NationStates Jolt Archive

One reason I got a DVR when I finally decided to get television again after a five year hiatus was because I absolutely hate advertising. Hate it, spit on it, cuss at it and dump on it. I've actually refused to buy products in the past because the ads pissed me off so bad. So I find this story (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14464653/) to be a thing of beauty.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - "I'm asking for your vote ..."
Zap.
"My opponent says ..."
Click.
"As your senator, I will ..."
Flip.

Since the invention of the remote control, political campaigns have had a tough time persuading viewers to sit and watch their television ads rather than switching to another channel.

Now, the growing popularity of fast-forward, ad-skipping digital video recorders, including the technology's pioneer TiVo Inc., is forcing campaigns to rethink where and when they advertise. Viewer habits on using these DVRs are a critical part of any election strategy.
Anything that gets political ads off tv and makes politicians actually spend time and money and effort getting to know the people they represent is a good thing in my book. All hail the DVR!

It's simply unwise to watch TV during an election year. Or ever.

I'm surprised you gave in and bought a TV.

They say that 1 out of 3 people would rather play computer games or be on the Internet than watch anything on TV.

Isn't that why you're on NS?

I'm surprised you gave in and bought a TV.

They say that 1 out of 3 people would rather play computer games or be on the Internet than watch anything on TV.

Isn't that why you're on NS?
I've always had a tv--just not cable or a satellite. But I got tired of having to go to the in-laws to watch Stewart and Colbert, or trying to download Battlestar Galactica or Deadwood or The Wire--which is about the sum total of my television viewing. Okay, I watch Spongebob every couple of days, but that's it. :D

One other bonus was that I got all the channels I wanted at the second-to-cheapest level, and I would have had to pay more to get Fox News. Heh. Guess they didn't realize that for some people, not having Fox News is a perk.

One other bonus was that I got all the channels I wanted at the second-to-cheapest level, and I would have had to pay more to get Fox News. Heh. Guess they didn't realize that for some people, not having Fox News is a perk.

That should tell you something about the area you live in. People must be willing to pay for Fox News there. So there must be a lot of Fox fans.

It's free in our area - they have to give it away in the basic tier.

That should tell you something about the area you live in. People must be willing to pay for Fox News there. So there must be a lot of Fox fans.

It's free in our area - they have to give it away in the basic tier.
It's one of the dish companies, and the big thing in the next tier up is that you get all the Fox Sports channels. I think that's the selling point. This is south Florida, after all--massive in terms of sports fanaticism, largely because everyone is from somewhere else, and they all want to watch their home teams.

I got Dish Network (couldn't afford to get the DVR receiver at this time - but oh god how I want it) and they had the usual packages but I think a better way to sell programming would be by selling single channels for like 50 cents a month (except for the movie channels I guess but I think they should sell those at similar prices as well because more people would get them).

I would have a lot less crappy sports channels and probably a smaller bill because most channels suck anyway.

Oh and I have to pay to get the local channels just so that I can watch simpsons/family guy

I got Dish Network (couldn't afford to get the DVR receiver at this time - but oh god how I want it) and they had the usual packages but I think a better way to sell programming would be by selling single channels for like 50 cents a month (except for the movie channels I guess but I think they should sell those at similar prices as well because more people would get them).

I would have a lot less crappy sports channels and probably a smaller bill because most channels suck anyway.

Oh and I have to pay to get the local channels just so that I can watch simpsons/family guy
If I could get rid of the home shopping channels and the Jeebus channels, it would be perfect. But paying for the package makes room for stuff like C-SPAN, so I figure it's evens out.

If I could get rid of the home shopping channels and the Jeebus channels, it would be perfect. But paying for the package makes room for stuff like C-SPAN, so I figure it's evens out.


You are right, I probably wouldn't have paid for the NASA channel but I like it now (sometimes) and wouldn't know what I was missing.

