[opendtv] Re: Is 'Fair Use' in Peril?
- From: Cliff Benham <cbenham@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2004 13:00:11 -0500
Time shifting with a VCR is the reason most people bought them.
One tape manufacturer even brought out a cassette specifically designed for
timeshifting reuse again and again. For that to happen, a lot more than
two people
have to be timeshifting.
The old Johnny Carson joke about the VCRs that continuously blink 12:00 is
just that: A JOKE.
If you really believe that only one or two people in the world have
mastered the
art and science of VCR timer setup, you are truely out of touch with
reality.
Since the early 1990s VCRs have automatically set their clocks and composed
their own channel maps when you connect the cable and plug in the power so
you don't have to mess with it. They get the time data from the local
PBS station
and they sample the entire cable or off air lineup automatically and
store the channels
in memory.
How can you not know about this?
johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>I can accept that there are two people in (North America/the U.S./New York
>State/NYC/Manhattan or even your city block) that do this, Mark. I also
>suspect that the VCRs in your household don't blink 12:00 continually.
>
>But, not 2% of the populace, nor 2% of total viewing hours.
>
>I suspect that making this type of use easier is one of the drivers to the
>(at this point) non-success of Tivo. I note that they have less than 1%
>of the populace or total viewing hours.
>
>If the VCR blinks 12:00, it's useless for timed recording, so you at least
>have to be home to start the recording so you can later view it.
>Otherwise, the activity becomes more burdensome.
>
>What's the business model for insuring that VCRs (or TV's have the correct
>time?
>
>John Willkie
>
>
>
>>>Have you, for example, EVER used a VCR to watch TV programs?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>I can't speak for Tom, but my wife and I do so often. We've never had a
>>problem. We've been doing it since 1978.
>>
>>TTFN,
>>Mark
>>
>>
>
>
>
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