HBO Petitions FCC To Prevent DVR Recording → Re: Good Luck

Does HBO not realize that movies come to DVD first.
The DVD can be converted to an MP4 and posted to the internet.

You can't do that legally.

Though the brief article linked in the headline didn't specifiy it, I have a feeling this may be intended to keep their original programing from being recorded. I'm sure they make a ton of cash on DVD releases of The Sopranos, SFU, The Wire [BEST CRIME DRAMA EVER], etc.)

HBO had made available to subscribers like me video on demand streamed the entire season of Rome on the fist day
I can see where pirating can become a serious problem.

I'm glad I still have a VCR.;)

DA, keep up with the conversation.

They still make VCR's???? Why don't you roll back to Betamax. I have been using a DVR for 5 years and will never go back. With Charter it is like Comcast and you can not record VOD. I am free to record HBO Channels which I do and then delete.

The point he was making was even if DVR's get blocked from recording, then a VCR can still record the show. That recording can be converted just as easy and just as good of quality as a DVR recording. I can just hook up my computer directly to the satellite or cable coax and record it and converted to mpeg1-4 on the fly.

I think HBO is more concerned about their original series such as Curb Your Enthusiam, The Sopranos, et. al. than with people ripping off movies from them.

Still don't need a VCR. Buy a $75 Hauppauge WinTV board (or equivalent) and either hook up RF or composite video to your PC. Record the RF/composite directly to MPEG2.

The only issue: Do the VOD/DVR devices employ classic MacroVision copy protection? If so, then you'd need a small "black box" in the middle of the video to trim the MacroVision encoding. I believe they use "off screen" video scan lines to overwhelm the automatic gain governing circuits on recorders. Although your TV's presentation of the signal is unaffected, a recording ends up with wide swings in brightness which makes it too irritating to watch.

You talking about this? I use this in between my STB and my Hauppauge PVR250 tuner using MCE. It works for the MacroVision, but I think that VOB uses a different mechanism to set copy protection and expiration dates.

That looks like it would do the trick! I love the marketing speak; "...stabilizes the video signal ... ensuring optimal video quality for your DVD copies..." Never a mention that it removes encoding designed to protect the video.

I'm surprised the MPAA citing DMCA isn't all over this. I knew you could buy plans and build your own but I didn't know it was legal to sell fully assembled units.

Regarding the VOB, I'm speaking only about RF or composite video. Once it's an analog video signal, I don't think it matters whether it started out VOB, MPEG2, MPEG4 or Windows Media. The only thing possible is to fiddle with the output gain to foil the recording.

Whoa, that's what Macrovision does? I've had a couple DVD players that did this while hooked up through a VCR to a TV that only had a coax input. The guy at Radioshack made up something about reduced power output of the new DVD players. I now hate Macrovision.