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Speed Viewing
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Posted by: tvpredictions

Love to get feedback on this link. It's a feature on how you can use TiVo and other DVRs to reduce the amount of time necessary to watch your favorite shows.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/tivo041404.html

Posted by: phone1

Amateur. Real speed viewers put it in 3X FF and turn on closed captioning. That gets through your "60 Minutes" in 20 minutes even before you skip the commercials.

TiVo has a 30 second skip feature also, I'm surprised you're not familiar with it.

Posted by: tvpredictions

As you know, you have to program the remote to use the 30-second skip. Quite unlikely that most TiVo owners are aware of the code.

Posted by: dirtypacman

Since I get about 12 -16 hours a week of boxing I watch all my boxing matches that seem to be going slow in either 1F or 2FF speed.

I love my tivo.

Posted by: tvpredictions

I agree with 1 or 2 FF. At 3 FF, you tend to lose part of the show because it's tougher to stop fast-forwarding in time.

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
As you know, you have to program the remote to use the 30-second skip. Quite unlikely that most TiVo owners are aware of the code.

It's not like a big secret. TiVo doesn't put it in any documentation, but they're not hiding it either. Why not enlighten your readers? :)

Plus TiVo owners talk, it's been on tech TV, etc.

Posted by: tvpredictions

I understand, but not everyone is plugged in (members of this forum, etc.). And, in the future, even fewer DVR owners will be tech-savvy as the technology spreads to the masses.

Posted by: phone1

I'll bet it's in the upcoming "TiVo for Dummies" book. A Google search for TiVo "30 second skip" returned 1720 hits.

Posted by: Marco

quote:

Think of the time you could save by "Speed Viewing." You could watch an entire three hours of primetime programming in just two hours. A three hour baseball game could be reduced to two hours; fast-forward through the time in between pitches and the game could be watched in less than 60 minutes. Why, you could even watch an entire season of Fox's 24 in 16-18 hours.

(a) This is soooooooo four years ago. In fact, I'm sure it was written up in articles on TiVo written back then.

(b) I recognized this ability within a week of installing my TiVo, way back then ... and

(c) Your estimates are waaaaaaaay too conservative. I can watch an NFL game in one hour; 30-second skip is ideal for football. An NHL game can take even less time, if you're willing to miss a few seconds of action right after faceoffs. Back In The Day, I could watch Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in 20 minutes or less, by fast-forwarding through the commercials, the witty banter between the contestant and Regis, and the under-$1000 childrens'-level questions.

Posted by: phone1

His article was obviously aimed at non DVR owners.

Since the play clock is 40 seconds, I've found that pressing skip just as the play ends, usually takes you right to the next snap. (Unless a penalty or timeout is called.)

I'm pretty much limited to doing this when viewing solo though due to low WAF.

Posted by: TivoGeezer

Is this article supposed to be news? DVR's did not invent fast forwarding through commercials. We were doing this with VCR's in 1980.

I can watch a 4 hour NASCAR race in 2 1/2 hours by fast forwarding through all the caution periods. Maybe I could write a tech article about how smart I am. :rolleyes:

Posted by: Groucho

I can get through a 1-hour "American Idol" results show in 15 seconds and still aborb all the content.

Posted by: tvpredictions

How about the social impact here? Are "speed viewers" skipping ahead because they don't want to see the commercials -- or they are simply trying to save time?

Posted by: TivoGeezer

I usually do it to skip commercials but I know when I start watching a one hour show that I will probably be done in 42 minutes, unless I pause to go to the can. So if I only have 42 minutes to watch it, fast-forwarding will solve two problems.

Posted by: old7

quote:
Originally posted by Groucho
I can get through a 1-hour "American Idol" results show in 15 seconds and still aborb all the content.

15 seconds of content? Thats stretching it a little bit. :)

-Old7

Posted by: Marco

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
How about the social impact here? Are "speed viewers" skipping ahead because they don't want to see the commercials -- or they are simply trying to save time?

Definitely BOTH.
With the possible exception of the "Herding Cats" commercial a few Super Bowls back, and Tiger's turn as Carl Spackler for American Express, I will skip any and all commercials in my path.
The aforementioned ability to watch football in one hour means I can tee off two hours later on a football Sunday, play 18, and finish watching the football game the same time I would have before TiVo.

Posted by: tvpredictions

Let me ask you this: Are you ever afraid that you will miss an entertaining commercial and, consequently, never be aware of it -- for instance, the Tiger Woods spot? If you always skip the ads, wouldn't you overlook the cool ones?

Posted by: Satchel

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Let me ask you this: Are you ever afraid that you will miss an entertaining commercial and, consequently, never be aware of it -- for instance, the Tiger Woods spot? If you always skip the ads, wouldn't you overlook the cool ones?

