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Guess What ? TechTV Fans Are Mad as Hell
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Posted by: jones07

Looking for a recipe for dissension? Comcast has it.

Take two cable networks designed for technology enthusiasts with very different bents -- newbie G4 for young gamers and veteran TechTV for computer geeks of all ages -- and merge them. Fire the staff of TechTV, the network you bought, and be sure to drop the show that has some of the most fervent fans and a host with a cult following. For good measure, take the network's widely linked archives offline for weeks.

Do you wish to read more ? :p

http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/...tw=wn_tophead_5

Posted by: ufo4sale

If the cable companies knew what they were doing then they would of made a deal with TiVo a long time ago.

Posted by: cheerdude

I used to watch The Screen Savers ... but after reading about Leo leaving - just stopped.

I still have a SP for XPlay (even though I don't play that much), just because I like the show and the hosts. However, the lack of decent guide data is making things a bit frustrating.

I never had G4 prior to this and so I don't really know much about their shows.

Posted by: tomo_kun

Im not mad, and i am useing a computer i won on air on techtv. Wait untill C4H2.0 gets to the USA, then fanboys wont be so angry.

Yes i am the same tomo_kun who has been trying to handle the fanboy's on G4TechTV's forums.

Posted by: ClutchBrake

I killed all of my SPs shortly after the on-air changeover. Bad guide data = cancelled SPs.

Posted by: Worf

I'm thinking of cancelling my TechTV subscription - I used to watch TSS, but now that they've moved to a new timeslot, I don't catch it anymore. And the replacement shows make Call 4 Help look like a very technical show.

User Friendly seems to be carrying a fairly relevant thread about G4TechTV, at least from what I view. It goes on for a few days.

Posted by: Sinuralan

quote:
Shane couldn't identify specific changes that have been made in response to the complaints but said the network has made every effort to listen, including adding a dedicated 800 number to handle comments on the merger.

Funny, that sounds more like an effort not to listen. Route all the calls to a separate number.

Posted by: Drazi

quote:
Originally posted by ClutchBrake
I killed all of my SPs shortly after the on-air changeover. Bad guide data = cancelled SPs.

I checked next weeks listings in the Tivo, looks like the guide data for The Screen Savers is finally fixed.

Posted by: minorthr

I still have a SP for The Screen Savers and I catch g4tv.com sometimes. Other then that the channel is complete garbage.

Posted by: tomo_kun

quote:
Originally posted by Worf
I'm thinking of cancelling my TechTV subscription - I used to watch TSS, but now that they've moved to a new timeslot, I don't catch it anymore. And the replacement shows make Call 4 Help look like a very technical show.

[

It didnt change timeslots, and C4H will eventually come back from canada.

Posted by: SWFan

Well, I don't think anyone screwed anything up. G4 needed to acquire somebody to gain instant distribution rights. While they may have put some spin on the purchase as a merger, their end game was simply to expand the market for G4. And remember, Paul Allen wanted to dump TTV. If G4 hadn't bought it, it very well could have just been written off. Either way, TTV was more than likely going to be dead, one way or another.

I'm no gamer, just dable every so often, but I do enjoy a few of the G4 programs. I'm a DTV subscriber so I never had access to G4 til now. Right now I've SP's for TSS, XPlay, Judgment Day, G4TV, and Pulse. Oh, and Anime Unleashed. :D

Posted by: FatherTed

quote:
Originally posted by SWFan
Well, I don't think anyone screwed anything up.

Well, I feel they really screwed things up. TechTV has seen multiple promulgations trying to come upon a solution to sagging ratings. Call for Help and The Screen Savers were always their tried and true. They were about the only thing keeping them breathing.

So, G4 runs in and kills Call for Help right off the bat and then decided to pull the 'lay off' stuff so that show will consist of whoever is desparate enough to move to LA to keep their job.

Posted by: SWFan

quote:
Originally posted by FatherTed
Well, I feel they really screwed things up. TechTV has seen multiple promulgations trying to come upon a solution to sagging ratings. Call for Help and The Screen Savers were always their tried and true. They were about the only thing keeping them breathing.

