Am I the only one who finds this a tad discomforting?

[DevilsAdvocate2]

It seems big brother-ish. I know it's not the most pressing issue in the world today, but I still don't like the idea of a company monitoring what I watch, rewind, or re-watch.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/02/03/television.tivo.reut/index.html

[Sagan]

1. I don't have Tivo...

But I thought the same thing when I read that story. Thing is, I DO have digital cable. Can THEY monitor what I'm watching, too?

[4morewars]

2. so get rid of it !

you can "tivo" with a computer

[Loonman]

3. Ehhhh, doesn't bother me

I don't have Tivo.

They'll find out I watch South Park and Reno 911! and the odd nature documentary.

[DevilsAdvocate2]

4. I don't have Tivo either

And this article is one reason why

[lastknowngood]

5. Well the real question is have they installed

a camera in the system yet to watch you watch. You know they will come up with a "novel" idea of how that is going to help you enjoy the great one eyed monster.

[denverbill]

6. If it bothers you, disconnect your phone line.

ET can't call home without it.

[tom_paine]

7. No, not the only one

Orwell's prophesies are coming true.

God Help us if they go all the way to their logical conclusion, which seems likely.

[truizm]

15. Surveillance Cameras...

http://notbored.org/the-scp.html

[skypilot]

8. "God's machine"

I found that description of TiVo very discomforting, especially coming from Michael Powell.

[Cleita]

9. I read the same thing this morning in the newspaper.

Now I am glad I don't get Tivo. I was thinking of getting one too. I didn't know they could track what you were watching, but now that I think about it, can't they do this with the satellite dish too? Makes you wonder if the receivers have a cameras mounted on them looking into your living room.

[DevilsAdvocate2]

10. I think the key to the tracking

Is having the box hooked up to a phone line. I have Direct TV but it's not plugged into a phone jack. They say it needs to be hooked up to one at all times but mine never has been and I haven't had any problems with it.

[denverbill]

11. Ditto with my PVR on Dishnetwork.

They actually said ALL 3 of my boxes needed to be continuously connected to a phone line, but the installer told me that was BS, and since none were conveniently located near phone lines, I never bothered.

[Cleita]

12. This is true.

We originally got the Dish because we were traveling around in a trailer and we definitely didn't have a phone line to connect it to.

[Shirley_U_Geste]

13. I hope TiVo is monitoring me

Seriously, I hope the folks at TiVo are paying attention to everything I watch. I am sure this info makes it to some report that is sold to the entertainment industry. I want them to know what I like so that they can produce more of it.

What am I missing here? Why would I care if TiVo knows what I watch or what I rewind?

[fleetus]

14. Maybe a good point.

If TiVo really does tell the parent company what everyone watches, that would be useful information to people who do ratings and probably not anyone else. (Ashcroft's not really going to arrest me for watching the Canadian News, I hope)

The reason "the man" prints Michael Moore's books is because those books make money. If "the man" can sell ad time during liberal shows (backed by TiVo statistics), we will probably see slightly more liberal shows. Chomsky and his Necessary Illusions, aside.

The scariest part to me is if TiVo is doing this and it's not part of their contract with the viewer to do so.