TV Networks Sue ReplayTV

Robert Wilde writes: "Three major television networks have sued Sonicblue over the ReplayTV 4000 and asked the court to grant an injunction to prevent the sale of the device." Here's another blurb about the lawsuit. All you readers that predicted that Replay would get sued over this device, give yourselves a pat on the back.

Comments

Difference Between Music and TV

[pidge]

The problem for the TV Networks' arguments is that music and TV are totally different mediums. With music I can go down the music store and buy a CD of my favourite group. With, TV the only time I can watch my favourite show is when it is broadcast. Of course, many popular TV shows are now on video, but this is usually well after the show is first aired.

Music is something people generally listen to over and over again. A favourite song might be played 100 times by a person. On the other hand, a single episode of favourite TV show will generally only be watched once or twice. Even die hard Star Wars fans have probably only seen the movie a couple of hundred times!

TV has always been free. The networks have an explicit agreement with producers to show advertising. They have no such agreement with TV consumers to actually watch them. If the Networks say this sort of technology will cost them money, well their business model is wrong.

Some TVs have more fun...

[bill.sheehan]

As the happy owner of a Replay TV, I can tell you that it has changed TV forever. Prime Time is whenever I sit down in front of the couch. I regularly watch two or more episodes of a program in a row. Episodic programs are much more interesting when they can be viewed back-to-back rather than week-to-week. I'm addicted to the pause and rewind features. Phone rings in the middle of West Wing? No problem - I don't miss a sentence.

One of the big complaints is that I get to skip commercials. Do I? You damn betcha! I don't waste a moment on cheesy ads pushing depilatories, cleansers not available in stores (or in states with active consumer fraud statutes, I suspect), and Slim Whitman retrospectives. However, I DO stop and watch ads that are either funny (Amstel Lite, for example), or are for something in which I'm interested.

As for sharing recorded programs across the Internet, it should be noted that this feature is for sharing programs with other Replay 4000 owners. I'm sure it will be able to be hacked, but how does it differ from sharing my Babylon 5 tapes with unfortunate friends who don't have cable?

I hope Sonic Blue is able to vigorously defend these suits. I'm sick to the teeth of network executives who want to control what, when, and how I watch.

For more on this phenomenon, check out the last section of Michael Lewis' book, Next.

And now for a word from our sponsor...

Lawsuits as tactical weapon

[Nygard]

This is not really intended to shut SONICblue down. As the article states, the defendants and the plaintiffs are also negotiating a business deal. This lawsuit is nothing more than a pressure tactic designed to get a more favorable deal.

TV broadcast priviledge

[Jeffrey Baker]

Televisions network execs clearly forgot that braodcast television is a priviledge provided them by the people via the government. Their broadcast spectrum is not a right, it is a priviledge granted on the condition that the broadcaster will add some value to it. Ditto for cable television: cable plants are mainly installed (in the US) in cities where the government protects, licenses, and regulates the natural monopoly.

Which bring me to my next point: if a television network is going to beam this shit into my home via a publically regulated electromagnetic spectrum, where do they get off telling me what I can do with the signal?

Re:How is this different?

[Flower]

Yes, but if I tape Enterprise and hand the tape over to a co-worker who missed the episode I can't watch the tape while it is in his possession. For myself, I consider this to be a big @whatever but for the TV industry it would be a big issue.

Also, you can share that file 15 times according to the article. So you and 15 "TV buddies" get to watch the show. And skip all the commercials too.

Another interesting quirk. I subscribe to say HBO and send a buddie who doesn't get HBO every episode of Six Feet Under and in trade he sends me some series off of Showtime. The cable company loses money on two premium packages. Now let me do that for 15 buddies. Price gouging bastards they are and personally I would get some small satisfaction (my wife would get a great deal of satisfaction as she actually pays the bill:) but I'm surprised they haven't sued already.

Here's another interesing possible hack. What if I could get the PVR to record while I'm playing a DVD and then I could send that movie to 15 buddies? IIRC, the 4000 records 320 hours of video. Heh, I'd almost break down and buy a DVD player if I could do that.