Technology Defeat DVR Features Including Commercial Skipping

[jimdandyvi]

What technology can do other technology can undo:

Time Warner Cable has received a U.S. patent for technology that can disarm fast-forwarding of TV spots and other "trick modes" on physical DVRs, network-based DVRs and third-party recorders. Although Time Warner Cable is unlikely to disable fast-forward for its DVR users anytime soon, the provider has started to disconnect the feature for its "Look Back" tool, which allows subscribers to watch a show they forgot to record within three days of its first airing, and its "Start Over" function. FierceCable (6/19)

 

[Laddyboy]

And someone else will create something to zap that. I remember when they bragged Bluray protection would prevent copying. That lasted a few months. This type of thing will push even more people to the 'net where they'll find content completely stripped of everything except the actual program.

 

[jimdandyvi]

Zapping it might be harder than we think. No one is selling DVD players that let you skip the commercials, FBI Warning and previews on all DVDs.

 

[empiretc]

Zapping it might be harder than we think. No one is selling DVD players that let you skip the commercials, FBI Warning and previews on all DVDs.

True, but almost all players now will play an AVI/MKV/MP4 file. You can strip all that out yourself and play them back.

This is starting to sound like laser/radar. One company made a lot of money selling it to law enforcement, then selling the detectors to the public. What band are they on now? Talk about a cluster***k.

Bet tivo will come our with a Platinum premiere elite model in response to this, lol.

 

[GaryPen]

This sounds like something TW is doing to their own HW on their own cable systems. It appears to also include 3rd party DVR's that are used on their cable system.

But, the important thing is that it is only on their cable system. It could not affect viewers on other carriers' systems, unless those carriers were to also implement it.

 

[jimdandyvi]

Who knows if it will ever be implemented. If it actually works their is nothing to stop networks/ programmers from embedding the patented technology into their programming.

From the start I thought Fox and the other networks were wasting their money suing Dish for facilitating add skipping. IMHO the networks could have got more bang for their buck using technology to thwart add skipping.

 

[BassBlaster]

This sounds like something TW is doing to their own HW on their own cable systems. It appears to also include 3rd party DVR's that are used on their cable system.

But, the important thing is that it is only on their cable system. It could not affect viewers on other carriers' systems, unless those carriers were to also implement it.

Of course, Cablelabs would never do anything to screw-over 3rd Party DVR makers, like Tivo and Moxi, on a massive scale nor do anything dastardly with Cablecard (e.g., installation nightmares, exhorbitant fees, etc.) in order to dissuade customers from wanting to use something other than a CableBrand DVR.

Cablelabs says the ALLVID standard is too difficult to engineer and implement this technology, yet I wouldn't be surprised to see the aforementioned commercial skipping technology licensed free-of-charge to all of Cabledom and implemented nationwide in a matter of a few weeks; overtime authorized for all the headend engineers and staff. ​

 

[GaryPen]

Of course, Cablelabs would never do anything to screw-over 3rd Party DVR makers, like Tivo and Moxi, on a massive scale nor do anything dastardly with Cablecard (e.g., installation nightmares, exhorbitant fees, etc.) in order to dissuade customers from wanting to use something other than a CableBrand DVR.

Cablelabs says the ALLVID standard is too difficult to engineer and implement this technology, yet I wouldn't be surprised to see the aforementioned commercial skipping technology licensed free-of-charge to all of Cabledom and implemented nationwide in a matter of a few weeks; overtime authorized for all the headend engineers and staff. ​

It is still dependent on whether or not the specific carrier implements it on their system.

 

[GaryPen]

If it actually works their is nothing to stop networks/ programmers from embedding the patented technology into their programming.

Sure there is. It needs to be embedded in the HW itself. It must be deployed by the carrier.

Of course, providers may attempt to force carriers to deploy this type of technology as part of their carriage agreements. But, they haven't been able to convince carriers to abandon their DVR technologies so far, as much as they have wanted to.

 

[JM42]

Sure there is. It needs to be embedded in the HW itself. It must be deployed by the carrier.

Of course, providers may attempt to force carriers to deploy this type of technology as part of their carriage agreements. But, they haven't been able to convince carriers to abandon their DVR technologies so far, as much as they have wanted to.

Agreed. It would have to be a hardware/software/embedded code in the signal combination.

My guess is this would be to implement hulu-style forced commercials in their own receivers -either as a revenue sharing opportunity with the content providers, or as tool to use in negotiations to reduce carriage fees, or combination thereof.

I've always thought PTAT/auto-hop would end up with something similar in the end.

 

[Jim5506]

Where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[GaryPen]

Where there's a will, there's a way.

If so, the content providers would have quashed DVR's long ago.

 

[Stargazer]

They waited too long to implement this in their contracts. There is too much money and time put into the DVR systems of the different providers. If this had been done years ago when DVR technology was a lot less popular then they might have been able to put this in their contracts.

 

[dan188]

What technology can do other technology can undo:

Time Warner Cable has received a U.S. patent for technology that can disarm fast-forwarding of TV spots and other "trick modes" on physical DVRs, network-based DVRs and third-party recorders. Although Time Warner Cable is unlikely to disable fast-forward for its DVR users anytime soon, the provider has started to disconnect the feature for its "Look Back" tool, which allows subscribers to watch a show they forgot to record within three days of its first airing, and its "Start Over" function. FierceCable (6/19)

I have seen twc diable fast fowarding on some ondemand like nbc and abc etc that is part of their primetime on demand so it is in use

 

[GaryPen]

IIRC, the remote controls for Comcast DVR's had to be hacked in order to get the skip forward button to work. (FFWD worked out of the box, though.) Or, maybe that was Tivo?

 

[lakebum431]

IIRC, the remote controls for Comcast DVR's had to be hacked in order to get the skip forward button to work. (FFWD worked out of the box, though.) Or, maybe that was Tivo?

Not sure about Comcast but that was true for TiVo for sure. No clue if it is still true.

 

[Bobby]

Not sure about Comcast but that was true for TiVo for sure. No clue if it is still true.

yep, Comcast DVRs still need the hack for skip forward..... I just passed that one along to my daughter in Corvallis who has Comcast. Works like a charm!

 

[GaryPen]

That's how Comcast and Tivo pay lip service to the providers whining about skipping commercials.