Is it really 'THAT' wrong to record from TV (and keep it)

Basically wanted to see what you all think about this morally, because yes it is 'ILEGAL' at the end of the day.

I recently had Cable (Telewest) installed into my bedroom (for myself), as a family we used to have SKY for over 15 years but then we got rid of it. (I made a thread about it at the time) but I missed it so figured I could budget and pay for it for it all for myself. It's better because no family in the way to ask 'questions' about what you want to watch.

Anyway had Telewest digital installed just before Xmas. Had Telewest over Sky because we had phone and Broadband from Telewest already and the broadband cable came in though my bedroom wall and was easy for them to just run a short wire from it to the TV. Getting to the point I quickly got hooked on something (well 2 shows) I used to watch in my teen years on Nickelodeon. Rocko's Modern Life & Aaah! Real Monsters (now airing on Nicktoons TV 9-10PM nightly).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/ff/Rocko_group.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/22/Realmonsters.jpg/260px-Realmonsters.jpg

Yes ok I know kids shows but Kids shows rock. I got hooked to them quickly again anyway. I'd rather watch them than whatever reality crap everyone else is into, and I have checked but NO DVD's of either (Nowhere not in Region 1 either) so as I had my DVD recorder hooked up the Telewest box I’ve started recording them from live to DVD (with the intension of collecting them all & keeping them). I’ve checked episode guides and they only made 52 episodes of them both anyway and Nicktoons loops them over & over so will record and get them all after a few months.

(I have been here and done this before namely Bewitched-but recorded to VHS back then)

Question I ask of you is morally do you all think its wrong for me to do it? I mean I have looked and there are no DVD's of either of them, and the set will just be for me to watch from I won't try and sell it to others for a profit, but that still is legal according to the law.

So what's your view of all this???

Discuss

Of course it's wrong, no matter how you try to justify it

Really? I have a DVD recorder and record all the time!

It's legal to 'time-shift' record but its ilegal if your keeping the recordings (which I'm doing here). In the days of just VHS people never really thought much of doing it its only since cost effective DVD recording that it seems to have become more 'taboo'

They'll have to catch you first !

I think it's ridiculous that it is technically illegal to record and keep TV programmes. Why does the government allow the sale of DVD recorders and VCRs if what they do is illegal? I wouldn't worry about recording all the episodes and keeping them - how on earth would the police enforce such a ridiculous law? I bet every house in the country has programmes recorded from TV on to DVDs or videotapes to keep, not to mention all the recordings schools have etc.

If it weren't for keeping our recordings we wouldn't know what old Idents and presentation would of been 30 years ago, and sites like TV ARK wouldn't exist. That law is stupid and outdated.

Morally it's never wrong - and legally do you really think anyone has ever been charged for recording stuff for their own personal use.


I think it's wrong to record things deliberately to sell them on - not so sure about doing it for free. For example, I wouldn't see anything wrong in someone recording something of Sky for a friend who hasn't got Sky.



I also think in the long run it doesn't do the original producer any harm - for example with the Sky example - I bet that could help them get new customers.

Just to add the fact that I record them both on DVD-RW discs each night. Then when I've when got them all I’ll put them into the correct running order, trim out the commercial breaks and idents from the start/end, and re-burn them all onto to 'permanent storage DVD-R disks for keeps.

That’s where I will be crossing the line I feel.

Also last time with my Bewitched tapes, they have long gone and I have now BOUGHT official DVD's of it. Difference being I seriously doubt we will EVER see these 2 shows released to DVD's (but never say never).

I never understood why there have a record button But you can;t record of the telly,

also I expect it will take a lot longer that a couple of months to get all 52 episodes as Nicktoons does loops them over & over BUT it usalay of the some episodes ( lie 10 at a time)

good luck

You're right,NerdBoy is wrong.

BTW I feel the need to record them as Nicktoons TV will stop airing them eventually. Nicktoons TV US has (I looked it up)