JeffKirvin.net

Macleans.ca | Top Stories | Technology | Hot television: “Why is a TV executive so agitated about online pirates? Because he, like most media honchos, has seen the scary numbers indicating that the next big craze in illegal file-sharing is not music, not movies, but television. High-quality digital copies of popular shows such as Desperate Housewives, The West Wing and, well, pretty much anything else on the tube are available online a few hours after they air, many in high definition. Pirates with HD-ready TV sets can enjoy these shows in widescreen format and in better picture quality than what regular cable provides — no need to spring for satellite feeds or specialty channels. All they need is a high-speed Internet connection, a modicum of computer know-how, a little patience — and a willingness to risk a lawsuit. With the spread of personal video recorders like TiVo, ‘people are ignoring the old notion that you watch your program at 8 o’clock when CBS or NBC decides you should be watching it,’ says Mike McGuire, a digital rights expert with research company Gartner Inc. ‘And they’re using the Internet to do that.’”