NFL doesn't want me to use TiVo

Today’s Washington Post carries a jaw-dropping article about TiVo’s latest fight [via waxy]. Tivo ToGo was announced at CES in January of this year, with a planned Fall release, but if the Movie Industry and the NFL get their way, it will never see the light of day.

[PVRblog]

This really pisses me off. I thought I’d seen just how clueless the NFL is when it comes to “customer service”, but apparently I hadn’t even begun to see how low they’d stoop. Now they want to tell me how I can (and, more importantly, can’t) watch their programming? I was excited when Tivo to Go was announced. If NFL has their way, I’m through. I’ll cancel my Sunday Ticket subscription.

Want to talk to someone at the NFL about this? Call (212) 450-2000 and ask to speak with Peter Brickman, senior director of operations and technology for the NFL. (That’s who I left a voicemail with, I’ll let you know if I hear back.)

(Don’t bother calling DirecTV to complain — according to their customer service rep, “We don’t have no contact numbers for nobody at the NFL.”)

Update: Peter called back and was very gracious. Good news and bad news: the good news is that the problem I had last year with NFL Sunday Ticket is now resolved, and I’ll be able to watch the games that I want. (I may have to jump channels to do it, but I’ll get the ones I want.) Bad news: Peter doesn’t believe TiVo has appropriately addressed the encryption issue, and said unequivocally “Keys can be cloned, broken or otherwise compromised. And our IP would be available without any controls.” He said that TiVo to Go is most definitely off the table for this season, but there could always be developments that could affect future seasons.

Bottom line: I understand NFL’s concern about its product. But guess what? I pay them for their product. And I pay DirecTV. And TiVo. At what point have I paid enough people for the privilege of watching right to watch it when I want it?