Bhruic wrote on Sep 16, 2012, 10:42:

Quboid wrote on Sep 16, 2012, 07:44:
If they want to charge subscription, force you to watch commercials, make their prime-time programmes pay-per-view and charge you $5 every time someone says "bazinga", they can. I don't understand why people think that broadcasters are only allowed one revenue stream. They can do what they like, within reason, as long as you have the right to tell them to fuck off.

I think everyone is aware of the fact that as a business, barring legalities, they can do whatever they want when it comes to pricing. I haven't seen anyone arguing whether or not they can do something, just whether they should. So unless you are making the argument that because they can force people to watch commercials they should, I'm not sure what point you think you are countering.

skipping commercials should be my right!

Quboid wrote on Sep 16, 2012, 07:44:
If they want to charge subscription, force you to watch commercials, make their prime-time programmes pay-per-view and charge you $5 every time someone says "bazinga", they can. I don't understand why people think that broadcasters are only allowed one revenue stream. They can do what they like, within reason, as long as you have the right to tell them to fuck off.

TheEmissary wrote on Sep 15, 2012, 23:33:

Quboid wrote on Sep 15, 2012, 19:29:

Ozmodan wrote on Sep 15, 2012, 14:57:
CBS cracks me up, they are charging Dish big bucks to show their channel and they are whining about getting advertising skipped? Double dipping jerks if you ask me. They are upping my cable bill so I can watch that channel, skipping commercials should be my right!

Oh I already do that through the PC, it is so easy to do.

Ah yes, the right to skip commercials. That's up there with the rights people are dying to get across the Middle East.

I skip commercials all the time but I don't have the sort of sense of entitlement that makes me think this is a right. If the provider bans it, tough. Don't be their customer. If (when!) enough people do this, then they'll change or die.

It may not be a right of the consumer but I feel they are certainly entitled to be able to skip the commercials on paid television services. For over the air broadcasts no one is entitled to skip the commercials because that is how the programming is supported. On Cable and satellite the subscriber is already paying the tier fees to have those channels.

The channel owners like CBS are going to be fighting a losing battle as there are multiple legal ways to skip commercials. People have been skipping commercial by watching live TV with a 5-10min delay or watching it off DVR and skipping them with 30sec advance. If people paid for the content to be brought to them then they should be able to decide how it gets consumed.

Quboid wrote on Sep 15, 2012, 19:29:

Ozmodan wrote on Sep 15, 2012, 14:57:
CBS cracks me up, they are charging Dish big bucks to show their channel and they are whining about getting advertising skipped? Double dipping jerks if you ask me. They are upping my cable bill so I can watch that channel, skipping commercials should be my right!

Oh I already do that through the PC, it is so easy to do.

Ah yes, the right to skip commercials. That's up there with the rights people are dying to get across the Middle East.

I skip commercials all the time but I don't have the sort of sense of entitlement that makes me think this is a right. If the provider bans it, tough. Don't be their customer. If (when!) enough people do this, then they'll change or die.

Alamar wrote on Sep 15, 2012, 20:45:
Back in my day, commercials were when you went to the bathroom... And you damn well liked it... But not too much, or you'd miss some of your show : )

-Alamar

Ozmodan wrote on Sep 15, 2012, 14:57:
CBS cracks me up, they are charging Dish big bucks to show their channel and they are whining about getting advertising skipped? Double dipping jerks if you ask me. They are upping my cable bill so I can watch that channel, skipping commercials should be my right!

Oh I already do that through the PC, it is so easy to do.

KS wrote on Sep 15, 2012, 11:51:
IIRC, one of the characters in Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land got wealthy selling a system that recognized ads on TV and skipped them. He also had a variation that detected TV preachers and changed the channel.

That character had much better lawyers!