I receive a newsletter from Neuros who make a great audio (and now video) recorder and playback device. The software is FLOSS, which fully protects the rights of the owners of these devices to tinker with what they own. The most recent newsletter included the following:
Politics
The Neuros Recorder 2, the Neuros 442, and the future Recorder product line will capture anything that plays on your TV. This includes anything from cable, DVD, VHS tape, or satellite dish. Our gadget will record "Lost" and play it on your computer or handheld devices without the $2 fee through the iTunes store. We think it's a little crazy to pay for a show that was free the night before. We also think it's unfair to have to pay for a movie a second time just because you want to watch it on a different type of device (like a PSP). There is currently legislation in congress working to make our product and other recorders illegal someday. This is shocking, as this is really just a modern version of the VCR.
Neuros is one of the few independent manufacturers motivated to fight for consumer rights, and we believe those rights are eroding over time. Some products record from TV, but many do so in proprietary formats that restrict the use of the files that the user has created for their own use. We think these issues are important, and we think it’s our role to share our views on these issues. To read about our stance in greater depth, please check out http://www.neurosaudio.com/press/freedom.asp.
