[The Raven]

Dancing through commercials is a godsend.

[lavaroise]

Finally. Now we need the algorithm to automatically stop recording during ads.

[goldstategop]

They're selling hacked TiVOs on Ebay that lets people record up to 200 hours at standard play. That's more than a VCR tape can hold. And you can either buy it upgraded ready to set up or buy an upgrade kit yourself for it. The advertisers don't get it about the popularity of DVR's. What people like about them is you can watch television when you want to and you decide what you want to watch, not the networks or the advertisers. No wonder it drives them bonkers.

[Skooz]

I have a VCR that skips commercials. Aside from the obvious savings of the cost of tapes, why would one of these boxes be any better?

[FrdmLvr]

Jamie C. Kellner, chief executive of Turner Broadcasting. "There's no Santa Claus. If you don't watch the commercials, someone's going to have to pay for television and it's going to be you."

An odd remark coming from someone affiliated with Ted Turner.

[Rum Tum Tugger]

I've had a Tivo for about one year. I couldn't do without it. I've watched very little "live" TV since I got my Tivo.

I've also watched very few commercials since I got my Tivo. That's had an unexpected effect. Commercials are a significant part of our culture these days, and sometimes I feel out of it when I hear my friends talking about commercials that I've never seen.

However, I'll live with that kind of "out of it" feeling.

[JoeGar]

Does anyone sell a DVR without a TiVo-type service. I want a DVR that I can use just like a VCR, recording what I want to see and watching it when I want to see it. I also want to be able to pause real-time programs. I don't need a programming service like TiVo. It is not a necessary function in a DVR. Does anyone make a DVR without some kind of on-going programming service?

[Maelstrom]

Isn't this thing illegal under the new copyright abomination?

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

If these do catch up, you will see more real-time 'news' program (I love those pompous cretins paraded on the cable newsies) and more 'shows' available for purchase on DVD with the abbreviated 'on the air' version becoming more like a infomercial attempting to sell viewers the 'real thing'.

Technically speaking, isn't it true that the TiVo pricture quality is a lot lower than that of the original broadcast?

[steve-b]

Lawyers for the companies now argue that the court's endorsement of consumers' right to "time shift" television programming in the 1984 case was based on the assumption that copyright holders would not suffer significant financial damage as a result.

Rights are, by nature, independent of "financial damage" suffered by third parties. If the "financial damage" is the result of violating someone's property rights, that is wrong in itself. If the "financial damage" is simply lost revenue because people aren't buying what you're selling, tough toenails.

[Caipirabob]

The industry is going to counter this trend by implementing advertisements directly within the programming. They won't base the revenue entirely on commercials then, but you'll have shows where every take includes items from their sponsers or perhaps entire episode where the set is an outlet of the sponser. Imagine a commedy series where each episode occurs within a Wal-Mart or some local mall. If this trend keeps up, it's coming (that doesn't mean I'll watch it, though!)

[The G Man]

I do not have TiVo, but I do subscribe to the DISH Network satellite system and I have one of their Dish Player receivers that is very similiar to TiVo. I can save 12 hours of programming, fast forward at up to 300x regular speed, pause and rewind live programming, search for and record favorite shows, etc.

Mine is an older model, but the one currently out now hold about 30 hours of programming. However they are due to release a new one any day now that holds (gulp!) ... 72 hours of programming!! Oh happy day!

[RayChuang88]

The complaints from broadcasters about how consumers record TV programming is actually an outgrowth of something that Alvin Toffler's landmark book The Third Wave.

That book--published in 1979 when the home VCR began its rapid rise to ascendency--said that with VCR's and newer home video playback technologies it would completely overturn the whole idea of television programming by the broadcasters. And indeed it has happened; David Letterman's rise in popularity was possible because Neilsen Research found out his old NBC late-night show was one of the most-recorded shows on VCR, so people could watch in the morning after getting a good night's sleep. Today, VCR's have become so inexpensive that many households have more than one of them, which means you can do things like record two programs at one time and watch a third all at the same time.

DVR's are an extension of the VCR idea, only that programming the recorder is much more sophisticated and you can skip through the program (and the commercials) even faster. And unlike VCR's, DVR's usually have consistently good picture quality.

The New York Times article is just pointing out that television network executives still have not figured out the impact of home video recording and how it has completely changed viewing habits in many households.

[tacticalogic]

. Some even come close to accusing habitual ad skippers of theft.

If skipping the commercials is theft, promising us entertainment in exchange for watching them is fraud.

[tje]

Tivo is great! You have to experience it to appreciate the difference between it and an VCR. I've not use a VCR in years.

I bought a 30 hour Tivo and added another drive to give me about 120 hours of time. But you can determine the quality of the recording. My 120 hours is for lowest quality, I only have about 40 hours of best quality, but that is definately enough for me.

Tivo puts you in control of what you watch.