Ping
Makes sense to me. If you have DVR, that means you are more selective of what you watch and when you want to watch it. You don't just vegetate in front of whatever is on the box.
Which is why I won't own a TIVO (or any other DVR device which has a data return link to "set the channels"). What I want is a device JUST LIKE A VCR, but which uses hard drives instead of tape.
Ever since I got my DVR I have most definately watched less TV, with the ability to pre-record my shows I dont have to sit and wait for other shows and commercials to view what I want, plus if I am watching a live program I can pause it and come back 30 minutes later which means I have less time to watch what comes next.
I love my DVR and enjoy my TV a lot more with it. I end up watching less because I don't pointlessly chanel surf much anymore. I watch the shows that interest me when I want to watch them. Awesome.
I actually watch more TV now that I have a DVR. Before, even if I liked a particular show (e.g., South Park), I just couldn't be bothered to commit myself to a particular time each week. Now I can set up the DVR to automatically record all new episodes and I can watch them whenever I want, all at once and commercial free.
Even more irritating is the new trend of flashing commericials onto the screen as the show is running. Usually right after the regular commercials have run and right before the regular commericials begin.
This is perhaps one of the most irritating developments of TV, and the FCC should put a halt to it. Once the show starts, no damn commercials on the screen. Also, the FCC should make any provider of pay type TV screen out the commercials so viewers don't have to watch them. Either we pay through commercials or we pay directly, not both.
I love my DVR...We tape a show then start watching it about 20 min into it..after fast forwarding through the commercials you end up right on time at the end..
I look at commercials like taxes..if they were alot shorter I wouldn't have as much problem staying on the channel...but some of these shows have 3-5 minutes of commercials every 5 -8 minutes...I think just as with taxes less is more...
To me commercials are literally TORTURE!... it reminds me of Clock Work Orange (?) The movie... where they force the guy to watch a movie by forcinh his eyes open with some kind of device... just torture!
I also love my 3 DVRs, but I still consider TIVO the best... because it has that feature that when you are flying over the commercials and you press STOP, it "rewinds" about three or four seconds putting right at the begining of the segment. With the piece of junk, the DVR I got from DirecTV, it does not have that feature and it's a PIA (Pain in..) to find the beginning of the next segment. I am sure they did it on purpose to deter people from skiping them. I still dream of something that would either skip commercials automatically, or at least something that one could time the length of the "skip," say in portions of 30 seconds (3 clicks=minute and a half - like my microwave! :)
Anyone knows anything like this?
I only have BASIC cable, 20 channels maybe, basically the local broadcast channels, The Weather Channel, CSPAN and CSPAN2 and TBS.
I dumped extended cable years ago, and don't miss it... at first I did, because I was a news junky... now, no way, don't miss it at all. Other than when a major news event happens, I don't miss it at all.
Even with my limited channels, I have debated buying or building a DVR.. just so I can watch the few shows I do watch anymore when I want.
In the evenings I am now much more likely to be doing things than 3 years ago when I had extended cable... my lifestyle has changed drastically, and on nights when I do have nothing going on, I feel like I should get up and find something to do.
I have reached the conclusion that if I could "subscribe" to just shows I wanted, IE shows downloaded directly to a DVR that I could watch when I wanted for a fee I would probably do that, but I have zero desire to have 80 channels of smut in my house.
In fact, when we went on vacation recently and stayed at a hotel, we tried to find something for OUr son to watch at about 8:30 at night on their cable offerings.. just flipping through the channels to find a kid friendly channel we were lambasted with overt images and situations and language on nearly every channel. I'm no prude by any stretch, but Cable has clearly gone down a spiral rapidly... Not that it had that far to go... but still in 3 years its gone beyond gutter.
If there is a good show that came out that I don't have access to and want to see, I'll rent or buy a season of it on DVD for $20 or $40 and watch it on my time without commercials.
And as to just regular broadcast TV, its gone down the dumper too... not only do I feel like I have to be doing something on the odd night that I am actually around and could just watch TV.. but when I do turn on the TV and look at whats on... its wortless reality shows on EVERY channel.. literally.