If you can read this, either the style sheet didn't load or you have an older browser that doesn't support style sheets. Try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the page.
Fark SearchWeb Fark

         more options... Create account

(AP) Asinine TV networks lengthening shows by one to two minutes, in order to screw up viewers' TiVo recordings   (story.news.yahoo.com) divider line 243
More: Asinine  
•       •       •

46251 clicks; posted to Main » on 02 Dec 2004 at 8:23 AM   |  Make this a Fark FavoriteFavorite    |   share: Share on OMGTWITTER WEB2.0share on StumbleUponshare on Facebook  more»   |    Get this fabulous T-Shirt and impress the methane out of your friends! shirt it!

243 Comments   (+0 »)


Archived thread
First | « | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | » | Last | Show all
 
Karate Explosion 2004-12-02 02:12:53 AM  
I farking wondered why they started doing that.. I hate them with all my body... including my pee pee

 
Tom_Servo [TotalFark] 2004-12-02 02:38:42 AM  
oh, man, I hate that. Missed Lost two weeks in a row thanks to this little ploy.

Anyone think TiVo will make a fix?

 
astudill 2004-12-02 03:03:30 AM  
You missed the entire show because the program aired 2-3 minutes late/early?

I don't know shiat about TiVo, please explain.

 
nukeim 2004-12-02 03:53:18 AM  
I don't have TiVo so I'm not sure about that. I do have a DVR through my cable company, and it lets me specify a couple minutes early and/or late in order to compensate for this. It's really not a brain-buster.

 
Confabulat [TotalFark] 2004-12-02 03:59:16 AM  
You know, BitTorrent has solved this problem pretty well.

 
CableGuy 2004-12-02 04:27:58 AM  
astudill: You missed the entire show because the program aired 2-3 minutes late/early?

Yeah, it could actually screw you up because TIVO could decide there is a conflict and just discard the show you wanted taped. If you recorded a show that ran from 7:30 until 8:02 and you wanted another show taped at 8:00, it wouldn't do it.

Bastards!

 
EvilToni 2004-12-02 04:31:03 AM  
If you recorded a show that ran from 7:30 until 8:02 and you wanted another show taped at 8:00, it wouldn't do it.

I got my DVR from my cable company and it doesn't have a problem with that, it can record two programs at once. Of course when I do that I held captive to one of the two programs I an recording.

 
rhin0dread 2004-12-02 04:36:06 AM  
We're all gonna die.
/doesnt watch t.v.

 
YourFatSister 2004-12-02 05:48:24 AM  
So far both of my DirecTivos are handling this no problem.

Oh yeah, and we're all gonna die.

 
Wopat 2004-12-02 06:35:57 AM  
What asshats.

 
FarkerJew [TotalFark] 2004-12-02 07:07:09 AM  
I don't have TiVo, but I do have Time Warner's DVR service, which is essentially the same thing. They solve the problem by starting to record programmed shows early, and finishing late. No problems yet.

 
LittleBarOfSoap 2004-12-02 07:27:39 AM  
I am a non TV viewer. I don't have any moral issues with it, I just don't enjoy it myself.

I have a question maybe someone can answer though. Why would the networks be so devious to keep you from taping their show? It's not like the recordings are fantastic quality.

I thought the object was to gain viewership. If I'm at work and my favorite show airs during my work schedule, wouldn't they rather I tape it and still watch it than miss it all together?

Maybe I'm missing out on some marketing issue. It's a good thing the industry doesn't rely on me anyway. *shrugs*

 
Ultra Hal 2004-12-02 08:27:35 AM  
Um, R'ing the F'n A says they're doing this to keep viewers and makes no mention of it being an intentional ploy to break TiVo recordings, just a side effect. Kinda like how TBS shows used to always start/end at :05 and :35 after the hour just so that people might be more likely to stay around since they've already missed 5 minutes of whatever show they want to watch elsewhere.

 
fatal_exception 2004-12-02 08:28:17 AM  
(((sarcasm on)))

Oh dear God no! Please don't let me miss one minute of such fabulous programming!!

(((sarcasm off)))

 
DistendedPendulusFrenulum 2004-12-02 08:28:44 AM  
I remember when I had time to watch TV.

I didn't watch it then, either. Too busy chasing pussy.

.

 
root88 2004-12-02 08:33:47 AM  
LittleBarOfSoap: Why would the networks be so devious to keep you from taping their show?

The networks aren't trying to keep viewers from taping shows. They are trying to prevent live viewers from changing to another station by making them miss the beginning of a show in the next time slot. TBS has been running shows off by 5 minutes for as long as I can remember (15 years or so?).

 
theFiFTY4effect 2004-12-02 08:33:54 AM  
We are all going to die, eventually.
That is true.

 
aerojockey [TotalFark] 2004-12-02 08:34:06 AM  
LittleBarOfSoap

If you TiVo the show, you can fast-forward through all the annoying commercials. (Of course, you can do that with an ordinary VCR, but the networks never cared since it's a mental task beyond most people.)

 
guytoronto 2004-12-02 08:34:08 AM  
Sounds like a reasonable business practice.

