Team Summit - General Assembly

[csschrot]

Just tried this at the shop. What I find interesting is that each time you start a new program the pop-up asking about auto hop shows up. So you have to select it each time, that may be the way they get around the providers. This isn't a auto on all the time thing.

Just a thought.

 

[pabeader]

It is so dumb a request because there is not, and never will be, any indicators in the programming or guide stream specifying what commercials are being aired, let alone whether a particular commercial is "new" or not. Nagannahappen.

that's not...entirely...true. there are markers within the event stream that indicate where commercials are supposed to go, and what commercial to put there. not all commercials are part of the content. some of them are spliced in on the fly...

 

[JM42]

Just tried this at the shop. What I find interesting is that each time you start a new program the pop-up asking about auto hop shows up. So you have to select it each time, that may be the way they get around the providers. This isn't a auto on all the time thing.

I think that is probably correct. It still requires user intervention and is therfore still a "manual" and user initiated feature. I doubt we will see a set it and forget it option to leave it on all the time.

 

[smokey982]

I assume it will continue to work past the 8 day period if it's saved on the hard drive?

 

[dare2be]

that's not...entirely...true. there are markers within the event stream that indicate where commercials are supposed to go, and what commercial to put there. not all commercials are part of the content. some of them are spliced in on the fly...

I was under the impression that markers are there to signify the start and end of the commercial block, and even the start and end of each commercial, but no information about what each commercial is about? At least not by the time the stream reaches the receiver.

 

[KE4EST]

Had to leave to do a job, just got back and caught up reading. Good reporting guys.

 

[Yespage]

It may force networks to get more inventive with how they do commercials. I remember when LOST was on, during one of the seasons they would randomly add LOST fake commercials to entice people to watch the commercials to get more details on the show.

-Mike

You mean like digitizing advertisements into television episodes in syndication or use product placement in existing first run shows? Because they already do that.

 

[B_Kranski]

Autohop...It works on my hoppers as well...s211 here also. Real neat feature. Now just need the OTA and the hopper integration and this system is looking stellar. Thanks Scott and all.

 

[Lt Disher]

Product placement is not a new concept. It will show my age, but the old Burns and Allen Show always had Carnation milk commercials right in with the show story line. I think that Jack Benny also had the same thing with Lucky Strike cigarettes. Nothing is new. It may all come back around again.

 

[dare2be]

Yeah, they can even have product commercials written into the plot/storyline...car chases where Ford beats out Chevy, the Coke drinker beats up the Pepsi drinker, the woman detective solves the crime because StayFree didn't let her down...ooh, what fun.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I assume it will continue to work past the 8 day period if it's saved on the hard drive?

Yes it will as long as you keep Prime Time Anytime enabled.

 

[goaliebob99]

A "TV Exec" is complaining over on Engadget. Here is his rant, "As a broadcast TV exec, it chaps my ass, and if I were sitting across from the table with Dish negotiating retransmission consent the price would go up thanks to this move. I realize people are going to skip ads (Hell I do it myself). But automating the process is going too far. I want viewers to have to take action in every break to avoid my spots, not to have the provider do it for them. If Dish wants to keep doing sh*t like this then they can cover ALL my lost spot revenue. Sounds fair?"

Here is my reply, "What chaps my ass is having to pay for "free" over the air T.V. Every time a contract is about to expire, both companies act like children and slander one another. If the networks are forcing Dish to pay for something that is free, they should be able to do whatever the hell they want with the commercials. You guys are double dipping. You're making Dish pay you and you're still reaping the benefits of the advertising."

You pay to have the privlage of dish brining you your channels without an antenna. Advertising is how they make money, and you still get your TV for free with an antenna. The networks have the right to say how there programming and commericals are presented to the viewer.

 

[mloebl]

You mean like digitizing advertisements into television episodes in syndication or use product placement in existing first run shows? Because they already do that.

Not exactly... In the middle of the commercial breaks they would add in a commercial for one of the fictitious companies or organizations from LOST. It looked like a real commercial, but was fake and had clues pertinent to the show. A bit limited as can only do this with only certain shows, but I admit for a bit it got me to watch commercials...

-Mike

 

[Stargazer]

A bunch of network stations are going to band together and force Dish to remove the autohop feature. Just wait and see.

 

[JM42]

The networks have the right to say how there programming and commericals are presented to the viewer.

Only to the point they have negotiated in the retrans contract. My understanding is the general rule is Dish must retransmit what they get without making any changes.

Dish will be doing this and arguing autohop is a user action(it's not automatic, the user has to manually enable with each playback, etc). Not saying I'd buy the argument if I were a provider, but it's a line they may be able to walk until contract renewal.

I wonder if autohop could become a paid for feature at contract renewal with a portion going to the station.

 

[meStevo]

Only to the point they have negotiated in the retrans contract. My understanding is the general rule is Dish must retransmit what they get without making any changes.

Dish will be doing this and arguing autohop is a user action(it's not automatic, the user has to manually enable with each playback, etc). Not saying I'd buy the argument if I were a provider, but it's a line they may be able to walk until contract renewal.

I wonder if autohop could become a paid for feature at contract renewal with a portion going to the station.

When you put it like that, auto hop sounds like a reason dish could be asked to pay more for retrans.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Yespage]

Not exactly... In the middle of the commercial breaks they would add in a commercial for one of the fictitious companies or organizations from LOST. It looked like a real commercial, but was fake and had clues pertinent to the show. A bit limited as can only do this with only certain shows, but I admit for a bit it got me to watch commercials...

-Mike

In shows in syndication, there is a company that places advertisements inside the program, such in How I Met Your Mother had an advertisement for Safe Auto Insurance at the table a couple of characters were sitting at. The same program had a commercial on a tv in the bar that was an ad for a movie that was out well after the show ever aired.

 

[osu1991]

You pay to have the privlage of dish brining you your channels without an antenna. Advertising is how they make money, and you still get your TV for free with an antenna. The networks have the right to say how there programming and commericals are presented to the viewer.

When those networks and affiliates start paying for all the equipment and facilities to get that signal to Dish, then they can complain about being paid. Dish as is Directv is doing them a favor by expanding their signal in a watchable form to areas the affiliates like to claim they serve, but in reality can't sniff a signal with a good bird dog.

 

[satjay]

Any news or info on the future of blockbuster@home

 

[ljdonato]

Dish is # 1 in puerto Rico.

Although is good to be number 1, sometimes I feel like they should be number 2, and feeling the pressure, they really begin to seriously work on improving programming.