New DirecTV DVR PPV limits, New HBO TiVO DRM gone wild...
DirecTV users tell us that the satellite provider has sent them an e-mail saying that effective April 15, DVR recordings of pay-per-view films will only be available for 24 hours after purchase. Apparently users who like to watch films over a few day span will be out of luck. Not exactly the smartest move from an industry that's keen to put a dent in piracy by offering a robust, consumer-friendly product. From
DirecTV's website:
Effective April 15, 2008, DVR recordings of PPV movies will be available for 24 hours of unlimited viewing after purchase. Major movie studios have required that satellite and cable providers alike may no longer allow their customers to view these recordings for longer than 24 hours. During the 24 hour viewing period, you will continue to enjoy all of your DVR features such as pause and rewind.
For now, anyway. The entertainment industry has already derailed the concept of
network DVRs, and would love a future where ad skipping simply isn't possible. Also in the name of "progress," users this week reported that HBO is now using DRM that prohibits TiVO users
from watching certain shows more than once.
