Wish TV shows were downloadable with Commercials (free)

.

I wish recently-aired tv shows (like SG1 or Medium) were available for

Patrick Joseph McNamara...

If they showed unaired episodes of cancelled shows such as Night Stalker it
might not be so bad, but if it's not done right it won't work.

download w/ commercials. Since I don't have the SciFi Channel, or if I

Patrick Joseph McNamara...

But it's not available in all areas. Many of the free lines went paid. In
our area the only number available is for Platinum users.

There use to be a ton of free ISPs until their supplier went belly-up.

forget to watch Medium, I'd like to be able to see the latest episode,
but still pay for it (via the commercials).

I don't want to pay $1-2. I'd prefer to have the episode free, but via
commercial sponsors.

Major ChrisB...

I'd pay $2 an episode for commercial free avi downloads but I'm not paying a
cent for a wmv file that I can only watch for 24 hours. Give me an AVI file
I can archive and burn to dvd and I'll happily pay for it.

ANIM8Rfsk...

I agree. I'd be happy to dl a program I missed with commercials.

Reasoned Insanity...

I wouldn't care either. I would just fast forward them anyway. That's what I
plan on doing when I figure out how to use my VCR. I plan on turning one of

Major ChrisB...

nah if they did that they'd make them WMV files that dont let you fast
forward and wont let you watch it at all after 48 hours or something and I
aint paying for a wmv file never mind one I cant archive to watch later

videonovels...

.

Paying? They would be FREE. That's the point.

Mark Evans...

But people might well be prepared to pay for a "pirate" version with these
restrictions removed.

my computers into a TiVo or something like that soon anyways so I won't have
to worry about it.

.

Electric Frog...

Unfortunately the shows exist for you to watch commercials, without the
commercials the show wouldn't exist (or they would have to be funded via
public subscription)

videonovels...

.

Can't you read? I *just said* I wish the downloadable shows included

Major ChrisB...

I already download those versions for free.

commericals.

Barry Margolin...

That's his point -- he wants the downloads to have commercials rather
than require payment, just like broadcast TV does.

I don't think this is likely to happen, though. While DVR users may
fast-forward through commercials, we're still a small minority, so most
broadcast TV watchers see commercials. But they know that practically

Daniel Damouth...

This I've never understood. I mute commercials and turn to my computer
or book or something. But when I've been in other people's homes, I've
noticed that they don't mute them and look at me in surprise if I mute
their TV.

Ryan Robbins...

Maybe it's because it's their television and it's poor etiquette for you to
be doing that. (Why are these people letting you control their television to
begin with?)

Do most people *like* commercials? I find them (usually) loud and

videonovels...

.

No of course not. But having grown up with 70s-era tv, before VCR
fast-forwarding existed, I learned to just tune them out (go to the
bathroom or grab a snack). An internal "mute" button if you will.

I'd rather do that than have to pay ~$1000 annual subscription fee for
commercial-free tv.

.

ALSO many people say viewers could just "skip" the commercials on
Downloadable Shows, but I disagree. It's possible to encode it the
video so it can't be skipped. Some of the Olympic coverage I
downloaded included commercials & when I tried to skip them, the player
refused. I was able to fast-forward through the actual content but the
commercials were "protected" so you HAD to watch them.

IAPW...

NBC has been doing this for some time now for their nbc news/today
show/etc segments. MTV also does something similar on their overdrive
site. No doubt there's some hack around it, but I'm not interested enough
to find it. I would be surprised if sometime in the future they don't
offer TV shows the same way.

Barry Margolin...

No, but they tolerate them.

ANIM8Rfsk...

Lots of people like good commercials; for instance, the Superbowl ads.

obnoxious. I don't care to hear commercial speech when I can avoid it,
since it's mostly devoid of useful information. Once in a long while
I'll find a commercial entertaining, though -- like the "cat herding"
ad that aired a few years ago, I think during the Superbowl.

Ryan Robbins...

What's the Superbowl?

-Dan Damouth

all downloaders would skip over the commercials, so the advertisters are
not likely to pay much to have them included.

Other shows like Star Trek that are on DVD, should not be downloadable
through piracy sites. If people want to see those old tv shows, then

Jerry Boyajian...