Then again, I use a VCR, and have always set my start and end times 2 minutes before and after.

What do people do during playoff season when sports run way over?

 
HotWingConspiracy [TotalFark] 2004-12-02 08:34:38 AM  
I really only watch the history/discovery channels, and they run their shows over and over on the weekends. You couldn't miss something if you wanted to. Tivo is cool and all, but I can't think of a single show worth recording.

 
pipmaster2004 2004-12-02 08:34:42 AM  
In the process of canceling my cable. Discovered that TV really suck nowadays. If I see one more "reality show" I think my head will assplode.

That been said. I recall years ago that the TV companies were planning of broadcasting a signal at the start/end of TV shows. Certain VCRs/DVRs would pick that signal up and start or stop recording. No idea what happened to it.

 
queentess 2004-12-02 08:36:28 AM  
Commence the pirating!

/downloads the only tv she watches
//bittorrent rules

 
Mr. Clarence Butterworth 2004-12-02 08:38:24 AM  
Yeah, I've noticed that "8:01", "9:56" crap in the TV guide.

 
claytoar 2004-12-02 08:40:07 AM  
anyone who tivo's The Bachelor deserves to be messed with anyway

 
akaMonty 2004-12-02 08:40:17 AM  
Just what the world needs - two more minutes of reality tv. Because an hour just isn't enough.

 
lbn 2004-12-02 08:40:55 AM  
If you're using a TiVo to record "The Bachelor" I think you have larger problems in your life than missing one or two minutes of TV show.

 
svejker_14 2004-12-02 08:41:39 AM  
Life is more interesting when it's not divided into half-hour chunks.
A true tale:

An elderly couple who had never watched TV in their lives received one as a gift from their son. Several weeks passed and said son phoned them up to invite them out for lunch.
"We'd love to, son, but I'm afraid we're much too occupied these days."

Should only have childrens' programmes.

 
ababyatemydingo 2004-12-02 08:42:58 AM  
A-HA! I KNEW IT!

/looks around
/realizes that was said with the "outside" voice
/sits down embarrassed

 
MidKnight 2004-12-02 08:44:27 AM  
LittleBarOfSoap,

You say: "It's not like the recordings are fantastic quality"

Sorry, but the dual tuner DVR i rent from the cable company for a small amount a month records HiDef programming to it's hard drive. I'm guessing that you've never watched HiDef, the quality is AMAZING.
Last night I watched spiderman2 and recorded Lost, then watched Lost later in the evening, fast forwarding through the commercials. This is what the networks worry about. This is why TIVO is now putting up advertisements (like pop ups) on your screen when you FF.

 
MassD 2004-12-02 08:45:26 AM  
I have a Tivo, and I've worked around it by a few simple editing tasks. The thing that causes problems is when someone sets a "season pass", which automatically records the episodes of a particular show, regardless of the time or channel. When one show overlaps with another, Tivo records the show with the higher priority.

You can record Tivo shows based on the show's title, or do it on the time and channel.

Tivo is probably going to enhance their software to make it easier to get around such conflicts, so its not an issue.

 
bonno 2004-12-02 08:46:56 AM  
If it's sooooo important to some people - just get a spare TV and/or VCR...

Easier option, get a life.

/hates TV

 
schezar 2004-12-02 08:49:11 AM  
TV is for suckers.

If you have a fast net connection, anything worth watching, even newer shows, is available on p2p sans ads.

Honestly, though, nothing worth watching has come out since the Simpsons/Seinfeld days (not counting HBO stuff, but that's all on p2p anyway)

 
enry 2004-12-02 08:51:41 AM  
Fox has been doing this for weeks, since the start of the Simpsons this season.

 
AV1 2004-12-02 08:52:41 AM  
I seem to remember a t.v. exec stating that skipping commercials was akin to stealing the program.

Riiigghhhttt!

 
RiverRat 2004-12-02 08:54:25 AM  
not ONE reference to BlipVerts yet

/you guys are slipping :P

 
Shiftless 2004-12-02 08:55:09 AM  
What losers. This still won't make me watch live TV. I canlive my life the way I want to now.

 
bludstone 2004-12-02 08:56:58 AM  
Yeah, one of my tivo-owning friends went nuts when it mucked up his simpsons. He was pissssssed

farking cable companies. This is what happens in a monopoly folks.

I really need to start torrenting the simpsons, dailyshow, pimp my ride and viva la bam (last two are guilty pleasures. They suck, but I love 'em.)

Why the hell do I watch viva la bam?

