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The Death of Television Draws Ever Nearer

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Niko Bellic
06/29/09

In reply to The Death of Television Draws Ever Nearer
It's not the end of all TV, just "network" TV. Soon it's gonna be all cable. Or even better - all internet. We'll be paying per-show. I'm glad I won't have to deal with having to listen what fucking Home Depot thought on the last night's Letterman joke.
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naugahydeinplainsight
06/29/09

In reply to The Death of Television Draws Ever Nearer
What I really want to know is why the cable company and the (mostly cable)networks can't communicate clearly enough to avoid letting shows run a minute or two past their programmed time. Really tired of either missing the last minute of a show or having to extend the recording period into the next hour.
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DahlELama
06/29/09

@naugahydeinplainsight: Seriously--are you listening, American Idol? Because whatever you're doing, it's not working.
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naugahydeinplainsight
06/29/09

@DahlELama: I feel your pain, though at least that has the excuse of being "live," right? I'm talking about hour-long "scripted" dramas -- I mean 61-minute-long, scripted dramas.
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CByronB
06/29/09

@naugahydeinplainsight: Most DVR's let you tell the recorder to start a few minutes early and/or end a few minutes late.
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naugahydeinplainsight
06/29/09

@CByronB: Yeah, I know. And I can set mine to record for any length of time I choose. But what's the point of having a constantly updated program guide if the scripted show scheduled to end at 10:01 actually runs til 10:02? And should I really have to add a minute to every (non-broadcast network) show -- which causes problems if there are other things I choose to record in the new hour.
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naugahydeinplainsight
06/29/09

In reply to The Death of Television Draws Ever Nearer
FYI, Cablevision currently charges $9.95 a month just for DVR service, which seems pretty accessible. That allows about 20 hours of HD program storage. Conceivably the new technology will let cablers offer various storage plans, at various prices.

This is all good timing, of course, since commercials just won't be the same anymore without Billy Mays.
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bytememehard
06/29/09

@naugahydeinplainsight: I can't afford another ten bucks a month on my cable bill. Will you pay for me?
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naugahydeinplainsight
06/29/09

@bytememehard: Heh heh heh. But happily it's not a part of basic service, at least where I am, so if you don't want it (or can't afford it), you don't have to get it.
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kathotdog
06/29/09

In reply to The Death of Television Draws Ever Nearer
I don't mind watching commericals, as I like TV.
And I'll pay for cable, as I like TV. But I'm not so worried about missing something on TV that I need to record it.
I'm not that crazy.
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HurtsSoGood
06/29/09

@kathotdog: The whole point of recording it is so you can blip through the damn commercials. It's the greatest time-saving device since the automobile.
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FormerEnglishMajor
06/29/09

In reply to The Death of Television Draws Ever Nearer
So, question: this is not like newspapers, where you can pay some freelancer $10 to write a story, and there's lots of 'em out there. If we aren't subjected to commercials - you can't exactly pay someone $10 and get Lost.

It isn't TV in general that is "in trouble" - it's the networks. Cable's business model is pay-for-service; networks' model is free-if-you-watch-the-ads.
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HurtsSoGood
06/29/09

@FormerEnglishMajor: If you paid on the basis of what you watched and how much, you could say this, but anyone who has ever spent 40 minutes watching a show that used to play in half an hour knows, cable TV is even more infested with commercials than network TV. On top of that, cable ads are far more likely to be for the more useless or NSFW or scammy crap like Enzyte or Gerber Life. It's like your email box sans spam blockers, only on your TV.
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lobstr
06/29/09

In reply to The Death of Television Draws Ever Nearer
Great, that could only mean more product fucking placement. Go easy on us, NBC. I don't need to know Tina Fey's character is wearing something from Dolce and Gabbana while she sips on her All Natural Lemon Snapple, but I somehow suspect you will instill it into my head.
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BrianDoh
06/29/09

@lobstr:

I say more power to them! All the content we "digest" as entertainment programming is not free or even cheap to produce.

TV networks are businesses, not public service organizations.
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naugahydeinplainsight
06/29/09

@lobstr: I'm looking forward the episode where the writers extol the virtues of a DVR service.
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FormerEnglishMajor
06/29/09

@BrianDoh: You could say the same thing about the newspaper business.
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HurtsSoGood
06/29/09

@lobstr: More likely, it will mean more animated crap at the bottom of your screen, some with its own sound fx, no doubt.
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HurtsSoGood
06/29/09

@BrianDoh: Besides, most product placement is subtle, so as not to compromise the story. People ordering Budweiser Classic in the new Star Trek movie? Product placement. Did it hurt the story? No, besides, how do we know Budweiser won't survive to the 23rd century? If it's only product placement that increases, we should be so lucky.
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FormerEnglishMajor
06/29/09

@lobstr: What about the upcoming ep where Liz tells Jack she has that "not so fresh feeling".
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BrianDoh
06/29/09

@HurtsSoGood:

I agree.

Just like every single character on the show '24' uses a Sprint phone.

It's a little jarring and blatant at first, but nobody has in-depth conversations about their cell-phone service during the show. The plot still revolves around ridiculous set-ups and terrorism. It doesn't bother me. I chuckle at it the same way I would chuckle at a terribly produced local advertisement for a second-rate car dealership.
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naugahydeinplainsight
06/29/09

@BrianDoh: The two-second shots of Sprint phones are almost amusing. Less so is the pimping for the video conferencing technology (sorry guys, I don't recall the name). And those are still reasonably unobtrusive placements. Damages actually set a scene at a Cadillac dealership and discussed the merits of the SUV featured through much of this past season -- and that's supposed to be a "quality" show.
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lobstr
06/29/09

@naugahydeinplainsight: Hah for a second it looked like you said "extol the viruses of a DVR service", which would be a hilarious missile to be fired.
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lobstr
06/29/09

@HurtsSoGood: Subtle it may be but that's not going to stop me from getting douchechills whenever PPs are mentioned. Whenever I see them, similar to the corporate naming of a stadium, I always wonder "Does anyone REALLY ever run out and buy Gillette because they're watching a game at Gillette Stadium, or are they going to stay loyal to their Schick?" I know, I know, Name recognition, ya ya ya.. it doesn't fucking work.

Pretty much every highschool football scoreboard I've ever seen has a Coke logo somewhere next to it. If someone has made the decision they like Pepsi better, seeing the Coke logo is not going to sway them. Same with product placement. Unless the item is just unbelievably cool and everyone must have it, no one will give a shit. And let me tell you, there is nothing unbelievably cool about a Subway sandwich :p
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BrianDoh
06/29/09

@naugahydeinplainsight:

It was Cisco Systems! I wrote extensive recaps of the show for TVGasm.com, and each product-placement is burned in my mind.
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naugahydeinplainsight
06/29/09

@BrianDoh: Ouch. Do you need a Tylenol? Or is it more of an Excedrin headache?
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Luke Nye
06/29/09

In reply to The Death of Television Draws Ever Nearer
"DVRs have heretofore been relatively high-end toys for wealthy viewers?" Really? I don't think they are expensive or high-end, they're not laser-discs or something. Most cable companies already offer DVR/cable boxes and TiVos aren't that expensive.
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bytememehard
06/29/09

@Luke Nye: Not to you, mebbe -- but there are many millions who are already paying more for just basic cable than they can afford. Not to mention those who can't even afford cable. Count your blessing, Lukey-baby.
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