Well, technically, *no* shows should be downloadable through
"piracy sites". That's why they're pirate sites. Duh.

At least one torrent site, UKNova has a strictly enforced
policy of not allowing episodes available on DVD -- *anywhere
in the world* -- to be uploaded through their trackers.

they should go BUY them at the local store (or off paramount.com).
There's really no excuse to be passing around illegal copies of Star
Trek when these episodes are easily-available in the stores.

Jerry Boyajian...

I agree. While I do a lot of downloading, I do not knowingly
download anything that's available on DVD, or announced for
release in the foreseeable future.

What especially gets me is when people go on about how much
they love a series, but choose to download it instead of
supporting the creators of the show by buying the DVDs.

Gio...

JEDIDIAH...

...um versus just watching/recording it off of broadcast for free?

videonovels...

It's not free. It's paid by the Corporate ads, so the actors/writers
get paid.

JEDIDIAH...

Spike doesn't get ANY extra money if I watch TNG. They get a
SET amount for broadcasting it. Spike gets NOTHING extra from me choosing
(or not choosing) to watch.

[deletia]

Broadcast advertising revenue is quite disconnected from whether or
not anyone actually sees the show. It's rather like software in that respect.

But when you download it, they get nothing.

That's the difference.

Chuck...

Actually most are just check out any peer to peer or bittorrent client and
use the search feature to look for the program you want.

videonovels...

Yes but the commercials are stripped out, which means you're stealing
from the Corporations/businesses who Paid for the show.

Ross B....

No it doesn't mean that. Stop twisting the langauge.

videonovels...

You're taking an artist's work/product which you have not paid for.
"Steal" is the appropriate verb to use.

JEDIDIAH...

Wrong context. Theft is more appropriately attached to the
relationship between the artist and the publisher.

What pirates do to artists is at worst tresspassing.

Dillon Pyron...

So, if a Chinese company takes a patented item and copies it and sells
it, that's not theft? It's going on all the time.

Intellectual property is called property for a reason.

Gio...

And taping the show is also stealing?

videonovels...

.

No. Tapes include commercials & also not stealing according to the
law.

Gio...

Well, here (in the Netherlands) they used to have a system which uses
codes which you can program in your VCR. It automatically skips the
commercials. I don't use it though, I don't use a VCR at all, actually
I gave it away.

Gio...

I don't mind commercials in my avi's, I would edit them or ffw them.

Patrick Joseph McNamara...

They're likely to use a system that doesn't allow FF, such as streaming or a
top/bottom banner.

Gio...

You can tape without the commercials. I consider download an episode
the same as taping. Mainly because I intend to buy the shows I watch. A
crime? Not in my opinion.

Ryan Robbins...

Your opinion doesn't count.

Gio...

Neither does yours, still you can't control yourself.

Ryan Robbins...

My "opinion" is based on the law.

Glassman...

Interesting idea. Do you like the bottom of the screen ads and logos
we're all getting now? How about a commercial in the middle of the song

videonovels...

.

Well I don't care about songs, but for TV SHOWS (the topic at hand) I'd
stick with the current format that's worked for the last 50 years.....
a break every ~10 minutes or so for Ford/Coke/whoever to advertised
(and pay for) the tv show.

And no you wouldn't be able to fast-forward through them.

you're listening to? I'm sure that your addition of commercials for a free
download will come to light any second they figure out a way to make money
with it.

I would gladly buy my Trek on DVD, but these boxes are way too
expensive. There are virtually no extra's.
Here I have to pay =80 60 for one box, other shows offer the same (but
stuffed with extra's) for =80 35. That's why I download the show, but
then again, if the prices drop I will buy the dvd's.

videonovels...

Yeah. That's why I stole my car off the dealer's lot. I would gladly
buy my [Lexus] legally, but these prices are way too expensive. And
there are virtually no extra's.

Here I have to pay [$30,000] for one [car], while others offer the same
(but stuffed with extra's) for [only 20,000].

That's why I [stole the Lexus].

Gio...

You forget to say you will buy the Lexus later.=20

electrictroy...

Except we both know that's not true. We'll try it out, like it, but
then say "I really need the money to go buy some beer," and then never
make the legal purchase.

I know. I used to do that myself back when I was 20-something. I was
a thief.