up the volume. Then the commercial comes on and it's MUCH MUCH louder than the show, so it blasts you and you quickly turn it down.

Like how those commercials lie to you all the time. Oh, I'm sorry. They don't actually lie. They just stretch the truth , just a little bit, in a legally acceptable manner. And then a little more, and then they send some money to your government to weaken the advertising rules a little bit ..and a little more ... and a little more ... forget it ! They're lying. By the common definition of the word they are making you believe things that are patently false, even if they have skirted breaking the law by the most razer thin of margins.

Oh and thats not enough , so they now invade the 20 min of show itself. The actors now use name brand products, and state the company names and everything , as they go about the show's meagre time limited plot.

And then the show is watered down by the governments broadcast agencies (CRTC in canada here) Too much violence ! Too much sex ! Can't show that on TV ! Water water water ...

And then theres the hight of folly itself. Infomercials. A 30 minute show that is in fact ALL COMMERCIAL ! They're trying to sell you stuff for the whole 30 minutes !

You paid 500$ for that nice high definition Television. And you probably pay 80$ a month for the "service" of being spammed to a fair thee well by commericals.

Learn to add people !

A DVD is 20$-30$ a month (1 dvd brand new legally bought) . And it doesn't take long to get a nice collection going. 500$ in DVD's , is like 50 of them (because most will be old shows and the price has dropped to about 10$ a pop ) instant library. No commericals. After which it's only 1-2 DVD's you'll like coming out a month ,and many months with none, the movie industry likes it's summer block buster schedule and doesn't release much over the winter :) And thats a lot cheaper than 80$ a month.

Television is dead, and should be allowed to die. It has ratchetted up the pressure way too high ,and refuses to change it's ways. And there's a cheaper more satisfying alternative than being interrupted every 7 minutes to be told you can buy a plane ticket to England for only 200$ ! (plus surcharges, plus taxes one way only , must buy a two way ticket that will be 800$ please. )

Go DVD , dump these fools.