So, G4 runs in and kills Call for Help right off the bat and then decided to pull the 'lay off' stuff so that show will consist of whoever is desparate enough to move to LA to keep their job.

But see, they didn't screw up. My point is, Comcast didn't buy TTV to get TTV viewers. Comcast bought TTV to get their distribution channel for the G4 content. I'm actually more surprised that they kept ANY of the TTV original programming. And honestly, I won't be surprised if TSS isn't cut in a year after they move to LA. Its obvious the channel is geared towards gamers and a much younger crowd. The target market of TSS just doesn't fit G4's target market. They'll try and make it fit by having younger and more "hip" kids host the show, which will just cause the die hard TTV fans to turn off TSS. So, with no TTV fans to watch TSS, and no gamers to watch it, its ratings will languish and it'll get cut.

Your premise that they screwed up would only be valid if Comcast had bought TTV for its content. They didn't.

Posted by: Peter000

quote:
Originally posted by SWFan
But see, they didn't screw up. My point is, Comcast didn't buy TTV to get TTV viewers. Comcast bought TTV to get their distribution channel for the G4 content. I'm actually more surprised that they kept ANY of the TTV original programming. And honestly, I won't be surprised if TSS isn't cut in a year after they move to LA. Its obvious the channel is geared towards gamers and a much younger crowd. The target market of TSS just doesn't fit G4's target market. They'll try and make it fit by having younger and more "hip" kids host the show, which will just cause the die hard TTV fans to turn off TSS. So, with no TTV fans to watch TSS, and no gamers to watch it, its ratings will languish and it'll get cut.

Your premise that they screwed up would only be valid if Comcast had bought TTV for its content. They didn't.

Well, why did they even bother to keep TechTV as part of the name then? And some of the shows and staff? Wouldn't it have been more efficient to just replace TechTV in all the new outlets with G4?

They did screw up if all they were after were the new outlets and not new programming or audience. G4 tried to split the difference and probably will suffer audience losses for both channels, rather than just one.

Posted by: Worf

quote:
Originally posted by tomo_kun
It didnt change timeslots, and C4H will eventually come back from canada.

Except that TechTV Canada used to play TSS at a timeslot that I used to catch it very conveniently. WIth G4TechTV, it's filled with a bunch of crap game programs.

Call4Help is probably already on G4TechTV Canada, but I wouldn't know - I don't watch it anymore. Maybe I can find a better channel to replace it with (digital TV a la carte package).

Posted by: Mike Wells

quote:
Originally posted by ClutchBrake
I killed all of my SPs shortly after the on-air changeover. Bad guide data = cancelled SPs.

ditto here. I used to have a SP for Xplay, but it makes it too much work for me if they won't fix the guide data.

Posted by: SWFan

quote:
Originally posted by Peter000
Well, why did they even bother to keep TechTV as part of the name then? And some of the shows and staff? Wouldn't it have been more efficient to just replace TechTV in all the new outlets with G4?

They did screw up if all they were after were the new outlets and not new programming or audience. G4 tried to split the difference and probably will suffer audience losses for both channels, rather than just one.

I haven't been able to figure this one out. Obviously from the programming its not a tech channel. I can only guess it was done as a way to defer any backlash, which obviously failed. ;) My only guess is that TTV was on more cable systems and they figured having TechTV in the name might continue some kind of brand recognition as people scroll through their guides.

Unless the network is retooled in the coming year, its definitely a gaming channel.

Posted by: jones07

They are trying to be both an gaming channel as well as a Tech channel.
But it seems the TechTV fans don't know how to compromise. The Gaming Channel fanboyz seem to have taken this merger smoothly :p

Posted by: PVRGuyII

The only show worth watching on ___techTV is TSS.

