AfterDawn: News

NBC triggered Vista broadcast flag

On Monday night it appears that users trying to record NBC TV shows using Microsoft Vista's Media Center were unable to, the reason being that NBC sent off a broadcast flag that in turn activated Media Center's built in DRM copy protection measures, and stopped recordings of over-the-air and cable broadcasts.

Both NBC and Microsoft stated that they have no explanation for the issue and noted that DirecTV and TiVo DVR users did not report any issues.



The two TV shows in question were the new "American Gladiator" and "Medium" episodes. Users received the following message when trying to record the shows. "Recording cancelled. [TV show] cannot be recorded. Restrictions set by the broadcaster and/or originator of the content prohibit recording of this program."

All that seems to come out of this situation is the proof that Vista's Media Center does indeed have built in DRM that can be triggered by broadcasters at any point, restricting the recording of content at will.




Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 May 2008 11:52

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• 31 comments

• chaos_zzz

  drm suxs

  18.5.2008 12:02 #1

• Hunt720

  lets go nobrainer this one is right up your alley.

  18.5.2008 12:10 #2

• Gradical

  Welcome to the future Sukaz!!!! hahahaha, thank god i uninstalled vista as soon as i got my laptop, all those naive people thinking vista was going to be a step forward, how do you like it now? they got you right where they wanted, next thing you´ll see is a new message stating:
  
  MP3 Deleted, The copyright holder has detected you haven't legally purchased 3456 songs from your library and has testricted you from playing them

  18.5.2008 12:19 #3

• ripxrush

  i thought that broadcast flag bills where not passed???

  18.5.2008 12:23 #4

• nobrainer

  Originally posted by ripxrush: i thought that broadcast flag bills where not passed???lol, sry and europe is the next target.
  
  American Studios' Secret Plan to Lock Down European TV Devices
  Originally posted by hyper: EFF Exposes Standards Jeopardizing Innovation and Consumer Rights
  
  San Francisco - An international consortium of television and technology companies is devising draconian anti-consumer restrictions for the next generation of TVs in Europe and beyond, at the behest of American entertainment giants.you know unless you are doing something illegal drm is not an issue!
  
  boycott RIAA/MPAA media and hardware ppl make them change or die as anti-consumer is not a business model that is acceptable.
  
  

  The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  The IFPI Are: The same anti consumer lot as listed above!
  The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.
  

  18.5.2008 15:45 #5

• phobet

  It looks like someone performed a "I wonder what this button does?" test.

  18.5.2008 16:28 #6

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Originally posted by ripxrush: i thought that broadcast flag bills where not passed???lol, sry and europe is the next target.
  
  American Studios' Secret Plan to Lock Down European TV Devices
  Originally posted by hyper: EFF Exposes Standards Jeopardizing Innovation and Consumer Rights
  
  San Francisco - An international consortium of television and technology companies is devising draconian anti-consumer restrictions for the next generation of TVs in Europe and beyond, at the behest of American entertainment giants.you know unless you are doing something illegal drm is not an issue!
  
  boycott RIAA/MPAA media and hardware ppl make them change or die as anti-consumer is not a business model that is acceptable.
  "you know unless you are doing something illegal drm is not an issue!"
  Sarcasm tags needed there bro I almost ate my tinfoil hat 0-o

  18.5.2008 17:53 #7

• mspurloc

  1. Network programming is worthless crap anyway. Anyone who needs to time shift reality TV or game shows is pathetic, frankly.
  2. NBC especially has nothing I'd want to watch.
  3. WHAT THE HELL is the point of Media Center then? Does Microshaft have anyone with a brain working for them?
  4. What a lovely way to find out what LIARS they both are. It's there, they're going to use it and they deserve the slow death and loss of income they will both experience when they implement it. The Big Three networks ahve lost the news war, they've lost the entertainment war and they're going to lose the multimedia war.
  Why would anyone want WMC if they do this? Why would you watch NBC shows if it means you have to be sitting there when the show is on?
  They're still living in the 50s.

  18.5.2008 20:53 #8

• ZippyDSM

  big media wants control over what we do and what laws are enforced as so they can double dip, if you don't like it stop buying directly from them.

