[Chris Blount]

I hope this doesn't become a trend in the industry
----------------------------------------------------------------------

AOL Time Warner will NOT include a so-called "ad-skip" button in new set-top boxes that include personal video recorder (PVR) capability, Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt said during a conference held by Cableworld magazine. Time Warner will be testing PVR set-tops, manufactured by Scientific Atlanta, in Rochester, N.Y., later this year. Britt said he wants to avoid "crossing the line," which means the MSO's set-tops will not make it easy for consumers to manipulate content in ways that would breach copyright.

From http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)

 

[David_Levin]

What's an "ad-skip" button. Is that an automated/smart commercial skip. Most vendors have been afraid to do this (except a few VCRs). TiVo doesn't even give a 30 sec skip (by default).

Are they still going to provide the old fashioned FF button - That'll do.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

They dont want people to be able to fast forward. That includes regular fast forward and "ad-skip"

This wacko was quoted the other day as saying that people using PVRs were theives.

 

[Ryan]

It seems they are refering to 30-second skip buttons and other more automated skipping methods.

I don't see how they can not include a FF button. What if I don't want to watch tomorrows weather, or yesterdays sports? It's now copyright infringment if you don't watch 100% of a broadcast, including advertisements? If it's illlegal to go to the bathroom, or get a beer, I'll have to give up watching football!!! I don't think that's what Anheiser-Busch wants!

 

[lee635]

"I have to watch the show from start to finish because I'm anal." -Woody Allen

 

[dvdguyjt]

Well, hopefully, they are only talking about eliminating the "skip ahead 30 seconds button." They cannot eliminate fast forward in general (I wouldn't think) If they were stupid enough to do just that, they would sell virtually NO units. Why would I want to sit through opening credits, and "what happened last week...." junk on my tv shows. I want to skip through that.

--Sarcastic mode ON--
If AOL/TW gets their way, maybe we should just eliminate all fast forwarding. No more on VCR's, no more skipping promos and crap on DVD's, heck we could even make a law that says we cannot close our eyes, plug our ears, or leave the couch when commercials come on!!
--Sarcastic Mode OFF--

See how stupid this is AOL/TW????

JT

 

[David_Levin]

Originally posted by dvdguyjt
Well, hopefully, they are only talking about eliminating the "skip ahead 30 seconds button." They cannot eliminate fast forward in general (I wouldn't think) If they were stupid enough to do just that, they would sell virtually NO units. Why would I want to sit through opening credits, and "what happened last week...." junk on my tv shows. I want to skip through that.

What if the new boxes know what content is "skip-allowed". You could FF during just the program, not the commercials. Now that would suck, too.

I have no idea if this is even possible.

 

[David_Levin]

Originally posted by dvdguyjt
--Sarcastic mode ON--
If AOL/TW gets their way, maybe we should just eliminate all fast forwarding. No more on VCR's, no more skipping promos and crap on DVD's, heck we could even make a law that says we cannot close our eyes, plug our ears, or leave the couch when commercials come on!!
--Sarcastic Mode OFF--
JT

There all ready are DVDs that don't let you skip the starting promos - sucks.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

On those DVD's that when I go and get my Drinks and Popcorn. Disney DVD are famous for this practice.

 

[Chris Blount]

I just watched Snowdogs last night which is a Disney DVD and was able to skip the previews. On the first screen is says to press the menu button to skip.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I just tried watching 101 Dalmations or Tarzan on Disney DVD and it did it. Try skipping the commercial and the talk to the hand sign displays on the screen.

 

[DamonM]

Originally posted by dvdguyjt
Well, hopefully, they are only talking about eliminating the "skip ahead 30 seconds button." They cannot eliminate fast forward in general (I wouldn't think) If they were stupid enough to do just that, they would sell virtually NO units.

:soapbox:

Sure they would sell them. Look at me. I bought a DVD player and made sure it was capable of playing MP3 files off a CD-R so I could burn like seven or eight episodes of Coast to Coast AM on CD-R's and listen to them in my bedroom. Each episode is about five hours long. Well, I listened to one and fell asleep about halfway through. So the next day, I turned the unit on and started playing the same episode. I pressed Fast-Forward on the remote and nothing happened. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get the MP3 to fast-forward, though it would fast forward DVD's and regular CD's. So I called RCA and asked them what was up. They said non-chalantly that it was not designed to fast-forward MP3's. I was absolutely furious. Fast-forward is something you just take for granted. Who has ever heard of ANY type of media playback that doesn't have fast-forwarding capabilites? So I figure people will buy PVR's thinking that they're naturally going to have fast-forwarding. I told RCA that they should have printed in large letters on the outside of the box, "THIS UNIT CANNOT FAST-FORWARD MP3'S!!!"

Grrrr.

 

[DarrellP]

On a lot of Disney DVD's you can't Skip, you have to hit the Menu button to bypass the preview crap.

As far as TW goes with the "No skip" feature, screw them, use a SA Tivo and skip to your heart's delight.

 

[woodman]

A PVR without complete control over the playback is like a day without sunshine ... it's the very reason why a PVR is such a wondrous, wonderful device, IMO. They fulfill the promise (plus much more) made by the VCR a quarter century ago but never manifested.

As technologies evolve, business conditions change - that's life at it's most challenging. The movie industry, music recording industry, television broadcasters, cable system operators, the advertising community, motion picture theater owners ... all must adapt to the changing landscape brought about by technical innovation. If they don't, they'll perish.

"Hollywood" jumped up and down and screamed when the VCR was first introduced back in '75 - they even challenged the VCR's right to exist clear up to the Supreme Court. Ironically, they found out to their sheer delight a couple of years later that the VCR would be responsible for bringing them more profits than they'd ever dreamed possible before videotape came along. The same thing will happen with HDTV and all of the rest of it - if Hollywood will just get their collective heads out of their collective asses and wake up to the 21st century.

 

[MarkA]

Scott, Disney does let you skip, they just make it hard. You must push root menu.

Mark