Dish’s HopperDVR is awesome precisely because it makes it so easy to skip ads. The WSJ reports that the company will be scaling back the awesome auto-skipping feature on some Disney programming. It seems that consumer choice Dish has been claiming to protect for years goes out the window, presumably when it gets a cut of the ad dollars for itself.
According to to the WSJ, Dish will disable its consumer-friendly “Auto Hop” feature for the first three days after a new ABC show airs so that Disney can collect those ever important advertising dollars. The Journal says this is part of a long-terms broadcast rights deal.
We shouldn’t be surprised that Dish bowed to pressure from Disney during negotiations. Still, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed given that the company is currently in a lawsuitwith several networks over the Hopper’s magical powers, and especially in light of the company’s hard “damn-the-man” line when it comes to “standing up for consumers.” We’re all for sale, I guess. [WSJ]
