Editing TiVo (section)

==Issues==
[[File:TiVO green screen.jpg|thumb|[[Screen of death|Green screen of death]] encountered for serious errors on TiVo devices]]

===Privacy concerns===
TiVo collects detailed usage data from units via broadband Internet. As units are downloading schedule data, they transmit household viewing habits to TiVo Inc. Collected information includes a log of everything watched (time and channel) and remote keypresses such as fast forwarding through or replaying content.<ref>[http://www.cs.uml.edu/~dm/pubs/TiVo%20report.htm TiVo's Data Collection and Privacy Practices<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928062056/http://www.cs.uml.edu/~dm/pubs/TiVo%20report.htm |date=September 28, 2011 }}</ref> Many users were surprised when TiVo released data on how many users rewatched the [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy|exposure of Janet Jackson's breast]] during the [[Super Bowl XXXVIII|2004 Super Bowl]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Charny|first1=Ben|title=TiVo watchers uneasy after post-Super Bowl reports|url=http://www.cnet.com/news/tivo-watchers-uneasy-after-post-super-bowl-reports/|access-date=April 30, 2016|work=[[CNET]]|date=February 6, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418123012/http://www.cnet.com/news/tivo-watchers-uneasy-after-post-super-bowl-reports/|archive-date=April 18, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> TiVo records usage data for their own research and they also sell it to other corporations such as advertisers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/technology/26adco.html|title=TiVo Is Watching When You Don't Watch, and It Tattles|first=Saul|last=Hansell|date=July 26, 2006|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=February 23, 2017|archive-date=January 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115194825/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/technology/26adco.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen]] and TiVo have also previously collaborated to track viewing habits. This data is sold to advertising agencies as a way of documenting the number of viewers watching specific commercials to their corporate clients.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dmnews.com/simulmedia-to-use-tivo-data/article/246249/ |date=18 June 2012 |title=Simulmedia to use TiVo data |publisher=Direct Marketing News |access-date=June 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622020710/http://www.dmnews.com/simulmedia-to-use-tivo-data/article/246249/ |archive-date=June 22, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

TiVo has three levels of data collection. By default, the user is in "opt-out" status, where all usage data is aggregated by ZIP Code, and individual viewing habits are not tracked. Certain optional features and promotions require the user to opt in, and individual information is then collected for targeted show suggestions or advertising. Users can request that TiVo block the collection of anonymous viewing information and diagnostic information from their TiVo DVR.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivoprivacypolicy.html |title=Privacy Policy |website=Tivo.com |date=June 23, 2009 |access-date=October 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116120912/http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivoprivacypolicy.html |archive-date=November 16, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Litigation===
TiVo holds several patents regarding digital video recorder technology, including one for its "Time Warp" feature, which have been asserted against cable TV operators and competing DVR box makers.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=DVR Clash: TiVo Sues Time Warner Cable, Motorola |journal=Multichannel News |date=April 2, 2012 |volume=33 |issue=14 |page=28 |url=https://ezp.twu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/dvr-clash-tivo-sues-time-warner-cable-motorola/docview/964006769 |access-date=19 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/06/07/tivo-settles-cisco-motorola-time-warner/2399849/ |title=TiVo settles with Cisco, Motorola and Time Warner |website=usatoday.com |date=June 7, 2013 |access-date=June 19, 2024}}</ref>

===Opposition by content providers===
====Content flagging====
In September 2005, a TiVo software upgrade added the ability for broadcasters to "flag" programs to be deleted after a certain date. Some customers had recordings deleted, or could not use their flagged recordings (transfer to a computer or burn to DVD), as they could with unflagged material. The initial showing of this for random shows was a bug in the software.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Terdiman|first1=Daniel|title=TiVo copy protection bug irks users|url=http://www.cnet.com/news/tivo-copy-protection-bug-irks-users-1/|access-date=April 30, 2016|work=[[CNET]]|date=September 14, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701015510/http://www.cnet.com/news/tivo-copy-protection-bug-irks-users-1/|archive-date=July 1, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> It later was enabled on [[pay-per-view]] and [[Video on demand|video-on-demand]] content.

