[mythtv-users] MythTV/TiVo integration

Neil Dunbar neil.dunbar at pobox.com
Mon Nov 19 15:15:44 UTC 2007


On Mon 19 Nov 2007 13:47:41 Justin Hornsby wrote:

OK - last word from me on this. We're now seriously OT (anyone wants to 
discuss this, email me privately, rather than on-list).

> If people are that concerned why don't they contact Virgin Media (VM) &
> see about them changing their policy?  For MythTV to work properly with
> pay tv in the UK Virgin would have to 1) allow connection of 3rd party
> equipment to the cable and 2) make a suitable CAM available to allow
> decryption of subscription-based channels.  That would of course require
> one CAM per tuner card and probably an additional fee from VM.

People already have contacted VM (see the DigitalSpy forums for examples) 
regarding just this. Well, not MythTV in especial, but PC based PVRs of 
various stripes. All to be told "No, you can't. You might endanger the 
network". So the ostensible reason isn't contract terms with content 
providers, but security of signal. Right. Because no-one else in the world 
allows third party equipment onto cable networks, do they?

Realistically, why would a debt-laden sector monopolist choose to give up that 
monopoly? You'd be asking the management (and ultimately shareholders) of VM 
to act irrationally, and to act in the best interests of companies other than 
themselves. Why, when they make the only product in the field would they 
choose to stop doing so?

Honestly, this is what OfCom is supposed to be sorting out. A complaint there 
is pretty unlikely to be effective, but at least they are legally empowered 
to order media companies to open up their closed systems to competition.

Anyway - back to your regularly scheduled MythTV discussions. This one has run 
its course for me.

Cheers,

Neil


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