Hmm. Tivo - AOLovision - Tivo - AOLovision...
It would probably be a more fascinating argument if I cared about TV at all. :-)

But I htink they'd have to come up with something exceedingly compelling, since stuff like skipping commercials and time shifting is the reason people buy these things in the first place (as I understand it).

As for the idiotic argument about a 'contract,' I know I sure as hell didn't sign one. And I'm paying for television (well, it's included in my rent or I wouldn't even remotely consider it)

You could consider it an 'understanding,' but any businessman can tell that if it's not in ink, it doesn't exist.

Of course, hating nearly all forms of advertising, I'm not exactly the typical gap-obsessed consumer lemming that they target anyway.

-Posted by JC on March 10, 2003 06:39 PM

AOLTW to offer crippled TiVo clone

I am sure this was the result of some serious contextual inquiry!

I can just imagine a researcher sitting next to a user on the couch, "Ok, so when you record a program on your Tivo, you really miss having commercials right?... Yes you do... Yes you do... You miss them, I mean it!"

-Posted by josh on March 11, 2003 12:59 AM

I've had a tivo for about 3 years now, and I don't understand why anyone would buy this AOL thing. JC is right, the skipping and time shifting is the reason people buy them (in opposite order for me personally). I spent two months on site in VA last year stuck without a tivo and I could not bring myself to regress to the old style of TV. I only watched the world series and the daily show, but I missed it two or three times a week because I forgot to turn on the TV at exactly 11. My Tivo is modded to hold about 100 hours of shows, so when I'm in the mood for TV I turn it on and there are typically 100 or so shows for me to choose from. Many I delete because they are repeats, some I watch, some have been sitting there for months waiting for me. If you don't have one, you need one, its such a fundamentally different way to "participate" in American culture.

As far as commercial skipping, I don't think its stealing. I didn't sign a contract with the network, I don't see any disclaimers on shows, and I'm already paying $75/month, so I don't feel guilty at all. If they want my money, they must convince me to give it to them by offering quality programs that I want to watch. Plus, how much are they actually losing? I don't use long distance, I don't call collect, I'm not buying a car anytime in the near future, a commercial has no effect on whether I will see a movie, etc. I pay HBO extra money because they have shows I want to see, and last I checked they were doing pretty well with that concept. What I don't like is that my some of my money is going to channels I don't watch. Unfortunately the major networks use the heavily biased Neilsen system to make it seem like more people are watching them, when its simply not true.

-Posted by Eric on March 11, 2003 11:33 AM

Plus, it's not like there aren't commercials during cable (non-premium) programs, anyway.

-Posted by Paul on March 11, 2003 01:38 PM

Exactly, Eric! I cannot for the LIFE of me recall the last time I had "that not-so-fresh feeling" (Unless you count when I shelled out $200 for Windows XP, but that was more of an oily/greasy feeling).

Now, if they had lots of intelligent tech commercials (like discovery occasionally plays), AND I watched television more than 10 minutes a week, the ads might have some effect beyond "god I hate commercials, mental note, don't buy from those guys"

But it's also interesting to look at it in a different way... when you say "how much are they actually losing?"

Really... how much are they losing? How much is our time being sold for? Per person, per average 30 seconds of commercial? The data's probably out there, but I'm far too lazy to look. :-)

-Posted by JC on March 11, 2003 02:49 PM