Replay dumps commerical skip capability

[Pete K.]

This Reuters article says Echostar DVR's don't have "automatic" commercial
skip capability. Maybe not, but I automatically reach for the remote and
hit the "30 second skip" button every time commericals come on.

ReplayTV Strips Ad Skipping in New DVR Models
By REUTERS

Filed at 1:51 p.m. ET

NEW YORK ( Reuters) - D&M Holdings Inc.(6735.T) on Tuesday said its new ReplayTV digital television recorder will not include controversial features such as automatically skipping commercials and sharing shows via the Internet.

Due in August, the new ReplayTV 5500 series will remove the ``Commercial Advance'' and ``Send Show'' options present in models that are currently for sale. Digital video recorders (DVR) save hundreds of hours of TV programs to a hard drive and allow users to pause live TV and instantly replay selected scenes.

When ReplayTV in 2001 introduced its 4000 series of DVRs, those services upset major media players such as Viacom Inc. (VIAb.N) and the TV networks, which sued SONICblue, ReplayTV's previous owner, claiming that the service violated copyrights and robbed them of advertising revenue.

All other currently available models will retain the commercial skipping and Internet-sharing features. Competitive products made by TiVo Inc. (TIVO.O) and EchoStar Communications Corp.'s (DISH.O) Dish Network do not have these features.

ReplayTV said the new devices will include updated software that allows users to skip reruns, eliminate programming conflicts and ``Pause and Resume,'' where a viewer can halt a saved program playing on a ReplayTV box in one room, and finish watching that same program on a device in another room.

[Mike123abc]

I have a VCR with that feature, it speeds forward looking for the fade to black before the show starts back up. I do not really ever use it since it is not always reliable.

[dbronstein]

Originally posted by Pete K.
This Reuters article says Echostar DVR's don't have commerical skip capability. Since when?

I can only speak to the 721 and it doesn't have it. It has 30-second skip, which is not the same thing.

Dennis

[Scott Greczkowski]

Good thing they don't make 35 second commercials or I would have to watch one every once in awhile. :)

I notice they are also removing the "send show" feature which let you share your shows with other Replay units.

Didn't Tivo just add this feature to their series 2 units?

[dbronstein]

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski
I notice they are also removing the "send show" feature which let you share your shows with other Replay units.

It sounds like they are only removing the ability to send the shows over the net. According to the last paragraph about the "pause and resume" feature, you can still share shows within your own house.

Dennis

[Steve Mehs]

This commercial thing really gets me. People have been fast forwarding past commercials for over two decades now with a VCR. As for totally skipping over commercials, whats the difference if I automatically skip over them, or leave the room, or leave the room mentally not physically. I know commercials pay for the programming, but quite frankly I don't want to see nor waste my time watching some washed up has beens or actors who arn't good enough for Hollywood tell me how great the product or service is that they are getting paid to promote. I'm not influenced by ads and hype, marketing firms are wasting their time on me. I can think for my self, I don't have to be bought by hype, flashy ads, big words ect.

[Glenn]

Not really OT, but Steve's post reminded me of something I noticed back when I was renting a lot of tapes. Did anybody else notice that the previews at the start of the tapes seemed to get longer and longer as time went on? I swear, it was as if the geniuses that put them together expected the renters to fast-forward past them, so they made them l-o-n-g-e-r, and with fewer cuts, so that even when fast-forwarding, they were completely "watchable".

Or was I imagining things?

[MrAkai]

Remember that whatzisface from TNT only begrudglingly admitted that your "contract" with the TV content provider allowed you to go to the bathroom at commercial breaks.

I predict it's only a matter of months before someone announced optionally-sponserd television, where you pay for the program but get credits for watching the commercials...

Hey.... not a bad idea....

(runs off to patent it....)

[dbronstein]

I think the trend is going to be to more product placements.

Dennis

[Neil Derryberry]

And product placement is the smarter form of advertising, as long as it isn't reminicent of product placement-type ads of old...

[MikeW]

Scott...the Replay TV lets you send programs via a high speed internet connection to friends or family. Tivo works strictly in the same household with the same account. You can't send it to a friend or family member.

[Mark Holtz]

Originally posted by Glenn
Did anybody else notice that the previews at the start of the tapes seemed to get longer and longer as time went on? I swear, it was as if the geniuses that put them together expected the renters to fast-forward past them, so they made them l-o-n-g-e-r, and with fewer cuts, so that even when fast-forwarding, they were completely "watchable".One trend in DVDs is that when you put in the DVD, there are now previews of other movies. Disney started doing this with The Sixth Sense, but they quickly retreated and put up a message to push MENU to skip the previews.

[Jacob S]

I would agree on product placement being the wave of the future for advertisement. To advertise pepsi or coca cola products the star would be drinking a can of that brand and then people will think 'hmm, I want to buy that because she drinks that brand and it must be good if she drinks it".

[toddjb]

Originally posted by Mike123abc
I have a VCR with that feature, it speeds forward looking for the fade to black before the show starts back up. I do not really ever use it since it is not always reliable.

I have an RCA VCR with this feature and it works great. In fact, it works so good (and was listed on the front of the unit as "COMMERCIAL ADVANCE") that I was always surprised it was never heavily marketed. Now I know why...they must have figured that it would be fought.

...most friends who saw the feature when watching a recorded show at my house would go out and buy the VCR, which was cheap!

The RCA did this by searching for the signalling informatoin that the national affiliates encode so the locals know where to put the commercials. Occasionally you would get a commercial from the national affiliate, but for the most part, it would start fast forwarding at the beginning of commercials and go back to PLAY the second the show returned. This must be the same method RePlay uses.

-todd

[homergreg]

Originally posted by Steve Mehs
I know commercials pay for the programming, but quite frankly I don't want to see nor waste my time watching some washed up has beens or actors who arn't good enough for Hollywood tell me how great the product or service is that they are getting paid to promote. I'm not influenced by ads and hype, marketing firms are wasting their time on me. I can think for my self, I don't have to be bought by hype, flashy ads, big words ect.

Advertising might influence you a little Steve. Look at the "No Boundaries" above your avatar. I'm not saying that you like Ford because of the advertising, just that it might influence you enough to put a little ad in with your posts for free! :grin:

[Steve Mehs]

I was looking to change my user title couldn't think of anything until I looked over at my Expedition poster to the side of me :) Not an ad more like a statement, or that's how I look at it :)Speaking of which, I need to change my avatar, I try not to use the same one for longer then two consecutive weeks. Yes, when you boil it all down I'm influenced my some stuff (live everyone) just not by commercials explaining how great something is.