No recording that NBC show on your Microsoft DVR
Don Day May 19th, 2008
Microsoft admitted that it will honor a programmer’s requests to block the recording of programs on its Media Center PCs. And this isn’t some theoretical possibility… it looks like it happened. It seems some folks weren’t able to TiVo record American Gladiators and Medium last week. So News.com started asking questions.
Microsoft included technologies in Windows based on rules set forth by the (Federal Communications Commission),” a Microsoft spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail to CNET News.com. “As part of these regulations, Windows Media Center fully adheres to the flags used by broadcasters and content owners to determine how their content is distributed and consumed.”
As News.com noted, the rules are actually just proposals - therefore… not actual rules (kinda like when you ground little Johnny… but let him play XBox 20 minutes later). It isn’t clear why NBC threw up the “don’t record” flag for the shows (or if it was even done intentionally).
Update: NBC says it was a mistake.
10 Comments Add your own
1. Anonymous | May 19th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Why would I tape NBC prime-time? That which was good is already on 15 other channels in reruns.
2. Steve | May 19th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
What do you want to bet this crap will happen in spades after the analog cutoff?
3. Anonymous | May 20th, 2008 at 1:52 am
IF that happens before we die. Then I have VHS and a converter. I’m not wasting any money on it.
4. Anony Mouse | May 20th, 2008 at 6:34 am
Wow, first iTunes, now this. NBC REALLLY doesn’t want people to watch its shows anymore.
5. wtf NBC? | May 20th, 2008 at 8:47 am
good to see NBC being the target vs. Microsoft
…although this was a sucky move by MS too.
6. Daniel | May 20th, 2008 at 9:55 am
When word spreads that recoridng on MS’ Media Center PCs can be turned on or off by the whim of the networks, it’ll be another bit of technology destined for failure.
7. aidian | May 20th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I was considering building a media center HTPC. Now it looks like I’ll have to go the extra mile and use linux/mythtv. Dumb move by MS.
On an unrelated note — who tivos american gladiators? Maybe MS was trying to do them a favor.
8. Safran | May 20th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
This has to be a Redmond issue. It doesn’t make sense that NBC would randomly block two shows like this. This is, however, a great lesson in what happens when you have software like this in place - no good can come from it. And of course the network will get blamed. People aren’t interested in the ins-and-outs of DRM. They just know a message popped up saying “restrictions set by the broadcaster prohibit recording.”
Networks should be very waring of getting involved in this scheme. You’re going to get burned again and again by bad software and you’re going to alienate your audience. What’s the benefit? Forcing people to watch the shows when you want them to? Won’t happen.
9. Anonymous | May 21st, 2008 at 3:14 am
This is merely practice to force out all other programs that are not THE OLYMPIC GAMES. Everybody alive will need to document that final disaster for the posterity of all new generations.
10. Anonymous | May 26th, 2008 at 5:56 am
It doesn’t look like THAT will happen either unless some sharp people get it moved to Sydney ASAP.
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