Posted by: SWFan

quote:
Originally posted by jones07
They are trying to be both an gaming channel as well as a Tech channel.
But it seems the TechTV fans don't know how to compromise. The Gaming Channel fanboyz seem to have taken this merger smoothly :p

If they are trying to be a Tech channel then why is there only one tech show out of a dozen or more gaming shows?

I would also have thought Pulse would have merged with TechLive if it was going to be a true Tech/Gaming channel.

Posted by: Peter Miller

quote:
I would also have thought Pulse would have merged with TechLive if it was going to be a true Tech/Gaming channel.

It has sort of, Pulse last week began airing tech news in addition to gaming news to make up for the loss of TechLive.

Posted by: faerie

Well... I just gave Electric Playground a try and who do I see??? Julie from Real World, probably one of my most disliked people to exist on MTV. For anyone that's been tuning in, is she a regular host?

Posted by: cptodd

Not sure if anyone posted this already but here is a link regarding the problem btw G4 Tech TV and Time Warner:

http://www.tvweek.com/topstorys/062104netdropped.html

Net Dropped; Tensions Rise
Time Warner Cable and Comcast's Tussle Over G4techTV Is Part of Larger Battle Over Carriage

By John Motavalli

Time Warner Cable is calling it a "local dispute," but its decision to drop Comcast's recently merged programming service G4techTV from systems in New York and New Jersey is symbolic of the growing tension between major cable operators and programmers.

Even on recently rebuilt systems, channel slots remain so valuable that multiple system operators have much greater leverage to negotiate the terms of carriage than they did a few years ago. Add to that the consolidation among system operators that has created a handful of giant MSOs and it's easy to understand why the electronic gatekeepers have been making aggressive demands for lower fees and more favorable terms, and in the case of some new entrants, demands that programmers pay for the privilege of being seen at all.

Time Warner officials have said recently that it would be a mistake to assume they would simply rubber-stamp any programming changes made by networks, and the G4 issue is one example of that. In a note to subscribers who complain about TechTV disappearing off their system, Time Warner's response is that "TechTV ceased to exist as a cable channel on May 28 and was acquired by G4, a separate cable network. They chose to replace TechTV programming with G4, a service which we do not have an agreement to carry here in New York and New Jersey. Therefore, as of June 8, this programming was no longer airing on our cable system."

By asserting that G4techTV is a new network, Time Warner is relegating it to the status of a channel that, in today's universe, would generally have to pay for carriage, not the other way around. This trend first became evident in the 1990s, when several large conglomerates, especially News Corp. and GE's NBC, began to push into cable, with such offerings as Fox News and CNBC.

Since then, the trend has escalated, pushed recently by Comcast itself, which has been demanding huge concessions from programmers. Still, onlookers don't think Time Warner would move against Comcast in this way unless it was looking for some kind of concession from the largest MSO on another front. "There must be something going on involving carriage and fee negotiations between Comcast and Time Warner," an informed source said.

This latest battle is between two of the biggest MSOs, who are also programmers. Time Warner, with CNN, HBO, TNT and other services, is by far the larger programmer. However, Comcast has said it plans to expand its content offerings in the wake of its failed bid for The Walt Disney Co.

Time Warner took a similarly aggressive stance regarding its contractual rights last year when it dropped American Movie Classics, citing its right to remove channels in advance of the end of the contract if material changes are made to the name and programming format. AMC had switched from classic to newer films and added advertising.

In arguing against Time Warner, AMC's owners said in a lawsuit that it is customary and expected in the industry that the content of programming services will evolve over time to accommodate changes in tastes, availability of new product and shifting consumer preferences. The case never made it to court. TWC eventually settled with Rainbow and returned AMC to its channel lineup.

Now Comcast is likely to use similar arguments to justify keeping on the channel formed by the merger of two channels-G4 and TechTV. In the case of AMC, TWC issued a 90-day notice of its intent to remove that channel, giving Rainbow enough time to negotiate a settlement. G4techTV spokesman David Shane would not confirm whether G4 or Comcast received such a letter.

