FCC Challenged On Internet Wiretap Laws
Passports To Get RFIDs After All... But Hopefully Shielded

TV Networks Grasp, A Little, The Need For Change

Culture

from the baby-steps dept

Tue, Oct 25th 2005 6:30pm — Carlo Longino
As far as most TV networks are concerned, there's one way to watch TV shows: live, in their originally scheduled time slots. But as DVRs proliferate and downloads of shows increase, the networks (and their advertisers) are slowly figuring out they've got to adapt their models to fit the new style of viewing habits. First today was news that NBC has agreed to let Time Warner viewers "start over" shows whose beginnings they miss. Say a user flips over 10 minutes into a program -- they'll be able to press a button and watch it live from the beginning, in its entirety. They won't be able to fast-forward through ads or save shows, but it does bring some DVR-like functionality for people withour DVRs. Also announced were Comedy Central's plans for a broadband video service (via Broadband Reports) featuring both clips from some of its popular shows, as well as complementary content and original programming. Like some previous efforts, the offerings are far from perfect, but seem to reveal that TV networks are at last understanding they've got to change to keep people's eyeballs. DVRs and downloads prove there's a consumer demand that traditional TV broadcasts aren't fulfilling. That's an opportunity that will remain missed until they can figure out how to better reach their viewers.
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  • identicon
    matt, 25 Oct 2005 @ 7:05pm

    TV

    So whats next? I can see it now...just like on EdTV companies taking up the bottom part of the screen just so they can get in some advertising. we all know it is gonna happen. it is inevitable. with the use of tivo, DVR, Downloading episodes and what not, there will be no reason to advertise the traditional way (commercial). so the companies will post it across the bottom, and if the broadcasters want any sort of $$ from the people, they will have to encode it on the episode itself. so no matter where u watch it from its gonna have a big playtex add across the bottom.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    jo, 25 Oct 2005 @ 7:17pm

    Old stuff

    How is this news? I've had these services for about 3-4 years on my Time Warner cable acount.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Emre, 25 Oct 2005 @ 9:00pm

      Re: Old stuff

      Also there is an alternative already it's call comcast onDemand... make shows available to watch anytime you want it, with dvd functionality without having a dvr unit. It's all video that is streamed to the box... even ppv works that way... you can stop it and resume it later... ppv's which cost money like normal ppvs are 3.99 for regular movies. everything else is free all the content that discovery puts on, espn, just so many chans... especially if you have hbo or showtime.. all their movies and shows as soon as they air, they go ondemand... mean I can watch sopranos anytime I want after it airs... I don't have to wait for it... just gives me more space on my dvr and no need to record it... all in all over 2000 hours of entertainment anytime I need.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2005 @ 6:48am

    No Subject Given

    I just started a business. I have broadband, all kinds of computers and servers. I pay my bills, but I don't have cash left over for frills. As such I don't get to have a DVR, I don't get anything other than basic cable. I work all the time just to keep things running. That is all apart of starting a new business. I would LOVE to have access to TV shows, even with content, that I could watch on my time and not the networks time. I could sit at my desk, work on my projects for customers and take a break every now and then and watch something that I'm interested in. But nope. the studios are against that kind of thing. So I don't get to watch any TV at all - hence, one less person to add to their audience.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Lee, 26 Oct 2005 @ 7:56am

    That explains it

    my wife and I have TW cable and every so often we would notice that we could "rewind" to the beginning of a show when we came into the middle of it even though we had not recorded it. It only happened a handful of times and we could not understand why it was not replicable on most other shows.
    I guess we accidently participated in an early test by TWC.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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Passports To Get RFIDs After All... But Hopefully Shielded
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