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12/07/09
12/07/09
12/07/09
"The Internet"
12/07/09
I've known some people with screwed up borderline-domestic-abuse relationships that are more stable than this.
12/07/09
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12/04/09
In fact, the networks have brought this upon themselves. I can't stand watching TV live anymore due to the 3 minutes of ads for a bunch of crap I'll probably never ever buy. Not to mention the TV commercials that are so goddamn annoying you want to stop the persons responsible from procreating. Especially that 3 minute Celebrex commercial that explained every minute detail of the drug ad nauseum (they might as well have started a freaking infomercial.)
Then there's a matter of watching TV on my schedule when I want to watch it, not when some network executive says I should watch it. The Internet lets me do that.
What the networks have done is created a competing product with a greater value at the same price point for the viewers. Thus viewers are migrating over to the better product. Both hulu and Broadcast television are free, but Hulu provides a much better value to the viewer in the form of fewer ads and convenience. And the networks should be using that greater value as a means to pry open the wallets of their advertisers just a bit more. (i.e. Viewers get more value from streaming, therefore you should pay more to get your products in their face).
However, this is beyond the narrow thinking of the existing executives at the TV studios. They are still devoted to ye olde bewb tewb.
12/04/09
12/04/09
The jig is up, people. Cable is dead.
12/04/09
Still need cable though, as their are no really good HD sports feed (gotta get my Jayhawks in Atlanta/Cali somehow).
12/04/09
I have not had a cable TV bill for months and I haven't even noticed it. So cable executive, you go right ahead and nail another TV to the walls of my house, it sure as hell won't be used for your over priced services.
12/04/09
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12/04/09
But I agree for the most part. If they go subscription, I have a feeling that the delay alone would make people keep their wallets shut.
12/04/09
12/04/09
It's like these people are getting dumber every year.
12/04/09
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12/04/09
The problem is that these people don't know how to work their product. They force in nonsense like the Avatar tie-in on Bones. It's forced and obvious, and it just pissed people off. But why not use the interactivity of Flash video to sell the knives used on cooking shows? The wacky hats Frank wears on 30 Rock? The music from the latest episode of Whatever Teen Drama is Really Hot Right Now?
They could open a link to Amazon or their own web store in the background/another tab, or license one-click and let people pick these things up without skipping a beat.
I'm not the first person to suggest this, I know. It seems like they're completely unwilling to diversify their business, even in the face of death. Disney has merchandised themselves to death, and they would not be the giant they are today otherwise. Even though I can watch The Office on Hulu for free, I still pay to download it and carry it on my iPod -- that way, I can watch an episode while I wait in line or take a break at work.
There are options out there, is what I'm saying. Online viewing allows for better viewer data, and it also allows for viewer retention. If they don't want to offer the latest episode of The Office, fine. There are plenty of pirates who will. They need to factor that into their plans, too. Whether they want to admit it or not, there are free options that thousands of people are using that don't bring them any money, and it wouldn't take that much to entice them over to Hulu.
12/04/09
My lappy's HDMI port makes it a cinch to hook up to the plasma so there's no hassle getting it onto the big screen
12/04/09
Seriously, how does PVR work in the U.S.? Out here in Canada I can set it to record any show I want automatically on a schedule, then watch it pretty well commercial-free (you can skip them anyway), whenever I want. And it's in HD. How is Hulu an improvement over that?
12/04/09
And how can you beat a DVR with a cable connection that you have to schedule your recordings on? Hulu is free (saves me $60/month) and instead of actively deciding what you'll want to watch later, you pick from a pool of programs.
Hulu also has a much nicer interface than the Scientific Atlanta boxes most cable companies force upon you.
12/04/09