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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
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
Clearly, you've never met Mephisto...
12/04/09
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12/04/09
But, hey I can't say anything. I own stock in Intel, and I go to computer stores and smash Intel CPUs to pieces with a baseball bat and then buy everyone AMD chips.
12/04/09
12/04/09
Then again, I know little about how these things work, so I could be wrong. Well, back to chip-smashing.
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12/04/09
It's been said a thousand times but they need to figure out how to adapt to this change instead of trying to force their previously tried and true methods on something that will inevitably happen with or without their help.
Of course, they don't need to make a leap to cutting out the old ways completely. They just need to realize that transition is hard for any person or company and be prepared to take some losses now before it's too late when the losses will be even greater further down the line.
12/04/09
The quote is nice but it could be made more forceful with a properly placed F-bomb.
"You're going to have a television if I have to nail it to your fucking wall."
Now doesn't that just read better?