ABC To Block FF for VOD on Cox DVRs

[atmuscarella]

Interesting Development:

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9716973-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

or if you subscribe to Wall Street Journal on line:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117859428581995482.html?mod=home_whats_news_us

Thanks,

[ZeoTiVo]

well that is an interesting trade off.

so a related question might be
If TiVo/UNBOX offered free downloads of TV shows or movies but they had ads you could not FF or skip, would you use such a service?

I just might myself if there was no charge from UNBOX.


But then that leads to a deeper question - if I now found I got all my shows from legal downloads onto my TiVo and cancelled my cable TV bill, would I keep the TiVo or just hook a PC up to my TV for the downloads?

Would I be happy being back in the world of free TV but forced to actively ignore stupid long commercial break spots again

[atmuscarella]

ZeoTiVo:

It brings up several questions for me:
How much is my time worth and
How much is the ability to use FF or 30 sec skip worth.


For me they are both worth allot.

It also brings into play how the satellite companies and cable companies might be able to squeeze channels. If DVRs became the norm I could see someone saying to say the SciFi channel we will pay $X to carry your network, but if you would like us to block FF and 30 second skip we will only pay you $1/2X.

Thanks,

[Mr. Coffee]

I wonder, though, if it will be like the streams they have on abc.com.. When you watch it there, you have a commercial break, but it's usually only 30 seconds. (one commercial), then it's back to the show.

Not bad. But of course, if it's the 2 minutes of commercials every break, that's something different.

[ZeoTiVo]

If DVRs became the norm I could see someone saying to say the SciFi channel we will pay $X to carry your network, but if you would like us to block FF and 30 second skip we will only pay you $1/2X.

Thanks,
TiVo would not have to honor such deals though and if they tried it on anything but VOD then it would put the cable company DVR as a distinct disadvantage. I know the networks have tried various ways to say TiVo is doing something illegal by lettng people skip commercials and none have gotten far at all. I see this as a strictly VOD type situation.

[ZeoTiVo]

I wonder, though, if it will be like the streams they have on abc.com.. When you watch it there, you have a commercial break, but it's usually only 30 seconds. (one commercial), then it's back to the show.

Not bad. But of course, if it's the 2 minutes of commercials every break, that's something different.
they get to hunt for that line where people will tolerate the commercials. At first I would think it to be just a few ads until more people try it and more ad sponsors get comfortable with the concept..

What a great way to get shows to take hold with the viewers despite any scheduling gymnastics. Word of mouth could start to mean something again nad maybe a show gets a longer than 3 episodes chance at life. :up:

[TerpBE]

Somebody needs to invent a box that would record live TV for you to watch later so you could create your own library of "on demand" shows that you could fast forward through. That would be a great idea!

[ZombiE]

I'll bet a rabbit with a pancake on its head that this type of situation will continue to bleed on over to the other networks and stations as advertisers demand FF blocks.

I know this is only for VOD, right now.........


Z

[ZeoTiVo]

The ad writes itself, "<Ominous music as cigar-smoking industrialists plot to control the world> You cable company is disabling fast forward. <Light and cheerful music> TiVo will never do such a thing!" Hey, TiVo take the pledge!
and you now have Devil horns vs TiVo antennae

Still I think it would be awesome for UNBOX to match and offer free downloads for the price of having to play commercials.

[jmoak]

Camel. Nose. Tent....

But TiVo could decide to do the same thing, in exchange for a payment from each network - or maybe more profitably from individual advertisers. After all, TiVo has to make a profit somehow...TiVo could also decide to only record "popular" programs full of ads, in exchange for a payment from each network - or maybe more profitably from individual advertisers. After all, TiVo has to make a profit somehow...

Monkeys. Fly. Butt...
;)

[atmuscarella]

Originally Posted by ZeoTiVo
TiVo would not have to honor such deals though and if they tried it on anything but VOD then it would put the cable company DVR as a distinct disadvantage. The question I would have is can cable cards be made to put in these restrictions if not we are pretty safe if they can then it could get "interesting". Plus as more stuff goes HD satellite companies will have no direct DVR competition - I could see something like this happening on their boxes over time. Example: SciFi channel goes HD and restricts FF/30 second skip on satellite and cable DVRs for HD but not for their SD feed not sure if that would cause enough people to defect to something else or not. They might even be able to use it to restrict FF/30 second skip on only certain shows (first run, high volume, etc.).

Thanks,

[ZeoTiVo]

The question I would have is can cable cards be made to put in these restrictions if not we are pretty safe if they can then it could get "interesting". Plus as more stuff goes HD satellite companies will have no direct DVR competition - I could see something like this happening on their boxes over time. Example: SciFi channel goes HD and restricts FF/30 second skip on satellite and cable DVRs for HD but not for their SD feed not sure if that would cause enough people to defect to something else or not. They might even be able to use it to restrict FF/30 second skip on only certain shows (first run, high volume, etc.).

Thanks,
no - it can not be enforced via cable card given the current rules and standards.

and sure sat companies are still allowed to be closed off systems so they would have far less to worry about - excpet for people dropping sat completely and going to cable to avoid it

[CrispyCritter]

Somebody needs to invent a box that would record live TV for you to watch later so you could create your own library of "on demand" shows that you could fast forward through. That would be a great idea!It would never sell. And even if it did, people would be predicting imminent doom for the company for at least the first 9 years of its existence, and who would want to put up with that? :rolleyes:

[ashu]

Somebody needs to invent a box that would record live TV for you to watch later so you could create your own library of "on demand" shows that you could fast forward through. That would be a great idea!

Awesome idea! Would this device (http://www.tivo.com/0.0.asp) do it?






:D

[HDTiVo]

Somebody needs to invent a box that would record live TV for you to watch later so you could create your own library of "on demand" shows that you could fast forward through. That would be a great idea!
Nah, could never afford the patent licenses.

[GoHokies!]

Somebody needs to invent a box that would record live TV for you to watch later so you could create your own library of "on demand" shows that you could fast forward through. That would be a great idea!That's a brilliant idea!

Too bad a Hokie had to come up with it first: ;)
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5127816#post5127816

One of these days that turtle will catch up! ;)

[HDTiVo]

Interesting Development:

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9716973-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

or if you subscribe to Wall Street Journal on line:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117859428581995482.html?mod=home_whats_news_us

Thanks,
Just a wrong turn down a cul de sac.