TV Networks Say You're Breaking The Law When You Skip Commercials
164 replies, posted
If only commercials actually accomplished anything. All commercials seem to be are information about the product shouted at you with annoying pictures attached and sometimes you can't even tell what's being sold. Once in a while, there's a good commercial though. Anyone remember the commercials for the silverware that looks fancy but's actually plastic? And the butler cleans up the table after a meal? That commercial was funny, clever, and told you exactly what you needed to know about the product. A perfect commercial.
[QUOTE=Doctor Zedacon;36091715]That's hardly (not at all) accurate and grossly misrepresenting these situations. And blocking ads is absolutely nothing even remotely close to pirating.[/QUOTE]
Advertisements are the site's form of payment, as it is your viewing of the ad that generates revenue for the site's continual operation. If you block ads, you're accessing the site's content but without generating any revenue for them. Piracy would be accessing the same content, again without the company receiving any payment. I don't see how the analogy is invalid, it's the same principle either way and the end result is the same.
And I like how so many people are saying screw TV, they should stop whining, I use Netflix/HBO/Internet. If people stop watching ads, then companies won't pay for advertising space. If companies won't pay for advertising, the main source of revenue for the TV stations dries up. If that happens, then they won't have the money to produce more series. Pretty simple causal chain there. The existence of the content you get on Netflix and similar services is dependent upon the revenue stream provided by advertising. Claiming that skipping commercials is illegal is, of course, ridiculous, but the more people skip commercials the less money those networks will have to produce the shows.
Television stations aren't public charities, they're businesses. They produce content for you to watch, you see ads along with the content, they get paid by the advertiser based on how many people are seeing the ad. As that model starts to break down with more and more people recording programming and skipping ads, they're going to be forced to switch to a different medium to stay afloat. Of course, even if they switch to the Internet, the existence of software like Adblock is going to cause the same exact problem.
In the end, either they'll implement a draconian solution like quizzing you on the ad you just watched to make sure you saw it, or they'll scale back or fold entirely and then everybody loses.
The same goes for websites. Using Adblock on sites you enjoy and want to continue existing is pretty short-sighted and downright selfish. If you like a site and use it frequently, don't block their ads, or you're taking advantage of the site's content while simultaneously cutting off their income.
Why don't TV networks just give you a monthly fee to have access to a certain channel that is the same but does not have advertisements
I mean come on you could get so much money from this
[QUOTE=DireAvenger;36092256]Why don't TV networks just give you a monthly fee to have access to a certain channel that is the same but does not have advertisements
I mean come on you could get so much money from this[/QUOTE]
I would work, but it would be pretty expensive. TV networks get a lot of money from ads, especially for popular programs.
[QUOTE=DireAvenger;36092256]Why don't TV networks just give you a monthly fee to have access to a certain channel that is the same but does not have advertisements
I mean come on you could get so much money from this[/QUOTE]
They already do this.
Unless you mean mainstream tv, BBC does that in this country.
Maybe I'm just spoiled with danish television, but just having one commercial break in the program weighing in at ~3 minutes annoys the hell out of me. Even commercial breaks between programs are annoying. At least we don't much of such here in Denmark.
I've never had a Tv in my room, which I am in dire need for my PS2.
You Americans have 15-minute commercial breaks?
Holy fuck.
[QUOTE=nikomo;36092480]You Americans have 15-minute commercial breaks?
Holy fuck.[/QUOTE]
We're there for the duration of the program, so why shouldn't they be allowed to abuse us for it with their poorly thought out attempts at advertising their shit products?
Art is dead in the US, as the only reason most shows exist now is to sell a service and products.
[QUOTE=J!NX;36088645]at least many commercials are OK. I've seen a few really funny/good commercials. So at least you sometimes get some really good stuff :v:
I haven't watched TV in years though, are they that bad? Don't tell me, most of them are for penis pills...[/QUOTE]
there are literally no good commercials everything is terrible
nearly every commercial is either "look how dumb my husband is!" or "look how dumb my girlfriend is!" followed by a terrible pitch for a terrible product
[QUOTE=J!NX;36088645]at least many commercials are OK. I've seen a few really funny/good commercials. So at least you sometimes get some really good stuff :v:
I haven't watched TV in years though, are they that bad? Don't tell me, most of them are for penis pills...[/QUOTE]
Let me put this in a way facepunch will understand. Kopimi's posts are better than the commercials you see on TV.
[QUOTE=Delta616;36092681]Let me put this in a way facepunch will understand. Kopimi's posts are better than the commercials you see on TV.[/QUOTE]
gotta love that passive aggressive crybaby attitude
[QUOTE=Kopimi;36092965]gotta love that passive aggressive crybaby attitude[/QUOTE]
Still better than the average commercial. Your ban record speaks for itself dude.
