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19-08-2018, 12:37 PM
11

Re: Are DVR machines worth the money?

Originally Posted by Realist ->
Hmmm well it's a basic piece of kit, pretty similar to the old Sky + boxes of quite a few years ago except the hard disk is bigger.

It only has 2 tuners inside it which will imho be quite restrictive.

If there are 2 programmes that you've asked it to record and they happen to be on at the same time (a VERY common scenario) then you won't be able to watch a 3rd channel UNLESS that channel happens to be on the same multiplex/group as one of the 2 recording programmes. That can get very frustrating in my experience.

You'll have to see how you get on with it so best of luck.
It might have only 2 tuners but, realistically, how much TV can I watch, anyway?

Yesterday I was recording 2 channels whilst watching a pre-recorded programme and that was good enough for me. I can always watch catch-up TV or Netflix, You Tube etc. via my Fire Stick also. I really don't watch that much TV.

I also appreciate the slickness and speed of the interface - on the TV the freeview guide was in grey for example, making it hard to see.
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19-08-2018, 04:18 PM
12

Re: Are DVR machines worth the money?

Originally Posted by Ffosse ->
It might have only 2 tuners but, realistically, how much TV can I watch, anyway?e.
It's not really about how much TV you watch but rather about managing to record successfully the programmes you DO like to watch. I had "twin tuners" many many years ago before Sky+ boxes ever hit the markets and even then I would regularly run into problems because the programmes I wanted to record were on at the same time as each other. If it's just 2 programmes then you're ok, they will record, BUT you won't be able to watch live TV during the process unless it's a channel in the same multiplex group as one of the 2 recordings.

If there are 3 programmes you want to record and they are all on at the same time then you're stuck if you only have 2 tuners. Something isn't going to get recorded and typically you're not going to get to choose which programme that is.

As I said you'll have to see how you get one and whether you start losing recordings.
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19-08-2018, 04:28 PM
13

Re: Are DVR machines worth the money?

Originally Posted by Bruce ->
You are obviously unaware of the Dallas Buyers Club case in Australia.
Interesting articles Bruce but the bottom line is that the courts simply took steps to ensure that certain "bully boy" tactics would not be employed by Voltage.

The articles DO confirm that:

1. The company HAS successfully tracked 1000s of people who are illegally downloading licensed content

2. The company HAS a desire to prosecute those people and a right to do so.


The only issues really then are how they go about prosecuting people and clearly the Aussie courts don't want to let them using their traditional strong arming tactics, that's all.

My views on the topic aren't really changed. It's obvious that people illegally downloading content ARE being tracked, it was always going to be the case, so all that remains is for the license owners to find the right way to establish consistent prosecution process. Once it IS established and once the first case is seen through, it will then become a rubber stamp job at which point end users will run for the hills.

Pirating content remains what it is, illegal, a crime and people will eventually be sued for it.
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19-08-2018, 06:13 PM
14

Re: Are DVR machines worth the money?

Originally Posted by Realist ->
It's not really about how much TV you watch but rather about managing to record successfully the programmes you DO like to watch. I had "twin tuners" many many years ago before Sky+ boxes ever hit the markets and even then I would regularly run into problems because the programmes I wanted to record were on at the same time as each other. If it's just 2 programmes then you're ok, they will record, BUT you won't be able to watch live TV during the process unless it's a channel in the same multiplex group as one of the 2 recordings.

If there are 3 programmes you want to record and they are all on at the same time then you're stuck if you only have 2 tuners. Something isn't going to get recorded and typically you're not going to get to choose which programme that is.

As I said you'll have to see how you get one and whether you start losing recordings.
It's highly unlikely that 3 programmes are going to be on simultaneously and I want to watch/record them all. If I just watch an hour or two of TV a day I think I'll be alright. I spend more time reading and listening to music.

Remember, I didn't own a TV for 7 years so one tuner is something quite new to me. The ability to buffer programmes for 2 hours and skip/pause/rewind TV is one of the reasons I bought the Manhatton. It's just a 500GB hard drive attached to some electronics but suits my needs perfectly.
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20-08-2018, 07:11 AM
15

Re: Are DVR machines worth the money?

Originally Posted by Realist ->
Interesting articles Bruce but the bottom line is that the courts simply took steps to ensure that certain "bully boy" tactics would not be employed by Voltage.

The articles DO confirm that:

1. The company HAS successfully tracked 1000s of people who are illegally downloading licensed content

2. The company HAS a desire to prosecute those people and a right to do so.
That is really just stating the bleeding obvious.

The problem for Voltage was that they only got the low hanging fruit, ie people taking no precautions at all. There is still speculation that TV programs rights are impossible to pursue because the courts have already ruled that recording and replaying programs is 'fair use' so any claim would have to prove that the person sold the program for profit

The other problem for the film companies is that the courts will not allow speculative damages and without that prosecutions are not worth their while, even of they successfully sued a 1000 people the money they could recover would not even cover their costs. Every claim that a person shared a particular program with anyone has to be proved. It is a civil action not a criminal one.

In Australia major ISPs have to block sites like Pirate Bay and any proscribed sharing sites. However this does not apply to minor ISPs like mine - not that I would go there anyway. This means that just about everybody will be using a VPN service.

These companies are not the NSA they do not have the ability or resources to track people who are using even a simple VPN service.

ISPs do not have to help private companies seeking information about their clients without a court order nor do they have to do it for free - another disincentive. There is also a ruling that ISPs cannot be sued for their client's misdemeanours.

Copyright protection has always been a bit iffy but film rights enforcement companies are on a hiding to nothing in this country
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20-08-2018, 09:30 AM
16

Re: Are DVR machines worth the money?

Originally Posted by Bruce ->
There is still speculation that TV programs rights are impossible to pursue because the courts have already ruled that recording and replaying programs is 'fair use' so any claim would have to prove that the person sold the program for profit
Not convinced of this TBH. My understanding was that there was a grey area between actually recording (keeping a copy of) a film, and just streaming the content to your home device to view it without actually recording it.
I have a recollection that the EU permitted streaming but that making recordings was a clear breach of copyright law.

Originally Posted by Bruce ->
even of they successfully sued a 1000 people the money they could recover would not even cover their costs.
A valid point but, given the film industry is a multibillion dollar business, I would imagine it would be worthwhile to make a few examples as loss leaders. If they are losing billions in revenues to pirated films, then why not spend say $1m to sue a number of people and spread that news across the internet? Only a matter of time imho.

Originally Posted by Bruce ->
This means that just about everybody will be using a VPN service.

These companies are not the NSA they do not have the ability or resources to track people who are using even a simple VPN service.
Possibly true, but I'm not naive enough to believe that people using VPN can not be tracked. I don't believe the spiel from the VPN companies. They say they don't keep logs (which I don't believe) but they also say that if requested by the authorities they WOULD allow your account activity to be monitored. In which case someone else, not the VPN company, could track you and keep logs.

I guess much here depends on who and what you believe the VPN companies are. Do you believe that they are largely criminal organisations who exist to provide a working platform of anonymity to millions of other criminals so they can't be tracked?

Or are they professional service companies who would happily cooperate to rid the internet of criminal activities?
 
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