Time Machine TVs…Eh?

            LG is expecting a big buzz over it’s “Time Machine” TVs (http://www.lge.com/dvr/ ). Why? TiVo and Replay TV are both cool. You most likely have a DVR from your local Cable or Satellite provider already. Is combining the technology with an LCD or Plasma screen really that cool? I guess it does give you bragging rights but still is that enough of a reason? I doubt it.

            I remember when TVs with VCRs built in came out. Sure for the first year they were pretty cool. I owned one for about 7 years. After the first 2 years though all I heard was, “Wow you still have one of those? The VCRs break in those you know.” Now my wife and I are both Geek Chic and were able to keep the old girl going for years after it should have died. I had to solder new RCA Jacks on from years of shuffling games systems in and out. She opened the case and removed the VCR part and cleaned it and many other things to keep it alive. Finally on one fateful day it stopped working, the video display became a small white line at the bottom of the screen.

            It is still in our basement. We went out and got a Flat Screen from RCA. We needed a new DVD player at the same time and even though I was tempted we didn’t get one built into our TV. Why not? Well a VCR is easy to fix when it breaks….Not so with a DVD player or most other digital technology. This is my question with the TVs with built in DVR, two years from now are people going to all be saying, “Y’know, the DVRs break in those.” Sure it is a bit of a silly fear I know but I don’t want to spend that much money to find out.

            Other questions arise from DVR in general now. The winds are changing direction and the content providers are getting ready to fight back. DVR requires the device to connect to a service to download listings and use that to know what’s on when. This is how cool services like “Season Tickets” are available. Without these services you can still pause the TV you’re watching and record the show you are watching but that is it.

            So you have a DVR and you want to record every episode of House (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412142/) this season. There are two problems with this as far as the people at Fox are concerned; First you are copying Copyrighted material which you could later burn to DVD or transfer to your PC and distribute, Second the advertisers are paying for you to see the commercials but you are fast forwarding through them.

            These issues are being addressed right now. Some companies have started to try getting laws passed requiring the services like TiVo to disable fast forwarding on the video recorded on the DVR and to make it so you can only play back the content once. In many ways, to me at least this ruins the whole concept of DVR.

            Content providers have the right to be paid for their work, this is true. We are being held hostage though. The stars of House M.D. are excellent as are the writers and directors (Speaking of directors Laura Innes, Dr Kerry Weaver from ER, Directed last night’s Episode http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0834715/) but because of the high salaries they are paid and the high salaries paid to the network execs the DVDs of 1 season of your favorite shows can cost from 30-60 dollars. This might not seem like a lot but just remember that Fox has already made millions off of advertising for each show aired.

What we have to do is remember that money makes the world go round. I don’t want anyone taking away the coolness of my DVR. Maybe we can have different monthly fees. One lower fee which has the restrictions imposed (No fast Forwarding and only one replay) and then a higher fee which allows the normal DVR service we all know and love with royalties being paid to the networks from the added cost. I am not the person who gets to make that choice but if I were TiVo and Replay TV I would look into it. As for “Time Machine” TVs, We’ll see what happens 3 years from now.