Let's blame this on pira-
Wait, this is about TV Networks wanting the ability to skip ads to be illegal!?
What's the point of advertising if you can skip it to begin with? You guys whine too much about this.
You know, back in the day you paid for a cable subscription because it was basically a premium service to avoid watching commercials (while unpaid TV subscription had commercials)
Somewhere down the line, commercials infected subscription based TV plans to the point where it's literally almost impossible to get TV without paying out the ass for the service, and STILL having to watch 20 minutes of commercials for a 60 minute show.
I think in the UK there's much less advertising than in the US, partially helped by the fact that you need to buy a TV liscense from the BBC in order to even use one.
The only tv station here that doesn't show ads is ABC (Australian Broadcast Company)
I watch more ABC than any other channel purely because they've got decent shit on and it's 100% commercial free, like literally no one advertises on it because it's government owned or something.
[QUOTE=KorJax;36093678]You know, back in the day you paid for a cable subscription because it was basically a premium service to avoid watching commercials (while unpaid TV subscription had commercials)
Somewhere down the line, commercials infected subscription based TV plans to the point where it's literally almost impossible to get TV without paying out the ass for the service, and STILL having to watch 20 minutes of commercials for a 60 minute show.
I think in the UK there's much less advertising than in the US, partially helped by the fact that you need to buy a TV liscense from the BBC in order to even use one.[/QUOTE]
You guys probably also have laws regulating ads on TV. AFAIK, I don't think there are any here. At least, when it comes to the amount of ads per hour.
Since I don't pay for my own cable, I can't really cancel it. But the one thing I still record and watch....Seinfeld. No really, that's literally it. Since they don't have it on Netflix, and I really don't want to drop the cash on DVD's, I just record them to my PC and watch them later. And maybe some odd show somewhere.
[QUOTE=nikomo;36092480]You Americans have 15-minute commercial breaks?
Holy fuck.[/QUOTE]
As it currently stands, there's ~18 minutes of commercials per hour of programming. It's rather disgusting, actually.
The shitty thing is, I bet the cable/TV/Big Content companies will win, and in the process end up with a court order destroying our right to even fast-forward through commercials.
if you don't watch the commercials it's like you're stealing tv
there is literally a classic simpsons quote for every circumstance in life
You're not breaking the law,
[i]because there is no law that states such is illegal.[/i]
I pay $89 for foxtel (Australian Satellite T.V.) and we still get ads, but luckily they only last about 1 minute each on good channels like discovery and nat geo adventure adding 5 - 8 minutes for 22 minute shows and 10 - 15 minutes of ads for 40 - 45 minute shows.
Free TV Australia is horrible through, i was watching a shitty 1:20 hr move and it when for THREE FUCKING HOURS.
[QUOTE=Doctor Zedacon;36090967]They're not making a blatant effort to hurt the networks' profits. They're making a blatant effort to give their customers a highly sought feature.
[editline]26th May 2012[/editline]
And the only other commercials I like are the Mayhem ones from Allstate. Everyone loves Mayhem.[/QUOTE]
While I do not feel that they should be in any way able to [I]illegalize[/I] commercial skipping, I recognize that commercials are their main source of income, and necessary for their usage. Perhaps if they formed a union of some sort which would boycott offending cable companies, I would support it, because I see it as necessary.
[editline]26th May 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=JeanLuc761;36093800]As it currently stands, there's ~18 minutes of commercials per hour of programming. It's rather disgusting, actually.[/QUOTE]
To call it annoying is legitimate, to call it disgusting is incredibly overdramatic
Mute them and do something else.
And then they'll say muting commercials it's breaking the law.
[QUOTE=latin_geek;36094260]Mute them and do something else.
And then they'll say muting commercials it's breaking the law.[/QUOTE]
Watch the commercial and don't buy the product.
Watching commercials now against the law.
The only reason I have returned to TV recently is beacause a channel called the "hub" has brought back transformers(1980's) batman(1990's animated) and batman beyond and a few other and I record those. and watch them maybe...2 times a week? I hate TV.
[QUOTE=Elecbullet;36094228]
To call it annoying is legitimate, to call it disgusting is incredibly overdramatic[/QUOTE]
Perhaps, but I'd say that "annoying" is underselling it. Literally 30% of every hour of programming is advertisement, which is a phenomenal percentage. I wouldn't mind it if this meant cheaper cable, but the price of cable continues to skyrocket all the time. Personally, I just think the sheer amount of airtime devoted to commercials is flat-out greedy of the networks.
i don't mind watching commercials if they're good ones, but i usually skip commercials anyway
Maybe if they aired some good shows then I'll pay for cable AND watch the commercials.
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