I wouldn't say that I'm AFRAID to miss an ad...I might be missing out on a second or two of enjoyment, but the time saved by not watching commercials is worth the tragedy of missing a commercial...

HOWEVER...when FFing through, if I see a monkey or cute puppy, I usually stop and watch that spot...

Posted by: Marco

What Satchel said ... plus, 95% of the times I bother with a commercial are at my wife's instigation.

Posted by: justapixel

There is such a thing as an entertaining ad?!?!

Wow, I would be devastated if I ever missed one. ;)

I haven't seen a commercial in over three years, and I also have not seen a show's opening credits. American Idol is a good example. I watch the performances, but skip through a lot of the "dawg" comments, and don't watch their "in show" commercials/music videos. The selection show that is 30 minutes takes me five minutes to watch - I can skip through all the "after the break" nonsense - as well as the commercial iteself.

I don't think I'm missing a thing. Wait, I know I'm not, because I lived years without TiVo. Never again though. :)

Posted by: arc6th

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Love to get feedback on this link. It's a feature on how you can use TiVo and other DVRs to reduce the amount of time necessary to watch your favorite shows.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/tivo041404.html

TiVo has been described, more in this way than any other imo, as a "digital VCR" since its inception. Implicit in that description, I think is the ability to FF through whatever you don't want to watch, e.g. Brian Fellows, Sarah's Tips, bad musical acts, dubya's face, or commercials.

I don't think this sooooo 4 years ago. I think the idea of watching sitcoms in 22 minutes is really sooooooo 20 years ago. You may want to think about renaming your site www.tvrearviewmirror.com.

Posted by: Marco

quote:
Originally posted by swsotd
BTW, you guys are being a little harsh on the original poster. Sure, this is old news to anyone who's used a TiVo (or other DVR) for a few days. But the vast majority of TV viewers have never used a DVR.

The OP has a reputation for writing TiVo-related columns that tend to be (a) obvious or (b) inaccurate.

Posted by: TivoGeezer

quote:
Originally posted by Groucho
I can get through a 1-hour "American Idol" results show in 15 seconds and still aborb all the content.

When I record AI (never), I usually fast-forward through the the show and watch the commercials. :p

Posted by: drsql

I don't like to blast through shows at warp speed, skipping over everything, and I even like commercials, when they are new. Problem with commercials is, they repeat them too many times. They are going to have to actually program commercials just like they do shows in the future if they want any kind of success. They could also use techniques like they did in the past where the actors shilled stuff. My family is watchin the Monkees DVD set from my other favorite service Netflix, and a lot of the credits include Kellogs commercials. Personally I figure if they don't find a way to make commercials desirable to watch, we will probably be paying for TV soon.

Watching sports on Tivo is great, but the situation has to be right. Like during Football season when there are two games on, you cannot flip back and forth, because you will lose buffer, and you cannot use the two tv method, because one game may tell you about the other. Hence it is seldom feasible to watch sports you really care about on Tivo. Frankly, part of the excitement of sports IS waiting for the outcome. I am glad I Tivo'd the NCAA Basketball Championship game, because after all of the great bball, it was so boring.

One thing I think Tivo will change will be the amount paid for the last commercial before the show comes back. I generally see 10-15 seconds of this commercial when watching a show, because I don't want to see any of the show out of order (if I am watching TV, I am serious about it :) ) It is usually taken up by a local news spot, which is really annoying when you are watching a show you recorded two months ago.

Posted by: rseligman

quote:
Originally posted by phone1
Amateur. Real speed viewers put it in 3X FF and turn on closed captioning.

I don't know if you were joking, but I actually do this. Especially during the closing arguments scenes of [insert courtroom drama show here].

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by rseligman
I don't know if you were joking, but I actually do this. Especially during the closing arguments scenes of [insert courtroom drama show here].

Heck no I wasn't joking. Sometimes I don't do it through the entire show. You must concentrate on the captions, so you can miss action and visual cues in certain programs, but I often use it on a suggestion recorded movie to see if it's going to be any good.

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by swsotd
BTW, you guys are being a little harsh on the original poster. Sure, this is old news to anyone who's used a TiVo (or other DVR) for a few days. But the vast majority of TV viewers have never used a DVR.

You're new here, but as mentioned, "Swanni" isn't, despite his low post count. He knows he'll take a lump or two when he posts here.

Posted by: TerpBE

I have a TV video card that has a cool feature I wish Tivo had. It can play back at 1.2 or 1.5 times regular speed WITH sound. People don't sound like chipmunks either. The pitch is correct, it just sounds like they're talking faster than normal.

I would love to see Tivo implement this, but I don't see it happening.

Posted by: tvpredictions

Don't worry. I can take it. I'm just interested in your comments on speed viewing and the possible impact on advertising.

