TV to iPod, PSP Conversion Tools

Now, it’s barely a few days into the New Year and already there are appearing handfuls for software tools for putting “personal copy” video onto not just the iPod, but also onto the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP). As far as we can work out, none of these methods, with the possible exception of the TiVo to iPod/PSP software in TiVoToGo, launched late last year, carries any form of copy protection, and they all rely on unprotected free to air TV content being transferred to the world’s two most popular portable digital devices.

What all of this does is sway the hand of Apple. For as long as there is no copy protection on normally transmitted TV content, then making personal copies with VHS players, DVD recorders and of course Video iPods and PSPs, is perfectly legal. While there are moves afoot to make this illegal in the US, by means of a broadcast flag, it is unlikely that this legislation, if passed in the US, would ever find its way into European or Asian copyright laws.

The Register