[nVidiot_Whore]

Yeah but it is not going to be $10 a channel a month?. No way Jose! You pay $2 per episode right now, so with your $10 you will be able to watch one show, per month. For instance, NBC alone has close to $2 billion in ad revenues per year. so really, nothing wrong with some ads.

$10 per month would be $120 per year per customer.

To reach that $2 billion number, they'd need less than 17 million customers.

Probably not really that feasible, but I dunno.. maybe it is?

[Sean]

The Hollywood Reporter article has been updated, CBS and NBC have also sued Dish Networks today. Shit just got real.

NBC Statement:

"NBC has filed suit against this unlawful service in order to keep over-the-air broadcast television a strong competitor. Advertising generates the revenue that makes it possible for local broadcast stations and national broadcast networks to pay for the creation of the news, sports and entertainment programming that are the hallmark of American broadcasting. Dish simply does not have the authority to tamper with the ads from broadcast replays on a wholesale basis for its own economic and commercial advantage."

CBS Statement:

“This service takes existing network content and modifies it in a manner that is unauthorized and illegal. We believe this is a clear violation of copyright law and we intend to stop it.”

[Synth_floyd]

Didn't they try and oppose VCR recording too because you can fast forward past commercials?

[Talon]

Satellite company vs. networks.

Whoever wins, we lose!

[Marty Chinn]

Didn't they try and oppose VCR recording too because you can fast forward past commercials?

This isn't fast forwarding. This is eliminating. They aren't suing over Dish Network's DVR being able to fast forward past commercials.

Plus there probably is a difference between the user doing it compared to the service provider. A DVR/VCR has the user fast forwarding. What is going on here is the service provider tagging and eliminating the commercial.

[The Technomancer]

Didn't they try and oppose VCR recording too because you can fast forward past commercials?

VCRs were a false alarm because advertisers didn't stop buying network time, and so the money kept coming in. This one might also be a false alarm. But there might also be a piece of technology that does kill television advertising. I can understand their fear.

The real core of the problem here is not whether consumers can skip commercials or not, its whether advertisers decide that its no longer financially wise to invest in television advertising (because they aren't seeing returns on their investment because consumers aren't watching ads)

And that, in all likelyhood, is why the NBC exec considers it "insulting". Not because he likes making people watch ads, but because its a blatant attempt to disrupt their business model and their business model is so simple that the makers of the device certainly know what they're doing.

[Raistlin]

Cable, now there is some bullshit. Why the hell are there ads on cable?

Because people are barely willing to pay for cable as is. I'd love to see the prices for add-free.

[Centurion]

the fact that they all filed suit against Dish in the same day is pretty revealing. They're going to strong arm Dish Network no matter what.

[dead souls]

Tivo had to remove their 30 second skip feature. Precedent suggests that they might win.

Newer Tivo devices allow users to choose between a 30 second scan or a 30 second skip feature. It hasn't been removed.

[Marty Chinn]

Newer Tivo devices allow users to choose between a 30 second scan or a 30 second skip feature. It hasn't been removed.

Well they put it back in then. It used to be there and was explicitly removed. I remember people hacking it to re-enable it, but it was gone for awhile because of a similar issue.

[XiaNaphryz]

Newer Tivo devices allow users to choose between a 30 second scan or a 30 second skip feature. It hasn't been removed.

The old Tivo I had when I first got DirecTV like 6 years ago still had the skip. All the DirecTV DVRs I've had also have the feature.

[gcubed]

i'm sure the major issue in the "skip" is the blacked out screen while skipping the commercials.

[Centurion]

awwwwwww snap, it's on!

Today, Dish Network found itself being sued by Fox, CBS and NBCUniversal in separate lawsuits over the feature, while simultaneously launching its own lawsuit against the three networks and ABC to defend the legality of its creation.

[Fantastical]

If consumers aren't interested in watching advertisements, and advertisements are the primary source of your company's income, it's time to change your business model.

I'd much rather watch advertisements than pay for shows a la carte. I don't think other consumers are demanding to pay for this content a la carte either.

[-COOLIO-]

I'd much rather watch advertisements than pay for shows a la carte.

time is money and ads take up my time

I don't think other consumers are demanding to pay for this content a la carte either.

i think theyd prefer it if given the choice

id rather pay cash for exactly the tvs shows i wanna watch per episode via download which is perfectly doable

[Tapiozona]

time is money and ads take up my time i think theyd prefer it if given the choice id rather pay cash for exactly the tvs shows i wanna watch per episode via download which is perfectly doable

Time is money when you're working. If you're watching TV while you're on the job you should be fired.