Posted by: RickStrobel

I'm still waiting on that Interactive TV feature that me and everyone else wants. You know the "prediction" about that, the one where I can point to the jacket that Joey on Friends is wearing and immediately order one.

The market demand for feature like this was so strong, I'm amazed that no one has filled that "need".

Also, it's 2nd quarter 2004. TiVo is out of business now. Right Philip?

Posted by: Francesco

Where did interactiveTV go off to, anyhow?

Posted by: mattack

quote:
Originally posted by Marco
(a) This is soooooooo four years ago. In fact, I'm sure it was written up in articles on TiVo written back then.

It's really soooooooo 30 years ago.

Damn, I've been doing exactly what he proposes (in the first part of the article I skimmed) with
VCRs for well over a decade, and others have been doing it much longer.

Sure, you can more easily/conveniently skip with PVRs (it's faster, and easier, esp if you have to
back up).. but it's not new. Whenever you hear "coming up on" or "next on", hit FF or 30 second skip.. (especially useful for reality shows which do this before every commercial)

About the only new part is being able to turn on CC and then still be able to follow _many_ programs.
(Some at 1FF are too fast for CC, and you lose some of the CC.)

I would love something like 1.5X with audio. I know some older VCRs were able to FF with pitch corrected audio (no Mickey Mouse voices), but I've never had one of them.

I really think you couldn't speed up as much as 1.5X and still follow/enjoy most programs.

I watch the syndicated Who Wants to be a Millionaire mostly through CC. It's at 1FF except during commercials (which I skip with 30 sec skip of course).. sometimes going back to normal play for a phone a friend.

and of course it's easier to record things like 60 mins or 20/20 only for one good segment, though I was doing that with VCRs too.

Posted by: Gerg

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Don't worry. I can take it. I'm just interested in your comments on speed viewing and the possible impact on advertising.

Translation: I'm only interested in things that fit my pre-conceived ideas.

And by the way, your statement "you have to program the remote to use the 30-second skip" has an important factual error in it.

Gerg

Posted by: innocentfreak

Personally for me I watch most shows in fast forward. I don't use the 30 second skip, no real desire to. No I am not worried about missing a commercial or even part of a show because after years of tv viewing I tend to have a pretty good idea of what is going on even without watching. Even without Tivo I tend to watch 3-4 shows at the same time. I drove my roommate nuts even more so when I could flip back and tell him what happened without watching it.

I don't think it plays any role on advertising. The only way it would is if they started advertising things I had never heard of and was actually interested in. But then again it all depends on what your opinion on the purpose of advertising is.

Posted by: justapixel

I think he's just trying to coin a phrase with "speed viewing."

It won't catch on.

Posted by: MighTiVo

Watching faster by skipping commercials is old and obvious. Also you are way too conservative, I blast though hours of tv, not only skipping ads but skipping through a lot of the scenic camera pans and useless dialog looking for just the highlights of a program. I am not just speaking of touchdowns in sports and news stories of interest on magazine, news, talks show programs. I now do this quite regularly on documentaries and and other educational programming. I have even started to do it on comedy and drama programming. This should be the prediction...

I have also found that live tv is intolerable. When in a hotel I flip so fast I can watch 5-10 shows at a time.

This should be your prediction for the future....

Posted by: wmcbrine

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Are you ever afraid that you will miss an entertaining commercial

No.

BTW, the average TV ad today embodies such a debased view of humanity that it sickens me.

Posted by: geoman47

I think there is a growing number of people that will not take watching commercials (as most of them currently are) any more. It started with the VCR, but is a growing reality with the ease of use of DVRs.

If you are looking to tell advertisers what to do, I can give you one example � try to make the ad somehow relevant. Example � I can honestly show the only non-placement ad that has stuck in my mind from the past couple of weeks is a Tylenol ad. Why? Their �push through the pain� ads that coincide with Survivor episodes are mildly relevant to the show. Not great ads, but they got me to watch a few and its in my head now where as most ads don�t even make it that far.

I also don�t mind placement ads if they are tasteful. A cheesy or poorly done product placement makes me want to avoid the product because of the poor placement.

Posted by: Peter000

I find about 1 out of every 10 commercials entertaining enough to watch. Once. After that I'll speed through them. I don't use the 30 sec skip at all.

Posted by: shady

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Let me ask you this: Are you ever afraid that you will miss an entertaining commercial and, consequently, never be aware of it -- for instance, the Tiger Woods spot? If you always skip the ads, wouldn't you overlook the cool ones?

Why would anyone be afraid of missing an entertaining commercial? If you miss it, you miss it, what's the big deal?

It's kind of like saying - Aren't you afraid that if you don't stand out in the street all day, you may miss someone walking by giving out free money :D

BTW: What is this Tiger Woods spot you talk of?

