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High Court Allows Remote-Storage DVR System

Immutate and several other readers noted that Cablevision will be allowed to go ahead with deploying a remote-storage DVR system, when the US Supreme Court declined (without comment) to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling that went against movie studios and TV networks. (We discussed this case a few months back.) "Cable TV operators won a key legal battle against Hollywood studios and television networks on Monday as the Supreme Court declined to block a new digital video recording system that could make it even easier for viewers to bypass commercials. The justices declined to hear arguments on whether Cablevision Systems Corp.'s remote-storage DVR system would violate copyright laws. That allows the... company to proceed with plans to start deploying the technology this summer."

7 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I don't get... by Starlon · · Score: 5, Informative

    That's how Cable started out -- free of commercials. People got greedy though.

    --
    Health Freedom is almost as popular as Freedom itself.
  2. Re:I don't get... by basementman · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually TV and Internet costs aren't that different. I pay a monthly fee for the line that goes to my house for both TV and Internet. When I watch a TV show I see commercials, and when I go to most websites I see ads. The only difference is that TV ads are far more obstructive to the content.

  3. Re:I don't get... by AuMatar · · Score: 2, Informative

    In the US there's 4 or 5 OTA channels (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and maybe a PBS or WGN). Cable gives you dozens or hundreds of channels that aren't ever broadcast OTA. It's those channels that they're arguing should be commercial free.

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    I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
  4. Re:I don't get... by sangreal66 · · Score: 4, Informative

    While the gist of what you are saying is correct, it is not accurate to say that "Cable companies do not pay networks to rebroadcast their signals." Cable providers pay a per-subscriber fee to the networks they carry, from a few cents to a few dollars.

  5. Re:I don't get... by Cylix · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually,

    Cable companies can and do pay for non-premium networks. The idea is fairly straight forward. If you need more viewers and your product is not so much in demand you might not charge for the product. More often then not these "less demanded" networks are packaged together with more appealing networks. Common sense comes into play here... if you can get someone to pay for your product then you will most likely elect to produce additional revenue where possible.

    This applies to both network and broadcast television.

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    "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
  6. Re:I don't get... by Cylix · · Score: 3, Informative

    In the US, a cable company cannot re-transmit at will.

    It requires a re-transmission agreement or the broadcast originator files a "must carry" clause with the cable op.

    Must carry is used in place when the cable company does not carry your broadcast signal and they do not want to negotiate rates.

    A re-transmission agreement is simply a contract with whatever terms and length both parties can agree on. Top rated stations generally opt for cash and services from the cable company.

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    "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
  7. Re:I don't get... by mrbcs · · Score: 2, Informative
    Obligatory hosts file reply:

    Get this, http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm don't forget to go Start->Run->services.msc -> shut off dns client.

    The only ads you'll see are the ones served from the site you're on. Helps protect against phishing sites too.

    --
    I'm not anti-social, I'm anti-idiot.