Chairman of NBC no fan of auto hop

[osu1991]

Okay, so why not make one of those older HD boxes available instead of renting me an SD receiver, which is even *older* technology?



People shouldn't have to pay the cost of the hopper upfront, because it's a *rental* unit. If you have to send it back when you discontinue service, you don't own it. Should just be a small monthly fee or including in the cost of programming. And that $100 upfront is only for preferred customers, if they decide they don't like something about you, I've seen people in these threads quote hopper/joey costs as high as $900.



How much would a 211k cost me? What can it do for me if I stop subscribing to Dish service? Hard to see on a limited income plunking down big money for old technology that only works while I'm paying a monthly fee to a specific company (Wouldn't even work with Direct or cable). Rental is the only appropriate model for something like that IMO.

I would have given you my 508's (sd dvr's) as I just deactivated them and bought a 211k to replace one of them, but the 508's are obsolete and about to not work any longer, which is why I turned them off and took them to the recycler a couple of weeks ago.

211 is gonna run you anywhere from a $100 to $130. They are the current basic entry level HD receiver and can become a dvr with the addition of usb drive. Of course you can't use it with any other service, but you can resell it to someone else if you so choose. Many people don't mind spending a few bucks to not have to agree to a contract.(me included in that group)

My opinion is if your on a limited income, then saving up and buying a receiver and going without a contract is the way to go, then you can start and stop service whenever you need to and not have to worry about late fees and reconnect fees etc ...

 

[jann]

I know this is a bit after-the-fact (as the thread is a bit dated)... but the broadcasters (all of them) killed any feelings I may have had toward protecting their precious commercials when they all began "bugging" the four corners and bottom 1/3 (all the way all the way across) of my screen when watching their TV Shows. I know they feel this is good to let people know about future programming, but really -- History (channel)? History -- on the 29th-ish of last month -- began leaving a countdown to "Hatfield's & McCoys" (which, incidentally was excellent!) on every show on their network most of the evening! It sat there in the upper left of the screen -- with their H (or H2) bug in the lower right of the screen. These bugs--among other things--cover up much of the content you really want to see ... not to mention also deteriorate your experience when watching the program.

I skip commercials because I can -- and bought Hopper (switching from Comcast) because of Hopper. Here is something the networks must not thinking about: I have PTAT enabled. I have begun to watch more network programming than I ever have in the past...because it is there...on my DVR. Not in some clumsy menu system on the network that has a horrible interface. I can go into my DVR and choose what to view, when I want to view it, instead of going to some horrible interface -- searching for content... and never really finding anything I want to view.

This method of my watching PTAT content, btw, has now gotten me addicted to shows that I have begun to watch in real-time...and thus cannot commercial skip. These are eyes that the network would've never gotten before PTAT & Auto-Hop.

Also, something a few have mentioned, but I wonder if many have thought about: NBC is owned by Comcast...who does not have PTAT *or* Auto-Hop. Could this be sour grapes? Is PTAT and/or Auto-Hop protected -- as TiVo protected their Intellectual Property -- by so many patents that Comcast will not be able to offer the same service?

I hope so.

 

[gpflepsen]

Yup. If networks made more compelling programming live viewers would increase and commercial skipping would/could not happen.

 

[GaryPen]

Yup. If networks made more compelling programming live viewers would increase and commercial skipping would/could not happen.

I understand the correlation between compelling programming and an increase in viewership. But, why would compelling programming mean that viewers wouldn't/couldn't skip commercials?

 

[gpflepsen]

I understand the correlation between compelling programming and an increase in viewership. But, why would compelling programming mean that viewers wouldn't/couldn't skip commercials?

If they are compelled to watch it live, they can't skip ahead.

Unless you're Stewie Gilligan Griffin.

 

[GaryPen]

If they are compelled to watch it live, they can't skip ahead.

Unless you're Stewie Gilligan Griffin.

Why wouldn't they start watching 15 minutes behind, so they can still skip the commercials. That's what I do with compelling programming I want to watch "live". That's as close to live as I'll go.

 

[dangue]

Why wouldn't they start watching 15 minutes behind, so they can still skip the commercials. That's what I do with compelling programming I want to watch "live". That's as close to live as I'll go.

That's what I'll do as well.

 

[gpflepsen]

Why wouldn't they start watching 15 minutes behind, so they can still skip the commercials. That's what I do with compelling programming I want to watch "live". That's as close to live as I'll go.

That's what I do too.

I said in my statement "...to watch it live" not your description of "live".

 

[GaryPen]

That's what I do too.

I said in my statement "...to watch it live" not your description of "live".

Ya see, that's what most people do instead of "live". And, more compelling programming isn't gonna change that. That's as live as it gets, no matter how good the programming is.