Network Scheduling to Mess with Tivo 525
Yahoo is running a bit about Networks messing with PVRs by adding a minute to shows. If a show runs to 9:01, then you can't Tivo a show on another channel that starts at 9. I've noticed this, although it's less of a factor if you have a dual tuner tivo, but it's interesting to see a bit of mainstream coverage.
Can You Blame Them? (Score:5, Interesting)
1. Add minutes to end of shows
2. Decrease TIVO usage
3. More viewers see more commericals
4. Profit.
It makes perfect sense.
The other thing that people forget is that TBS has been doing this for a while. If you are "kept" at one channel for 5 minutes longer, you are going to miss the beginnings of the "hooker" beginner part of shows on other channels.
This points out an inadequacy of TiVo (Score:5, Interesting)
The logic will need to be fuzzed a bit and adjusted to account for this. As it stands, the TiVo software will not consider recording a show already in progress unless the user forces it. The software will need to be made more intelligent so as to consider a show only one minute into it, for all intents and purposes, as being right at the start.
Re:Not Just TiVos (Score:5, Interesting)
It's worth noting that this should really only work with popular shows. Suppose one station has an unpopular show on before a more popular one. If it goes over by a minute, people flipping stations at 9:00 will see the end of that show and pass it over. In this case it would be more advantageous to end on time and get the popular show started right away at 9:00 sharp.
I have no problem with this. (Score:5, Interesting)
If the show runs from 9:00 - 10:01, then don't list 9:00 - 10:00 in the schedule.
If the times were correct, then Tivo would be able to figure it out.
Re:A Patch Is In Order? (Score:5, Interesting)
The same thing pertains to recording a few minutes into the next scheduled recording. Is there some technical reason why TiVo can't handle slightly odd recording times, or is it just a case of too little competition?
Scheduling has always needed updating (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Killing the Golden Goose? (Score:3, Interesting)
Was it? I always thought it was a novel idea. When I was channel surfing from the network stations because they were on commercial there was always something on TBS because they were always 5 minutes late.
Re:Can You Blame Them? (Score:5, Interesting)
1. Add minutes to end of shows
2. Decrease TIVO usage
3. Viewers TIVO something else and watch that instead, or grab an MPEG of the show from BitTorrent.
4. Less Profit.
Re:TiVo could simply change their software a bit.. (Score:3, Interesting)
TBS did this when it was first starting out... (Score:3, Interesting)
2 solutions that work for my wife (Score:5, Interesting)
1. Watch the opposing show on the station in a different time zone. We get channels from other broadcast cities, and since we're in Dallas it is easy to catch a show on the L.A. channels an hour or two later. We can also record the later show if nothing else is on that we want to watch.
2. Usenet. Most, if not all, of the popular shows are available in DivX (or similar) format the next morning. I simply cue up the shows and burn a couple to a CD or DVD, then play back on our Philips DVP642. That way if there's a night that's slow for TV shows, we can just catch up on what we missed the other night.
Option 1 is more preferable from the network execs' standpoint. Option 2 is more preferable from our standpoint since we get to keep the shows and watch them at our convenience, even if that means on my laptop while dinner is cooking, etc.
At somepoint, the networks need to realize that WE WANT OUR PROGRAMMING OUR WAY. We don't always mind commercials, we don't mind in-show advertising (I don't personally, YMMV), but we mind you playing games with us and hindering our ability to watch a simple show on the television.
Note: We only have one PVR in the house. The equipment fee to "rent" one from Dish is not overly expensive, but we (read: I) prefer to spend the money on Usenet and blank CDs.
Happened once before as well... (Score:2, Interesting)
I expect it would be just as easy to add a "start one minute late" checkbox.
Some stations purposely (doesn't TBS still do this?) start their programs 5 minutes after the hour to catch channel surfers.
I have found that recordings (Tivo, etc) can be affected when the station you are recordings clock is a little off as well.
I have wanted a custom timer start/stop option for some time. Sure, being able to "point and click" is nice, but adding a pre/delay would be an excellent value add at little cost to the manufacturers.
Geez, if a $29.00 VCR can start/stop anytime, why can't a $200 Tivo?
Anti-Tivo (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't understand why people are freaking out about Tivo and other PVR/DVR systems. I'll be the first to admit, I'm a jerk about copyright infringement. Music, software, etc, etc. I've been getting a lot better now that I'm not a poor highschool or college student, but I DO have a bad track record.
With that said, however, never once did I even ponder the idea of either downloading OR uploading recorded TV shows. Why? Because they're already freely available. There is nothing I need to see THAT BADLY that I can't just tell SageTV to record the next time it pops up and go about my business. If I won't be able to see it for a year or so until they slide it into the re-runs, and I positively have to see it, I'll purchase the season (ala SG-1).
Why would I want to download a show recorded by someone else when I can get the exact same thing for myself without almost any effort? Aside from the fact that I may get a kick out of their crazy local commercials that may or may not appear on it, there's absolutely no reason for me to do this.
As for skipping advertisements, which I know is the real worry; keep things in perspective. Yes, I do fastforward through commercials (when I'm not too lazy to pick up the remote (now THAT is lazy!)). But even if I didn't have that option, you can bet your ass I would spin my chair around and turn some music on while muting the TV, or using the bathroom, or making a sandwich, or throwing socks at my cat in an effort to make him freak out. I don't feel like I'm anything unusual here; most people are the same way. Would I download a movie? Yes. Would I download a TV show? No. Could others? Yes. But I've been seeing avi's of The Simpsons floating around on my campus network since 2000. The more PVRs, the better, because now people aren't sharing, they're making these recordings themselves.
I'm sure there's a point in there somewhere. Or at least I hope so. If not, at least I may be able to start a discussion.
Multi-tuners? (Score:2, Interesting)
How much extra does it cost to add a 2nd or 3rd tuner to a DVR? Yeah, there's some can-we-write-several-programs-at-once-to-disk issues, but those are minor and can be compensated for in software by degrading the recording.
Re:Interesting, but not a problem for most (Score:2, Interesting)
with the broadcast flag is that with the
spread of PVRs, at some point abusing the
flag will cost them more than it will gain them.
If we can't DVR a show, it won't get watched.
Period.
_Then_ try and sell the use of the flag to advertisers.
The compressing of credits isn't fair to actors (Score:3, Interesting)
close (Score:5, Interesting)
should actually be:
"As long as they can convince the advertiser that the viewer is in front of the tube so they can get their advertising revenue, that's all that matters."
Re:TBS did this when it was first starting out... (Score:3, Interesting)
That was a tactic from the old days to force the assistant to open the till (and give the person their change), thus (IIRC) registering the sale.
Otherwise, the assistant could simply pocket the $11.00 he/she was given.
I don't think I've ever parsed $10.99 as being any different from $10.95 or $11.00.