Posted by: Marco

I haven't visited, but I've been told you can see Tiger's homage to Carl Spackler ("Caddyshack") at www.americanexpress.com

Posted by: aaronw

quote:
Originally posted by phone1
Heck no I wasn't joking. Sometimes I don't do it through the entire show. You must concentrate on the captions, so you can miss action and visual cues in certain programs, but I often use it on a suggestion recorded movie to see if it's going to be any good.

I do the 1xFF + CC all the time. If an hour long documentary/whatever on TLC/DSC/HIST doesn't have CC, there's a good chance that I'll record it, and try to watch it, but get so frustrated about having to watch it at 0xFF and having to listen carefully that I delete it.

I really like it because I can just zip through a part of something, and if there's dialogue, i'll catch it. I won't need to worry about zipping through what might be a slow part and miss some dialogue on the way.

Posted by: MighTiVo

quote:
Originally posted by aaronw
I do the 1xFF + CC all the time. If an hour long documentary/whatever on TLC/DSC/HIST doesn't have CC, there's a good chance that I'll record it, and try to watch it, but get so frustrated about having to watch it at 0xFF and having to listen carefully that I delete it.

I really like it because I can just zip through a part of something, and if there's dialogue, i'll catch it. I won't need to worry about zipping through what might be a slow part and miss some dialogue on the way.

Back when I had a series 1 I used EMBEEMs OSD program and had a script that ran to auto display CC whenever the system was a 1x ff. It was very cool!

Posted by: tvpredictions

FYI -- I've updated the "Speed Viewing" story with comments from Forum members. I think it provides an even better view of the issue. Thanks for your cooperation.
http://www.tvpredictions.com/tivo041404.html

PS

Posted by: mattack

You *STILL* have overlooked the fact that this IS NOT NEW IN ANY WAY AND IS NOT TIVO RELATED.

Except for being able to watch an in-progress show, I (and many others) have been doing exactly this with VCRs for years if not decades. (And I always had one more VCR than shows I needed to record at once so I could always watch something recorded.)

Posted by: tvpredictions

You STILL are wrong. :) Sure, you could do it with a VCR, but it was slow and not precise. The DVR makes skipping commercials fast and easy because you know when to stop the fast forward button. That is what's new.

Posted by: Gerg

quote:
Originally posted by tvpreduhtions
I've updated the "Speed Viewing" story with comments from Forum members.

Were these reprinted with permission, Phillip?

Gerg

Posted by: RickStrobel

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
You STILL are wrong. :) Sure, you could do it with a VCR, but it was slow and not precise. The DVR makes skipping commercials fast and easy because you know when to stop the fast forward button. That is what's new.

Actually, my RCA VCR is better at skipping commercials than my TiVo. Here's how it worked: I'm watching a show holding no remote whatsoever. A commercial break comes up. I don't lift a finger, I'm still holding no remote. My screen turns blue. I hear the motor of the VCR FF'ing. Program returns to next segment. It's couch potatoe heaven.

It's not new.

Also, from the updated web page:

quote:
Update: Since this article was published, the practice of "Speed Viewing" has been the subject of debate at the TiVo Community Forum. Here's a sampling of comments from TiVo owners (with screen names):

The debate here is whether this is new or not. And, the only reason it's being discussed at all is because you brought it up.

I'm only interested in why you think your Interactive TV prediction was wrong. And why TiVo is still in business when about two years ago you said they wouldn't see the end of the year.

I had a few interesting comments about how I use the skip features. But as I suspected, we're just doing your job for you by posting here. And you're not really interested in discussing things here. Just fishing for quotes and making it look like the speed viewing thing is really something.

Posted by: tvpredictions

Guys, I hate to say it, but the poison in this forum could choke a cow.

I have never said TiVo will go out of business. (Others have; not me.) I said they would purchased by another company, which I still believe. (Their dependence on DIRECTV is a step in that direction.) I also predicted that their standalone business would become less and less important; DIRECTV sales now account for about two-thirds of overall sales.

Posted by: pv

Good old Phil Swann, back here again wasting our time with features that were interesting to talk about back in 1999. Yawn.

Also like good old Phil Swann, mining comments and articles from around the web and making them his own. PV

P.S. If I want to watch the new hot commercials, and sometimes (shock, horror) I do, I just go to Advertising Age and watch them there. Look for the 'tv spots of the week' link; usually halfway down the center news pane. It's a great site.

Posted by: David Platt

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Guys, I hate to say it, but the poison in this forum could choke a cow.

Yet that doesn't stop you from quoting us without our permission to help support your claims.

Interesting.

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Guys, I hate to say it, but the poison in this forum could choke a cow.

Poison? What are you talking about?

You make your living (I assume) writing about television broadcast media, yet you come here and want to be "one of the guys." Be a little more forthcoming with us and don't just show up when you have a story you want "feedback" on, feedback that you will then manipulate in order to support whatever angle you are currently selling in your newsletter and website.

