TiVo users in a tizzy

TV aficionados across the Web threw their arms up in alarm last week, after disturbing reports began surfacing about a new TiVo software upgrade.

According to blogs, TiVo customers recently found that certain recorded television shows had been red-flagged for content protection. The new version of the operating system is designed to recognize content that's protected by Macrovision technology, allowing content providers to control some programming, for instance, limiting how long a show can be saved, or preventing copying.

TiVo execs said the technology was supposed to be used only for pay-per-view, video-on-demand, DVD or VHS content, and showed up on other content as a mistake.

But while TiVo has tried to play off the incident as a bug, reports about red flags have persisted.

The ongoing problem should raise its own red flag for TiVo management. The flap prompted several bloggers to say they were considering an act unthinkable to many TV addicts--throwing away their TiVos.

Blog community response:

"Changing the way a consumer can use a product after they have purchased it is not simply annoying, its unfair."
--Prodigii

"After reading this, I'm certainly happy that all TiVo units have been disconnected in this household. At the moment we are using the Dishplayer 942 (which does HD and SD) and an MS Mediacenter PC (which does SD only, but it's good enough as a backup)."
--KahunaBurger

"No matter what the real story (although TiVo needs to come clean on what the story really is), the reality of things now is that TiVo is now equipped with Macrovision copy protection and that can only mean one thing - it's going to get used."
--The PC Doctor

"We don't really care whether more blame should be placed on TiVo for implementing the feature, or on the content providers for weaseling it out of them ?? we're just getting really sick of 'features' that increasingly cripple our devices. Maybe it's finally time to manifest that MythTV setup we keep talking smack about."
--engadget