Saturday, June 01, 2002

Do I own my TV or does it own me?
There are some advantages to being several generations behind the cutting edge of technology. I don't own a TiVo or anything like it, and this incident isn't moving me any closer to considering a purchase.

BBC attacked for TiVo ploy
...Users awoke on Friday morning to find the new Caroline Aherne-created show ["Dosser and Jo"] had been recorded on their TiVos without their permission.
Hundreds of people complained about the marketing device on an unofficial website, according to MediaGuardian.co.uk, with some likening it to "spam" e-mails or junk mail.
Users accessing the TiVo saw a new item "Must See from the BBC Dosser and Jo" as part of an "advanced content" feature.
...A spokesman for the BBC, which began collaborating with TiVo two years ago, said it believed users had not been adversely affected.
..."TiVo users are in no way forced to watch the programme."

Awfully darned sporting of you, Beeb, after recording a show on the user's hardware without the user's permission, to concede that the user doesn't have to watch it. That makes it all right, I reckon.

How long before the BBC talks to Jamie "skipping commercials is stealing" Kellner of Turner, I wonder. I would think it would be a minor technical modification to "protect" a program as undeletable until watched (in its entirety, including commercials?). That would be a handy thing from the network's perspective, and they've already proven how little the viewer's opinion matters.

Keep it up, fellas, and I'll have all my television delivered via DVD and I won't need broadcast media at all.

No comments: