G4 Drops TechTV Name 498
MrM writes "According to the latest press release from G4techTV, G4 will drop the TechTV name in mid-February 2005. This comes as a major step to the old TechTV viewers, as the focused content has become gaming-oriented once more. G4 also released a copy of their "redesigned" logo, but quickly pulled it off the web after release." The article also includes details of "two new series, "Formula D" and "Girls Gone Wired." Formula D appears to be coverage of Drift Racing (because obviously gamers love that), and unfortunately Girls Gone Wired appears to be exactly what you'd expect: Guys ogling video game characters in a beauty pageant.
Hmm... (Score:2, Insightful)
How appropriate...
"Girls Gone Wired" (Score:4, Insightful)
words fail me (Score:5, Insightful)
Thats just sad...
Not a huge surprise (Score:5, Insightful)
How about /.TV? 24 hour news and information for nerds? Fellas?
Re:Uh oh... (Score:4, Insightful)
Having said that, that 'Warez' show you mentioned might not be a bad idea for the general, spyware infested population.
So when... (Score:3, Insightful)
I think the most disturbing TV image ever created by man is the Shadow Watermelon Carrier crafted to advertise the "G-Spot" (that term alone tells you where the minds of the stations owners lie).
I tried.. (Score:4, Insightful)
At least with TechTV, they had decent shows like the ScreenSavers.
Re:Uh oh... (Score:5, Insightful)
G4 bought TechTV for one reason ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Worse thing in ages... (Score:5, Insightful)
Damn... I wish I lived in that universe.
Re:Remember the Golden Days (Score:5, Insightful)
...or when TLC meant "The Learning Channel" rather than "Monster $OBJECT" and "$TRENDY_HOUSE_DECORATING_SHOW"?
Writings on the wall (Score:3, Insightful)
TechTV is dead. Long live TechTV.
Re:SOB.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:another step in the wrong direction (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:G4 bought TechTV for one reason ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Unfortunately, you're right. What they've done is unforgivable. They destoryed the channel, and the shows the kept, save X-Play (which was already far superior to any of the gaming shows G4 already had), they mangled beyond recognition. The Screen Savers is no longer even worth watching.
Call For Help? Gone.
Fresh Gear? Gone.
Unscrewed? Gone.
Tech Live? Gone.
I could go on and on and on. Ugh...it SUCKS.
I sincerely hope someone steps up and resurrects some of this content. It used to be some of the smallest amount of worthwhile content on TV.
Re:another step in the wrong direction (Score:4, Insightful)
It is really too bad that they've ruined a perfectly good channel. There was so much potential to make it better but they just keep making it worse.
Re:"Girls Gone Wired" (Score:2, Insightful)
I somehow don't see it as lasting long. (I mean selling low grade softcore porn is probably not the best way to get viewers post internet.) Though I never understood the centerfolds in gaming mags that they occasionally put in.
Re:SOB.... (Score:5, Insightful)
I too am glad they dropped the TechTV name. I had stopped watching TechTV when they started getting rid of people who knew what the hell they were talking about or would bring people on who knew the what they were talking about. Replacing these true techies with rejects from 'The OC' was a bad move. And, not surprisingly, with these rejects you started to see a younger client base that wanted more game crap.
I was not aware how bad it was until a few weeks when I switched in on and it was all gaming stuff. That was enough for me. Sorry to see the old TechTV go, it was pretty cool having a station like that--although my wife appreciated it much less than I did.
Re:Worse thing in ages... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Extended Play Rocked. X-Play SUCKS! (Score:2, Insightful)
A week or so back I commented on how much the show has gone downhill, and in return was scored -1 Flamebait for it -- apparently I offended the sensibilities of the sort of sad little nerd that thinks any "untouchable" girl is "H0t!". That Morgan is, and this is obviously subjective personal opinion, a paper-bagger, and she certainly wouldn't get attention in any food court across the land. Make her inaccessible, and thus a convenient substitute for real female companionship, and suddenly she's the hottest thing around to dungeon nerds across the land. Screensavers a couple of years back had a host who was entirely plain - she wasn't ugly but at a bar she'd be the cute girl's ugly friend - and she commented several times about how people need to stop sending proposals. Give me a break...
It's not for us. Not for any of us. (Score:3, Insightful)
I wonder if I can call Charter and ask that they drop G4 and put on something else instead?
Re:"Girls Gone Wired" (Score:2, Insightful)
Limited domain (Score:3, Insightful)
Funny (maybe), but not insightful: I think it's implied that the original poster was using 'worst thing that happened in ages' in a limited domain. It's not like just because something really bad happens, we immediately stop considering other, lesser bad things that might be happening - although many governments would like you to (I'm thinking War on Terror vs civil liberties here.)
Re:SOB.... (Score:2, Insightful)
I built my first computer from instructions given by Leo Laporte on Call For Help......
I'll miss TechTV an insane amount. Now it's just filled with crap.
Atleast Sessler is still around.
Re:another step in the wrong direction (Score:3, Insightful)
Same thing that happens with corporate mergers/takeovers. If you can't compete, you "buy them out", completely removing them from the market.
Re:another step in the wrong direction (Score:3, Insightful)
While I personally agree with you, and can't even watch the channel anymore because of how disgusting its become, part of me wonders if we're just being fanboys.
I mean, while these seem like obviously dumb business moves to most of the /. crowd, I wonder if since they are targeting a much more mainstream audience, they are in fact making more money than Tech TV used to. Is viewership in fact up? Perhaps someone with more time than me can post their research findings on this.
I mean, I'm all for bashing G4 for what they've done, but I'd be a little cautious about saying they are making bad business moves until we know for a fact whether or not viewership is up or down and whether or not revenue is up or down since the buyout.
Never underestimate the stupidity of humanity.
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:SOB.... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:SOB.... (Score:3, Insightful)
The one word answer is carriage. G4 was in 15 million homes and TechTV was in 43 million homes.
Now "G4 - Video Game Televison" is carried in 44 million homes.
Re:I'm sorry but... (Score:2, Insightful)
Life is more than a game. Do something new. Take your wife or girlfriend friend on a date. You might like it.
Re:Uh oh... (Score:2, Insightful)