====Pop-up advertisements====
During early 2005, TiVo began test marketing "pop-up" advertisements to select subscribers, to explore it as an alternative source of revenue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2005/03/27/tivo-testing-banner-ads-during-fast-forwarding|title=TiVo testing banner ads during fast-forwarding?|author=Peter Rojas|date=March 27, 2005 |access-date=September 16, 2017|archive-date=February 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203162033/https://www.engadget.com/2005/03/27/tivo-testing-banner-ads-during-fast-forwarding/|url-status=live}}</ref> The idea was that as users fast-forward through certain commercials of TiVo advertisers, they would also see a [[pop-up ad|static image ad]] more suitable and effective than the broken video stream.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstadopter.com/fa/archives/000780.html |title=Tivo Testing Popup Banner Ads |website=FirstAdopter.com |date=March 28, 2005 |access-date=October 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520090743/http://www.firstadopter.com/fa/archives/000780.html |archive-date=May 20, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="cnet">{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/TiVo-tests-pop-up-style-ads/2100-1041_3-5644197.html |title=TiVo tests pop-up-style ads - CNET News |website=News.cnet.com |access-date=October 16, 2012 |archive-date=November 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102085819/http://news.cnet.com/TiVo-tests-pop-up-style-ads/2100-1041_3-5644197.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

At its announcement, the concept of extra advertisements drew heavy criticism from subscribers. Some lifetime subscribers were upset that they had already paid for a service based upon their previous ad-free experience, while others argued that they had purchased the service for the specific purpose of dodging advertisements. In 2007, TiVo made changes to its pop-up ad system to show pop-up ads only if the user fast-forwards through a commercial that has a corresponding pop-up ad.<ref name="betanews">{{cite web |url=http://www.betanews.com/article/TiVo_Fast_Forward_Popup_Ads_Return/1168964730 |title=TiVo Fast Forward Popup Ads Return |website=Betanews.com |date=January 16, 2007 |access-date=October 16, 2012 |archive-date=January 15, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115020757/http://www.betanews.com/article/TiVo_Fast_Forward_Popup_Ads_Return/1168964730 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_26/b4137049282814.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090622071222/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_26/b4137049282814.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 22, 2009|title=Business Week: TiVo Wants to Be the Google of Television. How?|website=Businessweek.com}}</ref>

In 2019, some TiVo DVRs began running "pre-roll advertisements." These ads are short, but mandatory. The ads run before the user can play a recorded program. The ads are downloaded from the Internet, so a brief delay occurs before the mandatory ads begin, further delaying playback. Only TiVo DVRs using TiVo Experience 4 software (Roamio, Bolt, Edge, etc.) have this forced advertising, earlier TiVo software does not deploy pre-roll ads.

===GNU General Public License and Tivoization===
{{Main|Tivoization}}
In 2006, the [[Free Software Foundation]] decided to combat TiVo's technical system of blocking users from running modified software.

This behavior, which [[Richard Stallman]] dubbed [[Tivoization]], was tackled by creating a new version of the [[GNU General Public License#Version 3|GNU General Public License]], the GNU GPLv3, which prohibits this activity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fsfe.org/campaigns/gplv3/brussels-rms-transcript#tivoisation|title=Richard Stallman explains the new GPL provisions to block "tivoisation"|website=Fsfe.org|access-date=May 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522041858/https://fsfe.org/campaigns/gplv3/brussels-rms-transcript#tivoisation|archive-date=May 22, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Kernel (operating system)|kernel]] of the [[operating system]] of TiVo-branded hardware, the [[Linux kernel]], is distributed under the terms of the GNU GPLv2. The FSF's goal is to ensure that all recipients of software licensed under the GPLv3 are not restricted by hardware constraints on the modification of distributed software.

This new license provision was acknowledged by TiVo in its April 2007 [[SEC filing]]: "we may be unable to incorporate future enhancements to the GNU/Linux operating system into our software, which could adversely affect our business".<ref>{{cite web|last=McDougall|first=Paul|date=2007-06-01|title=TiVo Warns Investors New Open Source License Could Hurt Business|url=https://www.informationweek.com/tivo-warns-investors-new-open-source-license-could-hurt-business/d/d-id/1055736|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705063404/https://www.informationweek.com/tivo-warns-investors-new-open-source-license-could-hurt-business/d/d-id/1055736|archive-date=2020-07-05|access-date=2020-07-05|website=[[InformationWeek]]}}</ref>

=== CableCard Support Uncertainty (USA) ===
In September 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) changed its rules so that cable television providers no longer must support CableCard. Providers may choose to keep supporting CableCard, but TiVo owners have no assurance. The cable television provider may discontinue CableCard support at any time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Federal Communications Commission|date=September 4, 2020|title=MB Docket No. 16-42|url=https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/0904136726879/FCC-20-124A1.pdf|website=Federal Communications Commission|access-date=September 29, 2021|archive-date=September 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929024529/https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/0904136726879/FCC-20-124A1.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>