TechTV Now Showing Movies

[Brian Rector]

Personally, I think this is truly the sign of the channel eventually being gone when it is showing movies now. Just last night, TechTV showed the movie 'Coma' with Leo Laporte and Patrick Norton hosting.

[Steve Mehs]

I agee this is not the TechTV I knew when I first got E*. This channel has declined over the past year

[Kevin]

IMHO, TechTV is a waste of bandwidth. Does anyone actually watch this channel?

[DS0816]

I don't watch TechTV because I'm not too up on computer news. So, with the complaints expressed here, I'm in no position to argue. However, I don't want to see the channel die. I didn't like it when Court TV started with its entertainment offerings -- beyond its original scope of news-making courtroom trial reportings -- but I don't know if this necessarily signifies the end for TechTV.

[Geronimo]

I uased to like the quick news briefs. I enjoyed Cybercrime when the stories wee new. I even liked Call for Help and the Screen Savers once upon a time. But now the channel is not worth much. Sad really. Quite sad.

[jegrant]

I agree that techtv is going downhill. What I liked the best, of their recent efforts, was the all-day "TechLive", except that there was more repetition of stories than I'd prefer.

I hope they can survive though; no one else broadcasts full length keynote addresses by various computer industry CEOs. The trade show coverage isn't bad either. I don't really have any ideas for what they could do.

Does anyone have ideas for what they ought to do?

[Steve Mehs]

Does anyone have ideas for what they ought to do?

Go back to the old format but with a few hours of TechLive. Maybe start TechLive at 7AM and goto 1PM. The bring back new episodes of CyberCrime, Working the Web, Silicon Spin w/ Some one other then Dvorick and better issues. Get rid of Internet Tonight, if that show is still on. I fail to see how that show is entertaining and/or informative. Bring back the old Call For Help and Screen Savers.

[Brian Rector]

Internet Tonight was cancelled by TechTV almost a year and a half ago. However, the channel still showed reruns of the show even though it was cancelled.

If the channel doesnt improve soon, I think its about time for the people at the channel to seriously consider pulling the plug. I am a fan of the channel, but things have gotten worse ever since the name change from ZDTV to TechTV.

[Scott Greczkowski]

The ruined the channel when they got rid of the cute perky chick on the Screen Savers with Leo Leporte.

I haven't watched much since then.

[Brian Rector]

Even the chat rooms at TechTV havent been the same since Kate went to GameSpotTV. (I still think that putting her on a show about videogames was a demotion, not a "promotion", as she did describe the move a few days after it happened). When the show had her and Leo as hosts, the chat rooms were at the max then. However, most of the chatters were going "Oooh Kate, Marry Me!!!" or "Leo..Youre The Man!!". Okay, it was a bit annoying, but it was kinda funny as well.

I have heard from various sources that said that the people at TechTV didnt like Kate getting more attention than Leo, so they thought that maybe the show would be better if it was just a show with male hosts...thus making the show more geared towards geeks. However, the move wasnt successful. Viewership of the show went down and there were letters by people who wanted Kate back. So, TechTV decided to include women in the show to increase the viewership and spice up the show. The move still hasnt helped any.

[Geronimo]

I guess the bottom line is that there is really very little to watch on Tech TV anymore. I still catcha few minutes of Screes Savers from time to time. And Fresg Gear will kill a few minutes.

But why would I want to watch the third or fourth broadcast of a story on "upskirting" or DBS theft just to see what Jennifer London is wearing in the intro piece?

maybe they will show some good movies.

[Steve Mehs]

maybe they will show some good movies.

I wonder if its too much to ask for The Net and Hackers :p

[lee635]

Or Tron or 2001 A Space Odyssey

[Brian Rector]

IMHO, if I want to see a movie...I'll watch the premiums, PPV, or my local video store's selections. TechTV is a tech channel, not a movie channel. If thats what they think what will get them extra viewers, they are wrong and better rethink their gameplan fast or else the channel will be gone in less than 6 months from now. We will be discussing by then what channels we will want to replace TechTV with when its gone.

It would be nice if Charlie could replace this channel with National Geographic.

[TNGTony]

Well...it's a trend! The other day I was surprised to find a movie on TVG! (405) Of course it was a movie with horse racing at the core of the plot, but it was an old black and white movie none-the-less!

See ya
Tony

[Brian Rector]

Imagine if 'YES' started to show movies too. I wouldnt be surprised if that happens soon thanks to the channel being basically Yankees games, radio shows, and infotainment.

[lee635]

Yeah, but think about it. They get these old movies for a song and as long as the ad revenue exceeds the variable costs, it's not such a bad deal.

I've been thinnking about starting a low power educational TV station at my college. It would show old public domain movies and shows and campus sports. Operated mostly volunteers, so any local ad revenue would just be gravy.

Back to TechTV, maybe they'll get some different viewers with this strategy. My sense is that TechTV probably has a very core viewing audience, so anything that breaks out of that market could help them get more viewers on other shows.

[aboz]

it is dissapointing to see what has happened at Techtv I very uch enjoyed the channel "in the old days" now it just seems to be fluff........ eventhough I still like Leo, I think he is very intelligent.

[Chris Freeland]

Originally posted by Brian Rector
Imagine if 'YES' started to show movies too. I wouldnt be surprised if that happens soon thanks to the channel being basically Yankees games, radio shows, and infotainment.

Why not? YES could become the NE version of Turner South.;)

I agree that Tech TV is not as good as it once was, I used to like Call for Help, but I do not like the new host as well or the new format. I still watch and like Fresh Gear and I like TechLive.

[Steve Mehs]

...but I do not like the new host ...

That guy, whatever his name is, is such as moron, I cant believe the management let him take leo's gig on Call For Help.

[Geronimo]

Actually there was a host between Leo and this guy. I cannot remember her name but she did a fine job. In fact she "spelled" Leo every other Friday before that.

Leo left when he took an hour on Tech Live (when it was all day).

[Brian Rector]

TechTV has just fired another 50 employees. I think we can now begin to play Jim Morrison's "The End" in the near future. (especially after Pauly Shore making an appearance on the show. Whenever a channel has to stoop so low to have someone like Pauly Shore on, that is a sure sign the channel is on its last legs. Whats next? Andy Dick?? Oh I forgot, he made an appearance too recently, I do recall)

http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,52076,00.html

[Geronimo]

Becky Worley was the host whose name I could not remember.

[lee635]

This sounds cool. Max Headroom was m favorite show back then.

"In its place, TechTV will feature a coterie of quirky-sounding techy shows, including one featuring Max Headroom, that irritating digital talking head who has apparently made a comeback since he was last popular, in the late 1980s. "

[Scott Greczkowski]

How many episodes of Max Headroom were made though? Didn't it only last 2 seasons?

It appears that their weekday schedule will only have 2 new shows a day (both of which are live) they still have 21 hours of the day to fill.

I still think that they should syndicate the "Call for Help" and "Screen Savers" shows to stations around the USA instead of trying to find cheep programming such as Max Headroom to fill the schedule between these shows.