I'm content with just the six o'clock news, thanks. Oh, the local multicultural station featured a Bollywood action flick last Sunday - watched it while folding laundry. Other than that... nada. No TV. Period.

The technology I like so far is cable.

I get 5 to 6 Meg/sec Internet access (and it really is that fast), and I get phone service (unlimited calling time) and 150 channels (that's the basic service) for about 70 dollars a month.

For regular phone service (local and long distance), I was paying a little over that from the phone company. Goodbye!

And DSL is slower than molasses compared to the cable.

We don't have advertising by political parties on tv other than the fairly occasional 2 minute political broadcast.

I watch a few shows but mostly films.

i had to stay at my sisters house overnight recently, she has basic cable.

AKKKKKK i get the daily show twice before she gets it once. (cable gets pacific feed, we live in mountain time so it comes on at midnight, satellite gets it eastern feed so its on at 9pm at my house then repeats at 11 pm. verrrry good scheduling)

then i stayed at my neice's house where she has satellite with dvr. ooooooooo if you miss something someone says you can just "rewind" it. no need to ever watch another commercial, just start watching your show 10 to 15 minutes late and skip the ads. im going to get me a free dvr as soon as i get past a few other disasters that have weighed down my free time.

my sister with cable got TIVO with its own dvd burner. now THATS a great thing too. she can burn me hbo shows that can play on my dvd player here at the house.

dvr/tivo technology is the best thing since color tv. it liberates you from the tyranny of ads and of network schedules. i dont know why they havent banned it.

We don't have advertising by political parties on tv other than the fairly occasional 2 minute political broadcast.

I watch a few shows but mostly films.
You're lucky. There aren't many in my neck of the woods yet, but there will be in October when the governor's race heats up. There's also a very competitive congressional race in the next district over (which in my case means about 3 blocks away, thanks to gerrymandering) and I imagine both guys will be on the air quite a bit.

You're lucky. There aren't many in my neck of the woods yet, but there will be in October when the governor's race heats up. There's also a very competitive congressional race in the next district over (which in my case means about 3 blocks away, thanks to gerrymandering) and I imagine both guys will be on the air quite a bit.

I'm from England, occasional party politcal broadcasts are as bad as it gets with tv adverts

One other bonus was that I got all the channels I wanted at the second-to-cheapest level, and I would have had to pay more to get Fox News. Heh. Guess they didn't realize that for some people, not having Fox News is a perk.
I'm surprised. I'd've thought that you would have wanted to get Faux, so you could seethe indignantly.
You strike me as the sort of person who looks forward to being able to seethe indignantly at things.

I have a TV without local channels. (the big networks). I recomend that way to everyone.

I'm surprised. I'd've thought that you would have wanted to get Faux, so you could seethe indignantly.
You strike me as the sort of person who looks forward to being able to seethe indignantly at things.
No, I come to NS to fill my daily indignantly seething quotient. :D

No, I come to NS to fill my daily indignantly seething quotient. :D
I suppose you're right: A daily dose of DK and DM is more than enough for most ppl.

I just moved out of home and don't even have a TV. Bliss :D

Much of my daily advertising dose comes from the top-right corner of this forum ;)

TV has always been a background type of thing for me. I always do something else when I turn the 'tube on, like exercise, clean, think or sleep. It would make very little sense for me to purchase a DVR, espescially in light of the fact that the only show I watch regularly new is House.

The funny thing is that even though there's more crap on tv than ever, and even though I hate advertisements in general, there's also more good tv on right now than there's ever been before. Battlestar Galactica, The Wire, Deadwood, Monk, Six Feet Under, Lost, 24, Stargate SG-1, Daily Show, Colbert Report, Mind of Mencia, Reno 911--few, if any of those shows would have made the cut ten years ago. It's the huge amount of space to fill that allows shows like that to fill a niche and find an audience. There's always been a huge crap-to-quality noise ratio on tv, but until recently, there was still a very limited overall supply. Now that the supply has grown, there's better stuff out there. A lot more crap, too, but you can just avoid that.