The New York Times published a front-page article about MythTV this past Sunday (1/30/05).  MythTV is one of dozens of home-brew PVR (personal video recorder) websites - it basically is a DIY TiVo.  However, the Times lumps it into a genus of technologies dedicated to helping people steal pay-per-view and premium television.  The builders of these systems will tell you that the units are not for stealing content or skipping commercials, but then why build them - they're cheaper to buy.

Is it possible for a few gifted geeks to build a PVR that is functionally better than a TiVo or an SA8000 (Scientific Atlanta's cable set-top box with a PVR built it)?  Of course it is.  Should that worry the TV industry?  No.  Is it possible for the average, motivated DIY-guy to build one?  Yes, but it's not practical.  You still need to spend way more on the system than it's worth.  Will it soon be possible to get one of these devices pre-built, cheap and easy?  You bet!  In fact, most of what makes the device dangerous to the TV industry is software, not hardware.  Its only a matter of time before you can buy an off the shelf computer with a set-top form factor, download a Napster- or Limewire-like software package and live in a free TV world.

When?  Very, very soon.

So the conversation has to turn to why.  Why do people want free TV?  Is is because TV is too expensive?  Yes.  Is it because the current commercial structure is so emotionally unsatisfying that people will do anything to skip commercials? Yes.  Is it that programming mostly sucks and individuals who can take control of their viewing experiences will take control? Yes.  In fact, is there any possible reason that someone who could change the way they consume television wouldn't change it? No.

So, the problem really isn't the technology.  The problem is that the TV industry has been enjoying a technological monopoly for so long that it has forgotten how to serve its customers.  How quickly will the industry learn that the past decades of research never, ever asked the most important question: If you could watch this show at your convenience, on any device, anywhere you are at anytime, would you still watch the show?

This particular media advancement is the true definition of Advanced Media.  The solution for the television industry is explosively complicated in practice, but in principle it's easy: improve the customer experience and clarify the consumer value proposition to keep your customers.

Anyone who has ever created a promo for television will tell you that people don't watch networks, they watch shows.  For the past 50 years or so a good promo contained three things.  The show title, time  and channel location.  In a virtual world where time and location cease to exist, the show title simply might not be enough.  And, with a generation of viewers getting ready to break out of television technology prison, the industry needs to understand that the desire for freedom is not a myth!

Comments

[John Sturrgeon]

Very well written commentary on why the Television Industry needs to change in order to survive, or more importantly, prosper. Technology is an enabler, and it is allowing the network executives and the industry at-large to get a free glimpse at the future of television. They can either be a part of it, or fight it (read: RIAA). Unfortunately, the trend is to treat customers like criminals.

[John Sturgeon]

Let's try this again.. this time with good links! Very well written commentary on why the Television Industry needs to change in order to survive, or more importantly, prosper. Technology is an enabler, and it is allowing the network executives and the industry at-large to get a free glimpse at the future of television. They can either be a part of it, or fight it (read: RIAA). Unfortunately, the trend is to treat customers like criminals.

[Paul Williamson]

Not only do you totally miss the point of why the article was bad, you miss the point of why MythTV is something I run. I had old hardware lying around. I have no desire to stop paying for cable service. I don't want free TV. I want good TV on my terms. If that means that I pay for it, record it, strip out the commercials, then sit down with my family and watch a good show - when I have the time. I have no desire to pay Tivo for something I already get. I didn't pay a monthly fee for using my VCR. Just because I record it digitally doesn't mean that should change. Plus, I have stored all MY DVDs (aka Kaleidescope), all MY CDs, and lots of family photos in one location. When my mom and dad came to visit, they were able to browse through all the photos from when they were first married (scanned in) and acted like they were seeing them for the first time. Granted, it had been about 20 years since they had seen the pictures, but that's only because it was very inconvenient to look at them. Yet another misinformed article. I don't want to steal TV. I am willing to pay for content, I run MythTV because I can. Most of my friends can't. If that makes me a techno-elitist, then oh well. I'm a big geek. Oh, I built my machine out of old hardware and one new item - a PVR-250. Total system cost was well under $200. No monthly fees to use something I already pay for (TV). Television is only part of the mythological convergence of all media.