The phrase "pompous ***" comes to mind, but then we don't allow flaming or personal attacks. Why not try making a few friends here? Maybe you should have posted here before writing the story, asking how long time TiVo users used this feature. Instead, you chose to write it from your own viewpoint.

It is possible to be objective without alienating those who are fans of a particular product or service. I'm not interested in starting a flame war with you. I think that because of your connections you probably have more insight into TV media than we do, just don't treat us like peons because you consider yourself a professional.

Posted by: pv

quote:
Originally posted by phone1
You make your living (I assume) writing about television broadcast media, yet you come here and want to be "one of the guys."

Mr. Swann makes his 'living' linking to other people's stuff, or at least he did the last time I happened by his site. he makes occasional visits here, hoping the bad taste is out of all of our mouths from the last time.

quote:
Be a little more forthcoming with us and don't just show up when you have a story you want "feedback" on, feedback that you will then manipulate in order to support whatever angle you are currently selling in your newsletter and website.

The only way to win is not to play. either don't respond, or respond with stuff that he wouldn't dare post or link to on his site.

quote:
The phrase "pompous ***" comes to mind.

Indeed. It is about the most seedy and tacky thing I can think of for a journalist to astroturf a question here and mine the responses for another site. I'm thinking that this is probably a violation of avsforum policy anyway - generally boards don't like reposting of their threads. certainly they have a right to demand permission first! I think it's time for a complaint to our hosts. PV

Posted by: mattack

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
You STILL are wrong. :) Sure, you could do it with a VCR, but it was slow and not precise. The DVR makes skipping commercials fast and easy because you know when to stop the fast forward button. That is what's new.

??? I know when to stop the fast forward on a VCR too.. (I use 30 second skip on a Tivo btw.)

Again, I've said all along it's better/faster on PVRs -- I hate videotape.

I'm just iterating that this "speed viewing" is NOT at all new to PVRs, since I was doing the exact
same things with VCRs for well over a decade and I know others who were doing it long before that. Again, the major difference is that you can start the same show while it's currently recording.

Posted by: DrStrange

quote:
Originally posted by pv
I'm thinking that this is probably a violation of avsforum policy anyway - generally boards don't like reposting of their threads. certainly they have a right to demand permission first!

It is a violation, and reposting without permission is explicitly prohibited. From the bottom of each forum page:

"(C)opyright 1999 AVS Forum, Inc. - All Rights Reserved. No information may be posted elsewhere without written permission."

I also notice Swann didn't post a link to the thread he illegally excerpted, possibly because it might show exactly how non-insightful his insights are, and how much he's misrepresenting the nature of the "debate" he started.

Swann's alleged insight, "It may not be about the commercials; it may be all about time", is also a load of nonsense IMO. I don't fast forward through commercials to save time, I do it because they're loud, dull, irritating, repetitive, and/or irrelevant. That skipping them also whacks as much as a third off the length of most shows is only a side effect, one that illustrates another problem with commercials - there are just too many of them. If networks and advertisers offered 60 minutes per hour of worthwhile television - including commercials - I'd watch the whole 60 minutes, even if it took me more than an hour to do it since I could watch it when I wanted, at my leisure, pausing and replaying as needed. And that is the point of a DVR. Not saving time per se, but managing it, and making the time spent watching TV more enjoyable, whether it's more, less, or just as much.

Posted by: tvpredictions

Question: Why do so many journalists have such a negative view of TiVo owners?

Answer: Every time, a journalist asks questions here, he or she is ridiculed (before and/or after the article is published.) The criticism is invariably personal and often comes from people who do not even have the courage to post their real identities. This does not serve TiVo nor the TiVo community well.

I have removed the quotes from the articles and will happily never have anything to do with this forum in the future. I will also alert other journalists that they should be careful when asking this forum for guidance.

Posted by: ufo4sale

If you really wanted are help you would have asked us before you wrote your article.

Edited for grammar

Posted by: DrStrange

Question: Why do so many Tivo owners have a negative view of journalists?

Answer: Because they're almost never after actual information, only confirmation of what they think they already know about Tivo, or quotes that reinforce their latest column-padding faux-wisdom.

ufo4sale: It's "would have" and "must have", not "would of" or "must of".

Posted by: tvpredictions

I want to say that I am not referring to all TiVo owners, most of whom are positive, good-natured and enthusiastic supporters of the product. But the negative extremists here make the entire community look bad.

Posted by: David Platt

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
I have removed the quotes from the articles

Good. They should have never been there in the first place. Stealing quotes without permission would seem to be a pretty serious breach of ethics for any journalist.

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by DrStrange
Question: Why do so many Tivo owners have a negative view of journalists?