 
Homeless Cop 2004-12-02 08:57:53 AM  
TV is not for suckers.....
Well, if you just watch TV because you have nothing better to do, then yeah, I guess you are a sucker...
But don't dismiss all of TV cuz there's some great shows on. That's like bein prejudice because you don't like rap music. It's not all bad......
1.Simpsons..D'Oh
2.Seinfeld....Hello Newman
3.Football...Go Rams!!!
4.South Park...Stupid Spoiled Whore
5.Headbangers Ball..most of it crap, but a few good ones
6.Cable Access....lots of gold here Jerry.

 
drsoran 2004-12-02 09:01:43 AM  
YourFatSister
So far both of my DirecTivos are handling this no problem.


The reason DirecTivos and most "cable box" PVRs can do this is they have dual tuners built in so that you can record a show while continuing to flip channels. You can record two shows, but lose the ability to watch non-pre-recorded content.


I'm in a similar situation with my dual-tuner MythTV setup I don't usually use it to watch live TV and it's just dedicated to recording shows, but many times there were shows that got screwed up that I wanted to watch, even with dual tuners. Here's an example.. times are not accurate, nor are days:


Scrubs (NBC): 8:30-9:03
South Park (Comedy): 9:00-9:30
CSI (CBS): 9:00-10:00


The PVR detects a scheduling conflict and usually will continue to record Scrubs until 9:03 and cancel either South Park or CSI, which are on different channels so that it can dedicate a tuner to continue recording Scrubs. A good PVR will start recording CSI once a tuner is available again, but you've lost the first 3 minutes of the program which is usually where most of the witty banter between Josh and Toby happens.


With a single standalone TiVo this is especially compounded because it only has a single tuner (one of the reasons I feel TiVos are inferior IMHO) so you're recording Scrubs and either starting CSI or South Park late (one is going to override the other anyway) 3 minutes late or it just doesn't record it at all.


In essence, the networks suck ass. There is NO reason to mess with start and end times on the hour and half-hour that has been standard for 30+ years other than to fark with PVRs. BTW, this is old news.. they started doing this last year and stopped for awhile.


My other big pet-peeve is sporting events like NFL football on Sundays that run long and push the schedule all out of wack causing the scheduled programming to be off by as much as a half hour or an hour. Since PVRs get their guide data (and the vendors only update it so often) once a day or so, there's no way to know that Cold Case is going to be on at 9:23pm this Sunday instead of 9pm because 60 Minutes ran into it's time slot because some idiotic football game between two games I couldn't care less about ran past it's scheduled end time. They need to fix THAT problem by adding post-game scheduling of an hour or so that can be used to buffer between the moronic sporting events and my awesome Sunday night crime-drama thriller. I end up having to watch it live and manually record it if I want to archive it.


Before you say I have no life, I have a PVR because I don't want to be tied to the TV set. There are shows I enjoy watching and then there are shows my wife enjoys watching. My PVR allows me to schedule my life by my rules instead of around the TV Guide... and that's not something the networks like (not to mention 30 second commercial skip buttons ;-).


 
Elvis Nixon 2004-12-02 09:03:38 AM  
I like that shows like CSI and Law and Order run the credits into the 16th minute of the show. It really makes me want to turn it off for good.

I like it that apparently there are only 19 minutes of content per half hour now, less on Comedy Central.

I adore the practice of running a 5 minute 12 commercial break at 6 minutes to the hour/half hour, returning to the show for 30 seconds and then breaking for a 15 or 16 commercial break that bleeds over to 6 minutes past.

I simply love that some shows have so many breaks crammed in that they no longer have transitions. They just end a commercial and cut seamlessly back to the show. Maybe you missed something, maybe not, who knows?

I really like the practice of running the same commercial twice back to back, sometimes 3 times: twice in a row, another commercial then back to the first one again.

 
Homeless Cop 2004-12-02 09:03:50 AM  
By the way,...Tivo rules all. Making TV your biatch is priceless. I like to put people on slow motion and study their faces, and going frame by frame during the Simpsons is awesome.

 
bitbear 2004-12-02 09:07:53 AM  
Just pull the plug. Read a book. Do things with your kids (or someone else's). Create something. Heck - play a video game. Don't waste your life staring at actors reenacting the same cheesy plots over and over between blatant attempts to convince you to buy crap you don't need. Both your mind and your bank balance will benefit. If you want to watch something, rent a DVD or go to a movie. If enough people stop playing by their rules, maybe they'll start doing something reasonable like letting you legally download episodes of your favorite programs commercial-free for fifty cents or a dollar. Don't let the MPAA and the TV networks run your life.

 
rs25com 2004-12-02 09:09:35 AM  
The worst part about this - for you non-Tivo folks - is that often the last 1-2 minutes is when the story comes to a conclusion. More than once I have missed the end of the show, which is a pain.

