ABC gets one thing wrong

[Seamus]

Beside, commercial breaks are invaluable for those who need to bang out a heater.

Is this an M.I.?   

[Aske]

Beside, commercial breaks are invaluable for those who need to bang out a heater.

Is this an M.I.?   

at least moreso than 'puffing on a fag'.

[spacey]

TV used to be free.  It came through the air.  You watched one of four shows and you watched the commercials broadcast during that show.

Aka: last month at spacey's house.

[gleek]

I don't get your argument, however.

TV used to be free.  It came through the air.  You watched one of four shows and you watched the commercials broadcast during that show. 

Roughly 25 years ago they came out with pay TV.  You got to watch this pay TV stuff without commercials.  It was great.  Oh yeah, and MTV played rock-and-roll videos.

If we were to go back to the same paradigm at the advent of cable (pay for commercial-free TV), what do you think a 150-channel basic package would cost today?

I hate commercials as much as the next guy, but advertising is the de facto consumer subsidy program on TV and on the Internet. When the day comes that commercials lose their effectiveness, pay-TV is going to get a whole lot more expensive IMHO.

Having said that, I think the best feature of a DVR is being able to rewind when you get interrupted and miss something. I don't have too many shows programmed to record, so I watch most shows live or a few minutes delayed. I'll skip commercials when I remember to FF, but I don't do it religiously.

At this point, I don't think there's a need to invent some new technology to absolutely eliminate FFing through commercials. I'm sure there are still plenty of people that watch TV live or simply forget to FF like I do.

[spacey]

The reality is that since the invention of the remote control people have been skipping commercials.

As for DVR, even just three weeks later skipping commercials has become almost Pavlovian to me. The wife, not so much.

[stroh]

You've changed man.

[spacey]

You've changed man.

[Uisce Beatha]

I don't get your argument, however.

TV used to be free.  It came through the air.  You watched one of four shows and you watched the commercials broadcast during that show. 

Roughly 25 years ago they came out with pay TV.  You got to watch this pay TV stuff without commercials.  It was great.  Oh yeah, and MTV played rock-and-roll videos.

If we were to go back to the same paradigm at the advent of cable (pay for commercial-free TV), what do you think a 150-channel basic package would cost today?

Big bucks.  Ala carte cable/sat offerings are an entirely different thread though.   

The EPL/Sky survives showing the most popular sports league in Europe advert-free.  Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A -- all the same.  While a different game our most popular league's broadcasts seem to be 40% commercials.  You can PVR through a three hour NFL game in 90 minutes without missing a play.

I don't challenge them on having the commercials.  But if they're going to start down the road of making it so we can't skip them I have a beef.  This service isn't compulsory but I think it's reasonable to believe they wish they could make it so.

Their greed (for $$$) compels them to soak advertisers for spots and us for our slack jawed attention.

Our greed (for time and convenience) compels us to buy PVRs and subscribe to TIVO type services. 

May the best man win.   

[Fuzzy]

free, free, free

...................

Besides, if I can't watch the Superbowl at church then *fudge* everyone I say. 

"everyone" can breathe a sigh of relief from the UB *goshdarn* that was coming their way:

Some link I found on Google

According to reports in the Wall Street Journal Law Blog and the Washington Post, the NFL will permit churches to host big-screen viewings of the Super Bowl, beginning with next year’s game, bowing to Congressional pressure in the form of S. 2591, introduced on February 4, by Senator Arlen Specter. The bill would provide a copyright exemption to certain nonprofit organizations for displays of

“a performance of a professional football contest intended to be received by the general public, originated by a radio or television broadcast station licensed as such by the Federal Communications Commission, or if an audiovisual transmission, by a cable system or satellite radio, if `(i) no direct charge is made to see or hear the transmission or retransmission;`(ii) during the communication no money is accepted or received by the organization; and`(iii) the transmission or retransmission is not further retransmitted by the establishment where the transmission or retransmission is received.”

[Clive]

Having said that, I think the best feature of a DVR is being able to rewind when you get interrupted and miss something. I don't have too many shows programmed to record, so I watch most shows live or a few minutes delayed. I'll skip commercials when I remember to FF, but I don't do it religiously.

At this point, I don't think there's a need to invent some new technology to absolutely eliminate FFing through commercials. I'm sure there are still plenty of people that watch TV live or simply forget to FF like I do.

FWIW, when my wife wants to watch a show, e.g. ER, she plans to sit down at 10:20 PM top begin watching.

I never watch commercials (Super Bowl aside) and I find myself occasionally fingering the FF button even when I'm watching live TV.



(Yeah, I worded it like that as low-hanging fruit.)

[stroh]

 

[spacey]

FWIW, when my wife wants to watch a show, e.g. ER...

So she's the one who still watches. I've often wondered.

[Walfredo]

Well we wouldn't watch anything other than Seasame Street DVDs without our DVR.  Of course it has a month's worth of seasame street on it too.  But with the baby it is hard to watch stuff when it comes on.  So we always watch our shows later in the evening on the DVR.  I often stupidly forget to FF during the commercials of a taped show.  My wife never forgets.  She is the fast forward nazi. 

It normally begins with me turning on our show, say Project Runway.  Then the first commercial break comes and I say something funny about the **** commercial and how dumb it is.  And she says FF you dumb *fudge*.  And takes the remote from me and commences to FF the second the commercial break begins.  And if we start watching something that we are taping, she always asks if we have caught up with reality yet, so as to know when to man the remote FF button. 

[birdymaker]

It normally begins with me turning on our show, say Project Runway.

how ghey is that? i'm just sayin. 

[Clive]

It normally begins with me turning on our show, say Project Runway.

how ghey is that? i'm just sayin. 

Keeps the coworker hotties from hitting on him during smoke breaks.