[Amy Overmyer]

It's definitely not about not paying for TV. I have the everything package with Dish network, but find it incredibly convenient to record whatever I want and watch it when I want to. Because I have the option of throwing more harddrives in it, the storage isn't nearly as limiting of a factor as it is on the Dish PVR. Plus I now have 3 tuners in the myth system. 1 for the dish network, 1 for OTA tuner (catches the locals that I don't get with dish) and 1 for OTA ATSC (hi def). Plus I have all my music available on it as well. And a quick run down on news stories in topics I'm interested in and a handy weather app.

[Paul Mietz Egli]

Your article sounds suspiciously like the hand-wringing I remember from the television industry back when consumer VCRs were introduced. At that time, it was okay for video professionals or dedicated hobbyists to be able to record content, but if these devices became cheap and readily available, the entire financial structure of the studios would collapse. Woe! Cue gnashing of teeth! Obviously, this didn't happen -- after the courts ruled that timeshifting content fell under fair use, the studios adapted, discovering that VCRs were really a new, profitable outlet for their content. My 2005 MythTV DVR is functionally no different than a 1976 Sony Betamax: I record shows that are on at inconvenient times to watch later, and maybe save shows for repeated personal viewing. Sure, I skip commercials when I watch my recordings, but that viewer behavior is nothing new.

Your main concern seems to be that DVR software promotes illegal distribution of copyrighted content over the Internet. This problem has nothing to do with MythTV, the ostenable subject of your article. The community of developers and users of MythTV are all very aware of copyright issues for the simple reason that it would only take a single lawsuit to completely shut down the project. Read the discussions that were triggered by the New York Times article on the mythtv-users mailing list at http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/ to get a feel for what the actual makers and users of PVR software think of copyright violation and fair use.

You are correct when you state that the television industry must change its methods of delivering content to conform to consumer expectations. Until that day comes, many of us will continue to use tools like MythTV to bring the current content delivery methods in line with how we as consumers want that content to be brought to us.

[james]

There is good insight in this article, all the points about what's wrong with the TV output, are spot on, but the writer does seem to have taken on some of the questionable implications of the NYTimes article.
Most people running MythTv are doing so in *exactly* the same way as Tivo users (just not paying a monthly sub). They're not getting TV they wouldn't otherwise get, they're not typically downloading the programs off the net. MythTv is definitely a geek thing, but it is not fundamentally impractical.
The price comparison is between a MythTv box and a Tivo + subscription cost. The MythTv box is not actually more expensive at all, even to buy it all new. For those of us with a spare, outdated compouter, the cost is simply the cost of a TV card, about $150 max.

[Griffon]

What's free? Nothing is free now that was not free before. You don't seem to be able to keep the subjects seperate... OTA is free to anyone who can hook up an antenna this is by design, it's called broadcast TV and it is not new. Everything else is Sat or cable and you have to pay for it... yes PAY to record it, digitally or otherwise. MythTV is storage, cataloging and playback mechanism... you still must have the proper access rights to ge the shows in the first place. The p2P issue is completely and 100% separate just like dvd decrypting, or making a dub of VCR tape. You can make any argument pro or against about these additional technologies in conjunction with any operating system like Windows or Mac OS, and in particulare about MS's MCE version of windows. They are in no way unique to Linux running MythTV. Strive for a deeper understanding of each issue and how the dam technology ACTUALLY works.

[dan]

Linux/MythTV drivers for 2nd gen PVR cards Most of the popular new PVR cards sold for Windows XP MC are based on Connexant's "Blackbird" design, which hasn't had drivers for Linux or Myth. We have been working on these drivers and released an alpha version at http://plutohome.com. Pluto even has a self-booting kick-start CD that will automatically install & configure everything for you, including a ready-to-go Myth system. It's the fastest and easiest way to get a MythTV PVR up and running, and also installs Xine, Asterisk and our own software to give you the most advanced media & entertainment, home automation, security, telecom & computing system, controllable with your Symbian Bluetooth mobile phone, as well as PDA's and Webpads. We're working hard to harden the drivers as quickly as possible and would like as much feedback as possible. These 2nd generation "Blackbird" cards are lower in price and offer better picture quality than the current models supported in IVTV, so be sure to check them out. visit: plutohome.com, click 'support', 'support site', and choose "CX88 Blackbird Drivers" from the projects menu