judolphin:

From Microsoft's point of view, if they fixed it for Canadians, all you'd have to do is say "I'm in Canada" and their DRM would be broken. They're obviously not willing to do that at this point. Which shows how ridiculous this whole business is.

I'm beginning to think Media Center will die unless this DRM goes away completely. In other words, bye-bye Media Center.

I'm not even sure how to respond to that, to be honest

you'd think that MS would be able to discern the country code you're in with more than just a radio button in a setup gui...

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HTPC#1: MSI K8NGM2-FID, Athlon X2 3800+, 1gb kingston ram, Nvidia Dual Tuner, MCE 2005

HTPC#2: ASUS M2NBP-VM CSM, Athlon X2 3800+, 1gb kingston ram, Hauppauge 150MCE, MCE 2005

Does anybody else feel like MS is trying to avoid the main issue here regarding their various drm's(cgms-a and the broadcast flag) with the new thread from today? 

CGMS-A issues have been known for a long time.  All of the information here they have gathered.  The fact that they are looking for information on other issues doesn't means they are trying to avoid CGMS-A, it simply means parts of the team have other things to do.

Now, will they ever address the true CGMS-A issue (instead of the non-STB issue), I have no idea.

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Chris Lanier
The Green Button Forum Moderator

I'm just glad that Joe keeps saying "we".  Makes it sound like there is more than one person still left at the eHome group.

WRK

jchauvin [MS]:

Microsoft is investigating the Restricted Content Error many of you have reported in various threads <snip>  We do understand the frustration this sort of problem causes, and we do take it seriously.  We are all avid users too, and want to make the experience great. Thanks in advance for helping us track this issue down.

- Joe

Joe Chauvin, Lead Program Manager

Microsoft eHome Division

NetOps TV, Windows Media Center

Oops, he forgot to add "Unless you are Canadian... then we just don't care that you've had a "Restricted Content" issue for a year and a half"...

no kidding

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HTPC#1: MSI K8NGM2-FID, Athlon X2 3800+, 1gb kingston ram, Nvidia Dual Tuner, MCE 2005

HTPC#2: ASUS M2NBP-VM CSM, Athlon X2 3800+, 1gb kingston ram, Hauppauge 150MCE, MCE 2005

RandyG:

jchauvin [MS]:

Microsoft is investigating the Restricted Content Error many of you have reported in various threads <snip>  We do understand the frustration this sort of problem causes, and we do take it seriously.  We are all avid users too, and want to make the experience great. Thanks in advance for helping us track this issue down.

- Joe

Joe Chauvin, Lead Program Manager

Microsoft eHome Division

NetOps TV, Windows Media Center

Oops, he forgot to add "Unless you are Canadian... then we just don't care that you've had a "Restricted Content" issue for a year and a half"...

Well, I understand that you, as our neighbors to the north, are running into this more often than us, but we have had the same problem as you for just as long, just not as often.  I understand your frustration, knowing how often I've encountered this problem. 

My point from 3 or so posts above though, is that they seem to be jumping on that issue within a week of it rearing its head, yet this old problem doesn't even get a reply except for every couple of months, and when it does, it's not from anybody with near the experience/authority of the lead program manager.  Again, another sign of the importance of this issue and making sure that users rights aren't smothered and that their software work as advertised, they could really care less.

no, you still don't get it

CGMS-A is at least a valid flag in the USA
it's not in Canada

we're getting pwned by CGMS-A


can you see the difference?

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HTPC#1: MSI K8NGM2-FID, Athlon X2 3800+, 1gb kingston ram, Nvidia Dual Tuner, MCE 2005

HTPC#2: ASUS M2NBP-VM CSM, Athlon X2 3800+, 1gb kingston ram, Hauppauge 150MCE, MCE 2005

Get a lawyer and start a class action lawsuit against the telivision studios. They are the ones sending the CGMS-A signal. Add on Microsoft for accepting a bogus signal. There are enough Canadians on the boards you should be able to do something.

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hmmm... sue somebody in a Canadian court for doing something that doesn't legally exist in Canada. 

Not sure how to approach that one.   You need to point at a law and say "These guys are breaking the rules".     CGMS-A is not recognized here.  You can text search the entire CRTC database (equivalent of the FCC)  and the word is not even mentioned in there.  Seriously.   It doesn't exist here.  Period.  That's quite likely WHY it's being abused like crazy here too.

Cable box DVRs don't care about it, Sat box DVRs don't care about it.   My VCR sure doesn't mind CGMS-A in the signal ;-)    MCE is the only one that WON'T let you record here.

Well, I am running into the same problem, but here is the rub, for me it only happens with my new Vista Media Center with a Digital Cable Tuner, Not with the system that it replaced, and Old MCE2005 with only an analog tuner.  In fact, My Vista system would not record a Battlestar Galactica, but the 2005 MCE did without a problem.  This was not on Digital Cable.

I did not read all 50 pages of this thread, Just the first 5...

Thought I had deleted the Sig, it is so outdated now....

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HP m1050y, Upgraded to MCE 2005 from 2004, Single Tuner

200 Gb HD

1 GB Ram

17 Inch Flat panel

Wireless and wired network with 4 computers

.6 Terabytes total storage on network