  18.5.2008 21:11 #9

• wolf123

  Originally posted by Gradical: Welcome to the future Sukaz!!!! hahahaha, thank god i uninstalled vista as soon as i got my laptop, all those naive people thinking vista was going to be a step forward, how do you like it now? they got you right where they wanted, next thing you´ll see is a new message stating:
  
  MP3 Deleted, The copyright holder has detected you haven't legally purchased 3456 songs from your library and has testricted you from playing themNow thats funny

  18.5.2008 21:12 #10

• wolf123

  Originally posted by mspurloc: 1. Network programming is worthless crap anyway. Anyone who needs to time shift reality TV or game shows is pathetic, frankly.
  2. NBC especially has nothing I'd want to watch.
  3. WHAT THE HELL is the point of Media Center then? Does Microshaft have anyone with a brain working for them?
  4. What a lovely way to find out what LIARS they both are. It's there, they're going to use it and they deserve the slow death and loss of income they will both experience when they implement it. The Big Three networks ahve lost the news war, they've lost the entertainment war and they're going to lose the multimedia war.
  Why would anyone want WMC if they do this? Why would you watch NBC shows if it means you have to be sitting there when the show is on?
  They're still living in the 50s.What is WMC?

  18.5.2008 21:15 #11

• magnets

  @Wolf123
  WMC is Windows Media Centre
  
  it's nice and easy to use (at least the xp one was, havn't tried vista), but it rather restrictive, i use mediaportal now, it's a bugger to setup but works with loads of hardware and does everything and more.

  18.5.2008 21:24 #12

• locobrown

  XP forever, my TiVo and PC HD Tuner card can't be beat!

  18.5.2008 21:49 #13

• david89

  yep i knew drm in vista was for something this is old news really they are trying say we don't own contant so we can't record it or make a copy of our dvds etc this should of been protected under the betamax law suck that it isn't.

  18.5.2008 22:09 #14

• xnonsuchx

  WMC in XP MCE has this too...I would occasionally get the same message when trying to view AMC (American Movie Classics), but haven't seen it in a while.
  
  Oh well, I have the other software that came with my tuner card if I need it in rare situations like this.

  18.5.2008 22:29 #15

• iluvendo

  Quote:Both NBC and Microsoft stated that they have no explanation for the issue
  And a fox in the hen house cannot explain what happened to the missing chickens.

  19.5.2008 01:38 #16

• wolf123

  Originally posted by magnets: @Wolf123
  WMC is Windows Media Centre
  
  it's nice and easy to use (at least the xp one was, havn't tried vista), but it rather restrictive, i use mediaportal now, it's a bugger to setup but works with loads of hardware and does everything and more.I want to thank you for telling me about mediaportal been looking for aa program that works with my usb tv tuner and they are a bitch too find
  The program that comes with it only records in mpeg format.

  19.5.2008 02:00 #17

• wolf123

  Quote:Originally posted by magnets: @Wolf123
  WMC is Windows Media Centre
  
  it's nice and easy to use (at least the xp one was, havn't tried vista), but it rather restrictive, i use mediaportal now, it's a bugger to setup but works with loads of hardware and does everything and more.I want to thank you for telling me about mediaportal been looking for aa program that works with my usb tv tuner and they are a bitch too find
  The program that comes with it only records in mpeg format.Might be good someday if I can get through the setup damn.

  19.5.2008 02:06 #18

• ripxrush

  "you know unless you are doing something illegal drm is not an issue!"
  D.s. 1 WORD... tivo! OH WAIT ANOTHER VCR! Yes i know that VCR is old school now days but i used to record every thing on video tape thingees we had either 2 or 3 vcr's more than anything because we do this thing called WORK! i can not always be home when the show that i want to watch is on! i have upgraded i have 2 tivos & 1 tuner in my computer but i am not doing anything different than what i did with my VCR! another thing where you are wrong, okay so i buy a cd & want it on my MP3 player or like my car has a stereo that takes usb keys it is BS if i am doing summin illegal because i am breaking DRM to get it on there!
  
  and for whoever said it is patheatic that is not what is the issue of personal choice it is the right that we all feel we have to do so with what ever show we watch (my wife watches reality t.v. & i dont care for it but that is what she wants to watch!)

  19.5.2008 03:07 #19

• JRude

  Wheee! All that fancy HDMI STUFF & cables ya bought..guess WHAT! It is capable of and WILL be used to DRM you to death as soon as widely adopted. Just like Blu Ray, Media Center type PC's of any flavor, and M$ FISTA. They're gonna let ya get used to the technology and slide that DRM riiiite on in! This is not a rumor or rant..GOOGLE it! Keep your old analog devices & peripherals. Even tho analog can be flagged also. It's not about Piracy...it's about dunning you for each format, each play of any media. There's not really an antidote for any of this. Except! Vote with your wallet!

