Copying Tivo Recorded Program to DVD-R/W

[Chuck]

I'm new to DVD recording and hopefully someone can help me with a problem I'm experiencing.

Where I live I cannot receive broadcast TV so I'm forced to use either cable or satellite. The cable is always going out so I've decided to use DirectTV. I have a DirectTV Tivo tuner/HD recorder and a Sony RDR-GX300 DVD recorder (without a HD). Both units are connected to a Rotel RSP976 surround processor.

I have recorded several episodes of HBO's Deadwood using my DirectTV Tivo tuner/HD recorder and have viewed them. Now, I would like to make DVD copies using the Sony DVD recorder.

I attempted to make a copy of the first episode this morning. After recording the program, the DVD menu showed an untitled recording with 60 minutes of content. However, when I attempt to play the recording all I get is a blank screen.

So, I'm afraid that I may be experiencing the benefits of the "copy guard function." If so, are certain (or all) programs broadcast by DirectTV transmitted with copy guard protection? And, other than for a good progressive scan DVD player, what else can I use this DVD recorder for?

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!
Chuck

[Pinknik]

From THE PERFECT VISION:

Article: HBO Begins the Era of Analog Copy Protection

Quote near end of article:

"The activation of CGMS-A," (reportedly in June) "will prevent consumers from transferring regular HBO content from a hard-drive recorder to a DVD recorder for archiving. There can be no recording made of HBO-On-Demand, preventing paid subscribers from watching such programming "where" they want to and "when" they want to."

"CGMS-A is a technilogical way for Hollywood to circumvent the home-recording rights that were granted to us in the Supreme Court's Betamax decision."

End quote. Sounds like that may be the answer to your delima. Gee, thanks a lot HBO.

[Vivaldinization]

Yep. Welcome to the world of DRM, aka "technology that nobody (except content companies) wants, developed by companies that everyone (except content companies) hates."

I'm sure you can get around it. Check online. People hack their TIVOs (to, y'know, make them do what *they* want instead of what HBO wants) all the time.

[SVL]

You might still be able to use the Sony for recording this content to a DVD-R(W) (not +) if you format the blank as a DVD-VR, not DVD-video. It might even be in the manual.

I remember my own Sony (RDR-GX3) allowing to do that with a CPRM-encoded program... could only record it once though (no further transfers to digital), and it does not copy on a PC-based DVD-RW - in fact, the drive cannot even read the DVD-VR, because the protection code does not let the Sony finalize the disc.

I guess I could still pull out the video file with ISO Buster or something, and then re-encode to a regular VOB, but that is too much hassle:)