"Contract negotiations with MSOs are nothing new, and they are going well," Mr. Shane said. "We have had several hundred complaints from viewers in the New York area via our Web site, and we expect to be back on in New York within a few days."

Mr. Shane said the New York and New Jersey subscribers amount to about 500,000. He added that G4techTV had encouraged disgruntled subscribers to complain.

Time Warner Cable spokesman Keith Cocozza characterized the issue as a local one, saying that system operators have a lot of leeway to make programming decisions that make sense for their customers. "We leave it up to the local division," he said.

However, others see it differently. "Maybe Time Warner decided to play hardball," mused Tom Wolzien, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. "Or maybe the contractual language was different. I am perplexed, because it seems like Time Warner has more to lose than Comcast."

"Time Warner needs leverage points with Comcast," said a cable executive. "Fred Dressler [exec VP of programming at TWC] puts it on the table as one more form of leverage."

"The big question is whether Comcast [will] step in and use their leverage to get [G4] back on," said a top cable executive. "I'm sure there will be trading involved, in which Time Warner has a list of things they want from Comcast."

Although G4 and TechTV are not household names, the stakes are significant. G4 CEO Charles Hirschhorn told Wired News last month that the new agreement tripled his network's reach after Comcast paid about $300 million, or around $8 for each of the 43 million homes then reached by TechTV. That was considered a significant premium over what other cable channels have been selling for.

The loss of Time Warner, especially in New York, would be a major blow, in part because carriage in New York is seen as much more important than any other city due to the presence of most of the big ad agencies. If a channel is not seen in the New York area, it is almost as if it doesn't exist for many advertisers. That gives the New York MSOs-mainly TWC and Cablevision-huge leverage.

On the other hand, Comcast, as the largest MSO, also has powerful leverage with providers, including Time Warner. While it may need to carry HBO and CNN, it doesn't have to carry spinoff channels that may be important to a programmer in growing a company. It was expected to use some of that leverage to launch channels and expand the subscriber base for existing channels, but this latest battle, said an industry source, shows that even for these big players there are limitations. #

Posted by: Blackwolf

Ironically, the Electric Playground was airing on TechTV Canada long before G4 picked it up. It's a syndicated show based out of Vancouver - in the US, it was on Discovery Science, and it's had runs on MTV Canada as well...

As for the Pulse/TechLive thing, Pulse is going to start picking up TechLive's slack, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some TechLive faces on the show in the near future. (Kevin is an interim replacement.) A bunch of people are seeking out places in LA and the people that are staying with the network are genuinely excited at the possibilities and the opportunities the merged network will bring.

Yeah, change sucks, but that's television...Unfortunately.

Posted by: SWFan

quote:
Originally posted by Peter Miller
It has sort of, Pulse last week began airing tech news in addition to gaming news to make up for the loss of TechLive.

I'm not sure what you're talking about. I've been watching Pulse every week since the merger and I've yet to see anything that wasn't gaming news. Even last week's Pulse had a blurb on 321 Studio's DMCA problems, but it was all about their game copying software, no mention at all of DVDXCopy.

Posted by: SWFan

quote:
Originally posted by Blackwolf
As for the Pulse/TechLive thing, Pulse is going to start picking up TechLive's slack, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some TechLive faces on the show in the near future.

I would like to see the two merge, because one hour of pure gaming news once a week is just too much. Much of the gaming news they discuss just seems too trivial as if they have to really reach to find stuff to report. Combining it with tech news hopefully would result in more substantive news reports on both the gaming and tech fronts.

Posted by: Blackwolf

quote:
Originally posted by SWFan
I'm not sure what you're talking about. I've been watching Pulse every week since the merger and I've yet to see anything that wasn't gaming news. Even last week's Pulse had a blurb on 321 Studio's DMCA problems, but it was all about their game copying software, no mention at all of DVDXCopy.

