Enjoy Skipping TV Ads -- While You Can

thedenverchannel.com ^

[LibLieSlayer]

All of your viewing "fair use" rights have been nullified. Read about the existing law called DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). Those of us that are early adopters of digital/High Definition TV already know how hard it is to do today, that which in the analog world was as easy as a visit to your local electronics store.

LLS

[Mike Darancette]

If they can make us pay for TV transmitted through the free atmosphere that we let them use, I guess that we can charge them more for broadcast rights.

[weegee]

Would Queen Hillary use this to force her royal subjects to not change the channel during her televised appearances?

[dfwgator]

Heck, now you can download episodes from ITunes for 1.99, might be worth it.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

If you don't watch TV, this can't happen to you...

[Oztrich Boy]

The premise of this technology is that your ability to change channels will be disabled when a commercial comes on.

Lot to be said for the old sytstem of changing channels by a big hard-wired knob on the front panel of the TV.

[wbill]

Would Queen Hillary use this to force her royal subjects to not change the channel during her televised appearances?

Is the Pope Catholic? Do bears..... well, you know.

I'd say that this would be the prime method of abuse. Probably the 'first' method that it would be used for would be 'Emergency broadcast system' type things. For our own good, you know.

Then commercials. Then, 'important politicial messages'. Then, who knows.

[weegee]

Viacommie and Time-Warner want your money to subsidize their programming even if you "boycott" it. They will fight against Ala Carte channel selection.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Lot to be said for the old sytstem of changing channels by a big hard-wired knob on the front panel of the TV.

Kinda reminds me when I used to see adds from people looking for old VCRs pre 1988 or 87 because they didn't have copy guard technology.

Right now I don't own an HD TV set and was holing off buying one until the prices come down and until more HD channels are offered. I think I may reconsider and buy one sooner before this technology is commonplace in all new sets.

[Xenophobic Alien]

The other question is what happens when you are channel surfing and hit a channel with commercials on??

Are you stuck on that channel until the commercial is over..

That would REALLY tick me off!

[50sDad]

Anybody remember Max Headroom's "Blipverts"? Commercials that over-ride you so that you have to watch them?

Edison Carter, where are you?

[weegee]

Big Brother could even send a wakeup signal to your digital tv.

In the interest of "public safety" they could turn it on to alert you to "impending disaster". Hurricane warning, ozone depletion, patriot rally...

[Denver Ditdat]

My guess is that many people will choose not to watch at all.

That's my choice. We ditched our TV in 1990 and I don't miss it a bit. One of my favorite Freeper quotes: "TV is a garbage disposal in reverse. Turn it on and the contents of a sewer pour into your house."

[HamiltonJay]

Oh I know they are going to fight against it, tooth and nail, but that's the only model that makes sense...

I haven't had cable in over 4 years, and honestly don't miss it a lick.

During major news events I miss not having Fox News, but other than that I'm no longer a boob tube addict. Watch very few shows, and enjoy all the extra free time that sitting in front of the idiot box used to rob from me.

[hunter112]

Lot to be said for the old sytstem of changing channels by a big hard-wired knob on the front panel of the TV.

Same can be said about my old VHS VCR. I will be able to find tapes for years! There's no way they can take away my ability to fast-forward through commercials.

Besides, anybody who has TiVo already believes in the "principle" of paying a monthly fee (beyond their cable bill) to watch TV, charging them to skip the commercials is probably going to work more often than not.

[Pravious]

"If they can make us pay for TV transmitted through the free atmosphere that we let them use, I guess that we can charge them more for broadcast rights."

Hmm. Yeah...

The Broadcasters are using OUR property to transmit their garbage... trespassing without our permission or consent. How about a class action lawsuit to make every Broadcaster pay every American homeowner for... um, "airspace transmission rights"? :-)

Hey, if they're gonna pass (oops, I meant 'buy") laws that require us to sit through TV commercials unless we pay 'em a fee, I say we stick to them as much as we can in return (though not watching their garbage, or buying ANYTHING they advertise is a good start)...

[Babu]

I never watch commercials -- just record everything on DVR (same as TIVO) and skip through commercials. However, I have heard that newer DVR/TIVO units have removed the "skip forward" button due to sponsor pressure, so I'll be hanging onto my two older units that have the precious "skip forward" buttons.

Re their threats to force us to watch commercials -- I don't think so ... There is radar, and radar detectors. So if they try that, hackers will make and sell workarounds, and if the congress critters make that illegal, it will be on the black market at swap meets, etc.

Somehow, they are going to lose this battle in the long run ...

[ElPatriota]

Philips spokesman Andre Manning

Andre fire the jerk who came up with this idea!... He is hurting the company as it is.. right away, fire him!

[weegee]

The more functions they put into a tv, the harder it can be to "safely" pull the plug. You might have to "reboot" your tv a couple times if you don't go through the proper "shutdown" procedure.

Or maybe you would have to reprogram all of your channels (like you do with a VCR). Sure they could have some memory with a battery backup for some data, but it depends if they want to serve the industry or the consumer.

[tfecw]

Stanley Kubrick was ahead of his time. The movie is based off a book ;)