Answer: Because they're almost never after actual information, only confirmation of what they think they already know about Tivo, or quotes that reinforce their latest column-padding faux-wisdom.

Bingo!

The journalists we have gotten here lately already have their "angle" pre-determined. A few of us have gotten suckered in, thinking they were going to be objective, only to find our words used in ways we we didn't intend.

Mr. Swann is by self definition a "know it all." Perhaps if he came here with an open mind and left the pontificating for his columns he'd get a better reception.

Posted by: Marco

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Question: Why do so many journalists have such a negative view of TiVo owners?

Answer: Every time, a journalist asks questions here, he or she is ridiculed (before and/or after the article is published.) The criticism is invariably personal and often comes from people who do not even have the courage to post their real identities. This does not serve TiVo nor the TiVo community well.

I have removed the quotes from the articles and will happily never have anything to do with this forum in the future. I will also alert other journalists that they should be careful when asking this forum for guidance.

Wishful thinking that you're still reading, but here goes:

(1) Your source, please, for the allegation that "so many journalists have a negative view of TiVo owners," or even of TiVo Community members.

(2) I thought journalism was reporting the facts, not selectively quoting sources who share your preconceived notions. But maybe I'm naive. I also thought it consisted of reporting *news*, but then again I've seen plenty of inaccurate or 'old' news stories, and not just by P. Swann.

(3) I would think a professional journalist would have a thick enough skin to "take it," as you said earlier, and ignore any ad hominem attacks. I would think a professional journalist would keep after a source in search of a story, even if that source didn't particularly care for that journalist.

(4) How do you know what serves TiVo or this community well?

(5) Good on you for removing the quotes. But all you gotta do is ask. I'd have given you permission.

My real identity:
Marc Hoff, Silver Spring, MD

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by swsotd
However, here's a little hint: you don't need to post everything that comes into your mind (which judging from some of the post counts here, is very common). How about being a little selective, and possibly ignoring someone rather than slamming them?

OK. Done.

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by swsotd
Wow, really? Ignore list over that one comment? Touchy.

Heh, no, I meant Swann... :cool:

People who post here for other than personal reasons, usually to gather information, etc. Aren't seen in the same light as those of us who participate for personal reasons. I think most get the benefit of the doubt initially, but they are and should be held to a different standard in that they have more influence (presumably) over the general public.

tvprediction's posts are a mix of blatant self promotion and trolling for information, sometimes in an evasive manner ("Has anyone noticed that your TiVo is programmed to the Discovery Channel every morning?")

I have never seen him post anything positive here or try to help a fellow TiVo user (Swann says he owns a TiVo). In other words, we only see him when he wants something. Your suggestion to ignore him makes a lot of sense.

Posted by: Video-Idiot

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Let me ask you this: Are you ever afraid that you will miss an entertaining commercial and, consequently, never be aware of it -- for instance, the Tiger Woods spot? If you always skip the ads, wouldn't you overlook the cool ones?

There are no cool commercials.... or "spots" as you refer to them. Commercials are the bane of television and should be banned. :D

Posted by: RickStrobel

quote:
Originally posted by phone1
tvprediction's posts are a mix of blatant self promotion and trolling for information... I have never seen him post anything positive here or try to help a fellow TiVo user...

I'm not sure if some of you think I'm one of the ones being too tough on him. I've been around here a while and know his history. Everything phone1 says is true. He's not really considered a friend of the community and hence is treated as such.

Posted by: tvpredictions

News
Ten Reasons to Buy a TiVo
Phillip Swann, president of TVPredictions.com, writes in Satellite DIRECT magazine that consumers should throw their VCRs away.

Santa Monica, CA (Sept. 2) -- Are you tired of running out of videotapes? Or, having too many unwatched tapes sitting on your coffee table? Well, it may be time to dump that old VCR.

Phillip Swann, president of TVPredictions.com, writes in this month's Satellite DIRECT magazine that TV viewers should consider buying a new TiVo Digital Video Recorder. In an article entitled, "Ten Reason to Try a TiVo," Swann explains why the new DVR technology is better than the Video Cassette Recorder.

"Does your VCR make your favorite show look like it was filmed under water? Thanks to digital technology, TiVo's playback delivers a picture almost as crisp and detailed as a DVD. You can barely tell the difference between a live digital satellite picture and a recorded show," Swann writes in Satellite DIRECT, a television guide to the 200 satellite channels on DIRECTV. .

To read Swann's article, click: Ten Reasons to Try a TiVo

Phillip Swann is President & Publisher of TVPredictions.com. If you are a member of the media and would like to interview Mr. Swann, he can be reached at Swann@TVPredictions.com

10 Reasons to Try TiVo
By Phillip Swann

Chances are you've heard of TiVo by now. The Digital Video Recorder (DVR) has been name-dropped in TV shows such as Sex and the City and Friends.
And Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael Powell has called TiVo, "God's Machine."