It's not much what they've done yet, and I'd like to see more. But they actually did a segment about a guy who rips a customer's entire CD collection to MP3 for them (for people who don't have the knowledge or time to do it themselves) as well as discussing some recently released gadgets and what not. I haven't seen last week's Pulse yet, but I know they started introducing this "Tech Block" on the week before's episode, and it didn't have anything game related (although they did liken the website bandwidth monitor they covered to SimCity.)

I would love to see more, and I do think that Pulse has suffered somewhat when they went from 30 minutes to an hour a few months ago. I hope that they can place more TechLive news (when those people make the move to LA) into it so it can be half games and half tech...Because I liked both Pulse and TechLive, I don't want to see either of them completely go away.

Posted by: mitchb2

Yeah, I'm pretty disgusted when I get 5 of the same XPlay and Fresh Gear episodes because they have zero guide data.

Posted by: montag

I've really cut back on my TSS viewing. Are they only running three live shows now?

Posted by: dcheesi

quote:
Originally posted by montag
I've really cut back on my TSS viewing. Are they only running three live shows now?

Yep, apparently they're taping all week, but saving some of the episodes to air later (when they'll be busy transitioning to LA). Seems a little funny to me; I wonder how they'll try to keep the content relevant when the "new" episodes are several weeks old?

Posted by: sieglinde

I watched some of Tech TV because I am interested in gadgets and such but I am not at all interested in gaming, so I might as well cancel it from my Tivo. I saw a program that looked like it was the making of the Riddick movie and it was about making the game based on the movie. Ugh.

Posted by: Peter Miller

quote:
Originally posted by sieglinde
I watched some of Tech TV because I am interested in gadgets and such but I am not at all interested in gaming, so I might as well cancel it from my Tivo. I saw a program that looked like it was the making of the Riddick movie and it was about making the game based on the movie. Ugh.

That's like saying I'm not going to watch NBC at all because I don't like E.R.

The Screen Savers and Fresh Gear are still on G4techtv if you want your gadget fix.

Posted by: Worf

Those shows are still on, but what about the rest? Call 4 Help, and TechLive were interesting shows. And now with G4's programming occupying 80% of the channel timeslots, it's practically not worth it.

Ah well, just another station I quit watching. TSS and Fresh Gear were slowly deteriorating, but that TechTV usually had something good on to watch live was a reason to keep it. Not anymore.

Posted by: SWFan

Well, I'm with Peter, why stop watching the channel? Pretty much everyone here uses a Tivo, so nobody really browses channels or just sits and watches a channel. We all record shows from all over the place and in essence have our own specialized "Tivo channel" that provides 99.999% of our viewing pleasure.

So if you like TSS, keep recording it and watching it. Its not like you have to watch any of the other G4TechTV programming. :D

Posted by: bigpuma

quote:
Originally posted by SWFan
Well, I'm with Peter, why stop watching the channel? Pretty much everyone here uses a Tivo, so nobody really browses channels or just sits and watches a channel. We all record shows from all over the place and in essence have our own specialized "Tivo channel" that provides 99.999% of our viewing pleasure.

So if you like TSS, keep recording it and watching it. Its not like you have to watch any of the other G4TechTV programming. :D

that's my plan. :)

Posted by: Worf

There's not enough TSS and Fresh Gear and every other show in a day to cover all the free moments...

Posted by: dmdeane

quote:
Originally posted by SWFan
Well, I'm with Peter, why stop watching the channel? Pretty much everyone here uses a Tivo, so nobody really browses channels or just sits and watches a channel. We all record shows from all over the place and in essence have our own specialized "Tivo channel" that provides 99.999% of our viewing pleasure.

So if you like TSS, keep recording it and watching it. Its not like you have to watch any of the other G4TechTV programming. :D

Some people have to pay for an extra programming package in order to get TechTV (now G4TechTV).

They may not feel it is worth paying extra for a channel if they are only going to occasionally watch one or two programs on that channel, as opposed to the three or four or five TechTV shows they used to watch before the merger.

Posted by: sieglinde

I will keep it on. I have really only gotten rid of irritating channels such as Spanish language channels, religious channels, shopping channels and a food channel.