  19.5.2008 03:31 #20

• 7thsinger

  *sighs*
  
  Here we go. It's been no secret that Vista is loaded with DRM.

  19.5.2008 08:47 #21

• goodswipe

  LMFAO @ anyone who even tries to record American Gladiators, let alone watch the show!
  
  How is this show still even on the air?
  
  I can't wait to read about all the news articles in the future when they set off the broadcast flag for not viewing with an HDMI cable.

  19.5.2008 10:24 #22

• 7thsinger

  Quote:I can't wait to read about all the news articles in the future when they set off the broadcast flag for not viewing with an HDMI cable.
  I don't think we're too far away from that, honestly.
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Sir, i would not harm thee for the world...but thou art standing where i'm about to shoot."

  19.5.2008 11:07 #23

• goodswipe

  Originally posted by 7thsinger: Quote:I can't wait to read about all the news articles in the future when they set off the broadcast flag for not viewing with an HDMI cable.
  I don't think we're too far away from that, honestly.Yea it's going to be great. We are going to have a huge up roar soon enough. Just imagine all those people that get screwed over during this DTV transition. Then all those folks that are using component cables to watch tv can no longer watch their shows. Yea, it's gonna be crazy.
  
  

  
  
  "I hope Newbies that come across your signature bar do not become intimated and decide this forum is for wisecracks and stick to other ones." -ofield

  19.5.2008 11:18 #24

• oappi

  So fist you have to pay for some crappy ms software that doesn´t even record what you want... come on ppl dont buy MS bs software, take a look to linux world. There is many good distros out there. Ubuntu´s mythtv install seems to have best documents and quide to install mythtv so it might be the best.
  
  im really happy i choose mythtv even when it took some time to install. Now i can watch tv with every computer in my lan with just one tv card. i can also add as many tv cards i want so it can watch both cable and satelite same time. So basicly i can just put all my terrestial, cable and satelite cards to one computer, and watch live or set it records shows i want with web-interface... best part is, it is free!
  DVB users also have multiplexing now.. so you can record whole stack at the sametime (it is about 6-14 chanels). only con is that getting other than free channels is a bit tricky.
  
  haven´t tried linuxmce yet but that could also be good choise.

  19.5.2008 13:04 #25

• BludRayne

  Why haven't hackers stripped all the invasive drm from crapware Vista yet? We need a clean version.

  19.5.2008 13:20 #26

• Allegro1

  Originally posted by locobrown: XP forever, my TiVo and PC HD Tuner card can't be beat!Yes it can. I'll beat it with a VHS recorder with the buttons locked down and lamp timer that starts and stops the whole thingy.
  
  Let the DRM'ers stop that time shifting.
  
  Now, if I can only find another penny to fit in the fuse box.

  19.5.2008 13:54 #27

• varnull

  Because they can't. It is the whole method of the OS.. which is why we have been telling people to shun it from the day it was announced.
  
  Why do you think it takes 2x the hardware for 1x the performance (or less) of XP? DRM and encryption.. that's why.
  
  I think this is really funny.. serves people right for believing that M$ and the media companies are providing a service and a product to them... They are not, they are providing a means of control and exploitation for themselves and getting very rich in the process.
  
  Fisted by fista? Give them the finger.. FOSS is THE future.. wise up or suffer the consequences.
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.... #1 image again.. check it out ;)

  19.5.2008 13:57 #28

• phobet

  Quote:Originally posted by magnets: @Wolf123
  WMC is Windows Media Centre
  
  it's nice and easy to use (at least the xp one was, havn't tried vista), but it rather restrictive, i use mediaportal now, it's a bugger to setup but works with loads of hardware and does everything and more.I want to thank you for telling me about mediaportal been looking for aa program that works with my usb tv tuner and they are a bitch too find
  The program that comes with it only records in mpeg format.Another application you may want to try is Beyond TV, available at http://www.snapstream.com. I use it for my own TV card, and so far have not had a problem.

  19.5.2008 17:03 #29

• o0cynix0o

  A little embarrassed to say that my Dish DVR worked fine. That is I recorded it in the first place. Not that my DVR worked. Thats why I pay for it.

  19.5.2008 21:29 #30

• c.trigger

  and with the olympics in a few months i wonder why they are testing this out ?...

  19.5.2008 21:51 #31