But what exactly is TiVo-and should you buy one> Here are the top 10 reasons you should exchange your trusty VCR for a brand-new DVR.

1. Reasonable Price
The new Series2 DIRECTV-TiVo combo receiver, manufactured by companies such as Hughes Network Systems (HNS) and Philips, is available for just $250. The DVR receiver includes a DIRECTV tuner and can record up to 35 hours of programming.

The subscription fee for DIRECTV DVR/TiVo service is $4.99 a month, or free for customers who subscribe to the Total Choice Premier package. To activate your DIRECTV-TiVo service, call 1-800-DIRECTV.

2. No Timers
Is your VCR still blinking 12:00? With TiVo, you can record your favorite show by simply clicking on the listing in the Electronic Programming Guide (EPG). (Note: The EPG requires a phone connection.)

3. Season Pass
With a few more clicks, you can automatically record a program everytime it airs. Called a "Season Pass," the feature even permits you to record just new episodes, not the repeats. And, TiVo will save the shows until you delete them. You'll never have to worry about missing your favorite show.

4. Record Two Shows at Once
The DIRECTV-TiVo receiver has a dual tuner so you can record two shows at once. In fact, you can record two shows and watch a pre-recorded show at the same time. A dual LNB satellite dish with both cables connected to the DIRECTV TiVo-enabled receiver is required to watch one show while recording another.

5. TiVo Recommends...
Based on your previous viewing choices, TiVo will recommend dozens of upcoming shows. For example, if you are a fan of Robert De Niro, TiVo's "Suggestions" feature might inform you that Showtime will air next week on HBO while Casino is playing tonight on USA Network.

6. No Video Tapes Required
TiVo, a VCR-sized set-top component, can record up to 100 hours of TV programming on a hard drive (The new Samsung S412)R offers 100 hours of recording time). You could save 30 football games and still have room for a comedy or two! Plus, without those videotapes piling up, your coffee table would be clutter-free. However, if you miss your VCR, you can still transfer a saved TiVo program to videotape.

7. Better Picture
Does your VCR make your favorite show look like it was filmed under water?
Thanks to digital technology, TiVo's playback delivers a picture almost as crisp and detailed as a DVD. You can barely tell the difference between a live digital satellite picture and a recorded show.

8. Fast Forward Commercials
TiVo's remote control has three speeds of Fast Forward and Rewind, ranging up to 60 times normal. During playback, you can zip through a two-minute commercial break in less than five seconds.

9. Pause Live TV
Is there anything worse than getting a phone call in the middle of a big game?
With TiVo, you can take that call and not miss a single play. TiVo's Pause button will magically freeze a live broadcast. Resume the action by re-hitting the Pause button.

10. Record Shows On a DVD
This fall Pioneer is scheduled to launch a TiVo DVR/DVD recorder that'll record shows onto DVD-R (DVD-recordable) and TIVO DVD-RW (DVD-rewritable) discs. The Pioneer DVR-810H DVD recorder comes with an 80GB drive and will cost $1,199 while the DVR-57H has a 120 BG drive and will be priced at $1,800.
TiVo should get even more interesting in the near future. By year's end, DIRECTV and TiVo are expected to launch a High-Definition TV recorder. And, TiVo recently introduced a Home Networking service that enables viewers to watch recorded shows on any TV in the house. The Home Networking option is currently not available to DIRECTV owners, but it'll likely be added in the coming months along with other exciting services such as downloadable music.

TiVo hasn't figured out how to make your morning cup of coffee yet, but it wouldn't surprise us if that were next.

Good Look Models
A sampling of TiVo Digital Video Recorders:

Hughes HDVR2 DIRECTV DVR ($249.99)
In addition to the basic TiVo features found in all DIRECTV-TiVo combo receivers (pausing live TV, etc.), this second generation model offers USB port.
(800) 274-8995 www.hns.com

Philips DSR 7000R ($249.99)
The DIRECTV-TiVo combo receiver can record up to 35 hours of programming, pause live TV and fast forward past commercials. At press time, some online distributors were offering this second generation model for $149.99 if you purchase one year of DIRECTV programming. (Check TiVo.com for updates.)
(800) 260-7032 www.philips.com

Samsung S4120R ($499)
Launching this month, this DIRECTV-TiVo combo receiver offers several extra features in addition to pausing live TV and fast-forwarding through commercials. The Samsung set-top can record up to 100 hours, and the user guide is noted by industry experts to be the fastest.
1-800-Samsung www.samsungusa.com

Toshiba SD-H400 ($549)
Just launched, this "standalone" DVR can record up to 80 hours of shows and playback DVDs; owners can also access a limited TiVo service for free; the more advanced DVR service requires a monthly subscription. Note: Standalone TiVos do not include DIRECTV tuners
(800) 631-3811 www.toshiba.com

Prices are manufactures suggested retail.