Tivo is great, but if the networks don't want me to watch TV I am sure I can find another way to get what I want. Now that Simpsons is coming out on DVD I am sure I can find it somehow. I don't mind waiting a year to see my shows.

 
adm_crunch 2004-12-02 09:09:50 AM  
bludstone: farking cable companies. This is what happens in a monopoly folks.

Cable companies have absolutely no say in what time programs air. They just receive a feed from channel X and pass it on to their subscribers.

 
changingman 2004-12-02 09:11:11 AM  
Over here there's Sky Plus, which is offered by the satellite company. They pimp the shiat out of the product, and every time they mention when a show is going to be on the disembodied voice adds "Put it in your Sky Plus planner NOW!". I don't know what they get out of me recording the show and skipping through the adverts, but they keep telling me to, so I do. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I get this feeling that Murdoch is up to something.
Anyhow... I missed the first few minutes of Law and Order because of this kind of trick, which meant missing Orbach's witticisms regarding some poor soul's unfortunate demise. That's the best part! Damn Aussies and their media empires.

 
schezar 2004-12-02 09:12:07 AM  
It's not all bad......

1.Simpsons..D'Oh
Available on DVD and easily found on p2p. Passed it's prime long ago.

2.Seinfeld....Hello Newman
Ended a long time ago. Now available on DVD, or again on p2p

3.Football...Go Rams!!!
I either go to the game, go to a sports bar, or go to some sucker's house.

4.South Park...Stupid Spoiled Whore
Excellent show, but fanatics drop it onto the p2p networks within hours of broadcast.

5.Headbangers Ball..most of it crap, but a few good ones
Most of it is crap? Hmm...

6.Cable Access....lots of gold here Jerry.
Lots of gold, I'll admit, but finding it is like finding a needle in a needle-stack. Much more easily-accessible gold online.


I dropped my cable tv years ago. The tech didn't believe me when I said I didn't want it anymore. (I was keeping the internet service). His manager called me the next day and offered me a huge discount to keep TV, and even got to the point of asking me "You mean there's NOTHING you want to watch on TV? What could I offer you to keep it?"

I said I'd keep it if it were free.

I no longer have cable.

/still watches South Park torrents

 
lenfromak 2004-12-02 09:14:00 AM  
In Alaska, the networks tape the east coast feeds and add more f'in commercials, often letting the late news slip by ten minutes. So we get added crap here. This has been standard for years, and was a problem for those VCR+ remotes too.

 
scootr1 2004-12-02 09:14:52 AM  
drsoran:

The PVR detects a scheduling conflict and usually will continue to record Scrubs until 9:03 and cancel either South Park or CSI, which are on different channels so that it can dedicate a tuner to continue recording Scrubs. A good PVR will start recording CSI once a tuner is available again, but you've lost the first 3 minutes of the program which is usually where most of the witty banter between Josh and Toby happens.

Doesn't South Park also show later in the night (for the west coast)? Why don't you set it a lower priority, and then it'll skip to the second one, and record that instead.

My PVR allows me to schedule my life by my rules instead of around the TV Guide... and that's not something the networks like (not to mention 30 second commercial skip buttons ;-).

You don't use the automatic commercial detecting?

/another satisfied MythTV user

 
PorkChop_Tasty 2004-12-02 09:15:35 AM  
Never had this problem, ReplayTV is always set to start five minutes before and end five minutes after. If this starts being a problem i'll gladly bump it to ten minutes.

Then a quick send to the computer to chop off the beginning and end (and commercial killing). Then a TMPGEnc filter to remove the stupid, obtrusive network logo.. Burn to DVD and everyone is happy.

The only way around this is to change timeslots on the fly. Which will totally piss off your good 'not recording my shows' customers.

 
stretta 2004-12-02 09:19:43 AM  
To the people who say "you're just missing two minutes" keep in mind the problem is the tivo will fail to record a program that is in the following time slot if it goes over because there is a conflict for those two minutes.

To the people who say "get a VCR", you have to understand the whole point of a tivo is that you don't have to manage it. Using a VCR is like the stone age and represents everything the TIVO is designed to get rid of.

TO the people who say "get a life", understand that the TIVO is a liberating technology, like a cell phone. You used to have to wait at home for a phone call. Now you can get on with your life and hook up with your friends when they call - no matter where you are. The TIVO does the same thing - it liberates you from watching a program when it is on and manually managing a VCR. You can live your life when you want to live it. Sometimes, when you're brain dead, it is nice to be able to watch TV, and when you do that, watch something you actually want to see.

I watch less TV since I got a TIVO, and the quality of what I watch has gone up 1000%

 
Displayed 50 of 243 comments

First | « | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | » | Last | Show all

Redisplay/refresh comments

[Continue Farking]