# DVD recorder and cable

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-recorder-and-cable/240723>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 18, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-recorder-and-cable/240723 "2004-04-18T22:24:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-recorder-and-cable/240723/1 "2004-04-18T22:24:38Z")

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I bought an RCA DVD recorder a few months ago to replace a VCR that broke. Just yesterday I tried to record a program off of my digital cable box, and the recorder gave me a message saying that “The audio video content you are trying to copy cannot legally be copied. It has been protected to prevent copies.” I’m now getting this message from most _but not all_ channels, including some channels that I was previously able to record.

For instance, I recorded the first three episodes of _Deadwood_ off HBO last week when they ran them back-to-back. Now I can’t record anything off any of the HBO channels. Just earlier today I was able to record a sample off of TMC, but now, a few hours later, I can’t.

Some of the basic cable channels are “protected” too.

I can still record the non-digital channels through the recorder’s tuner (as opposed to using the direct video input, which is how I record the digital channels), but this is a real pain in the butt. I want to be able to record everything. (This is all strictly for my own personal, time-shifting purposes, of course.)

Does anyone know about this copy protection scheme, and why it should be showing up so erratically? (N.B. I’m _not_ asking how to defeat it, just trying to learn more about it and figure out how and when I should expect it to appear.)

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-recorder-and-cable/240723/2 "2004-04-21T05:06:50Z")

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C’mon, no one knows anything about this???