Posted by: CrispyCritter

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Guys, I hate to say it, but the poison in this forum could choke a cow.

I have never said TiVo will go out of business. (Others have; not me.) I said they would purchased by another company, which I still believe. (Their dependence on DIRECTV is a step in that direction.) I also predicted that their standalone business would become less and less important; DIRECTV sales now account for about two-thirds of overall sales.

My personal objection to your posts is that you don't really understand what you're commenting on; or at least you present only surface reasons instead of evidence that you actually have thought deeply about the matters. That's a major objection to a journalist trying to pass himself off as an expert in the field.

For example, this quoted message. Why does DirecTV sales being 2/3 of sales mean the standalone business is becoming less important? TiVo doesn't sell DirecTV's at all, or make a profit on any sales. The service revenue from DirecTV has been remaining about constant over the past couple years (sales up, revenue per unit down),; the service revenue from standalone's has been increasing dramatically (even after counting cost of service revenues). And the number of companies offering standalone TiVo's is increasing constantly. The TiVo standalone business is becoming more and more important to the TiVo bottom line. But you ignore facts like that!

Posted by: pv

quote:
Originally posted by Video-Idiot
There are no cool commercials.... or "spots" as you refer to them. Commercials are the bane of television and should be banned. :D

That's not true - a commercial is an art form, and some of them are quite fun to watch, When I WANT to watch them. I visit ad age every week. PV

Posted by: pv

quote:
Originally posted by tvpredictions
Phillip Swann, president of TVPredictions.com, writes in Satellite DIRECT magazine that consumers should throw their VCRs away..

Way to turn a defense into self-promotion!

I thought you were going to leave and never come back. When's that going to happen? PV

Posted by: Video-Idiot

quote:
Originally posted by pv
That's not true - a commercial is an art form, and some of them are quite fun to watch, When I WANT to watch them. I visit ad age every week. PV

At this point I leave all the commercials to you. Get my lawyer on the phone, put this n my will. :D

Posted by: allan

I divide commercials into 3 groups. First, there are commercials that I actually like. If I see one while FFing, I'll stop and watch it. This is, by far, the smallest group. Second, there's the "background noise" commercials. I FF past them but they don't really bother me much, and I just ignored them pre-tivo. This is the largest group. Finally, there's the real crap. Pre-Tivo, I would literally leave the room when one of those came on. If I had to watch them, I'd soon take an ax to the TV.

Posted by: rcwalters

I found the article to be fairly silly. As many folks have noted, it's sounds like fast-forward is something new that nobody ever did with the VCR. The article actually explains in great detail the concept of fast-forward. It's addressed as such a new discovery that I get the image of a wide-eyed kid on Christmas morning...only to find he's watching paint dry. Huh?

I also found the continual references to watching a show in "half" the time to be ridiculous, especially when the article actually uses real numbers to support it--like watching a 30 minute show in 22 minutes, a 90 minute show in 70 minutes, and a 60-minute show in 42 minutes. That's not half, I don't need to bring out my calculator. It's not really "close enough," either.

But the ultimate conclusion--that people don't have enough time as the only reason why they're not watching commercials is LUDICROUS. If that were the only issue, then they'd just watch less shows. If the commmercials were equally entertaining as the content, then they'd probably watch them. But they're not--except at the Super Bowl. That's the only exception.

To basically prove that people don't watch commercials because they don't like watching commercials, all you need is to examine the age-old cliche: People go to the refrigerator and/or the bathroom during the commercials!! Translation...they don't want to miss part of the show, but they certainly don't have any concerns about missing any commercials. It's only a cliche because it's so universally true. What really surprises me is that Philip Swann doesn't seem to be aware of this.

Reasons why folks don't like commercials, as if this needs explanation (no particular order):
1. Same commercials over and over. Been there, seen it.
2. Stupid commercials. Really, MANY insult the viewer's intelligence.
3. Supposedly funny, but not really. Who writes these things?
4. Shows have a plot (well, most of them.) Commercials don't.
5. Nobody really likes overtly being "sold" something.

Now, the first four might could be improved on, while the fifth one is simply inherent in a commercial.

That's my two and a half cents.

Posted by: vurbano

I find that article as lacking in understanding as most of his work. I too predict that HD set sales will increase this year.....lol. reminds me of johnny carson doing his karnack routine. Shorter shows O yeah thats what we all want. Go back and write that ..lmao.

Posted by: wmcbrine

quote:
Originally posted by rcwalters
3. Supposedly funny, but not really. Who writes these things?

In many cases, I figure it could only have been a sociopath.

I wish that was a joke.