Your time is worth 0 if you're watching TV on the couch at home.

[Marty Chinn]

i think theyd prefer it if given the choice id rather pay cash for exactly the tvs shows i wanna watch per episode via download which is perfectly doable

They have that option right now; you have that option right now. Why isn't it catching on at the rate that you are claiming?

[-COOLIO-]

Time is money when you're working. If you're watching TV while you're on the job you should be fired. Your time is worth 0 if you're watching TV on the couch at home.

people pay to have leisure time. without a job youre homeless on the street with nothing, which wouldnt count as leisure time, it's more like suffering time

[nVidiot_Whore]

Consumers have never been "interested in watching advertisements."

But it's how entertainment has been funded for decades.. part of why the entertainment industry in the US is as large as it is.

It even effects FILMS too, because films actually get a LOT of money by selling TV licenses, which are often based on advertising.

Technology is allowing consumers to circumvent one of the largest revenue sources the entertainment industry has.. it may or may not cause a "bubble" to burst, because the idea that they can just "adapt" is.. not really based on sound logic.

What they are "adapting to" is the ability to make far less money.. so part of that adaptation will likely be a smaller entertainment industry.

[-COOLIO-]

They have that option right now; you have that option right now. Why isn't it catching on at the rate that you are claiming?

well if im unaware of it i guess other people are too? maybe fox and the like should be pushing it more. what are some examples btw?

[Marty Chinn]

well if im unaware of it i guess other people are too? maybe fox and the like should be pushing it more. what are some examples btw?

http://www.amazon.com/l/2864549011/ref=DV_3Pack_TV
http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/tv-shows/

[-COOLIO-]

http://www.amazon.com/l/2864549011/ref=DV_3Pack_TV http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/tv-shows/

thats some cool shit. i think the price might be a little steep compared to cable but not bad

[Prologue]

Don't the cable networks still get the views? Isn't that what matters?

[LCGeek]

I watch very little tv. To me it's more offensive they think during a video experience I want to put up with ads. If it's on cable I put up with but if it's already pre recorded in any form what a crock of shit to hear. The same executive posting this philosophy probably thinks a billion advertisments and copyright notices benefit legit users of dvds and blurays.

[Centurion]

Don't the cable networks still get the views? Isn't that what matters?

advertisers will (likely) see a decline in the effectiveness of their commercial ads, so they won't be worth the same amount as they are now.

[DBT85]

If this is apparently violating their copyright because it makes a copy of the protected material how the fuck have PVRs become so popular and not got buried under piles of litigation?

Sky+ in the UK is built around the fact that you can pause, fast forward and rewind TV as well as your pre recorded shows. If I'm watching something that starts at 8 and is an hour long I'll start watching at 8:15 just so that I can fast forward that shit. When I'm watching something that's already recorded I'll skip the ads. And I live in the UK where we are only allowed 12 minutes of commercial material per hour. In the US it's nigh on ridiculous at what, 18 minutes?

I don't what the difference is in terms of their suits which are all based around the copyright angle rather than the truth of that matter that they'll lose money and so not be able to make any decent TV. On that basis NBC shouldn't be allowed any ads outside of a couple of shows anyway.

“This service takes existing network content and modifies it in a manner that is unauthorized and illegal. We believe this is a clear violation of copyright law and we intend to stop it.”

They aren't modifying anything though, I imagine the box still records the ads, it doesn't show them. If you invented a box that for the 3 minutes of adverts it switched the TV off would that still be a violation of copyright law?

[Marty Chinn]

thats some cool shit. i think the price might be a little steep compared to cable but not bad

That's because you falsely believe ala carte is going to be cheaper. The option is there, people aren't jumping on it in masses. It's been there for awhile.

I watch very little tv. To me it's more offensive they think during a video experience I want to put up with ads. If it's on cable I put up with but if it's already pre recorded in any form what a crock of shit to hear. The same executive posting this philosophy probably thinks a billion advertisments and copyright notices benefit legit users of dvds and blurays.

How do you expect these shows to get paid for and displayed for free to the viewer?

[wenis]

awwwwwww snap, it's on! Today, Dish Network found itself being sued by Fox, CBS and NBCUniversal in separate lawsuits over the feature, while simultaneously launching its own lawsuit against the three networks and ABC to defend the legality of its creation.

cant wait to see how this plays out.