Time Warner Cable To Enable Time Shifting... But Without A Fast Forward Feature
from the why-are-you-in-such-a-rush? dept
Back in 2003, Time Warner began work on what it hoped would be a TiVo-killer. It would be a centralized system that would allow people to time shift TV shows like they would with a local DVR, but all the processing and storage would be at Time Warner itself. Of course, even when this plan was first announced, many were skeptical. Other divisions within Time Warner wouldn't be happy about aiding and abetting consumers potentially skipping commercials. In fact, pressure from others eventually forced Time Warner to drastically scale back the plans and release a much simpler service that would let some users "start over" if they happened to pick up a show after it had started. There was no fast forwarding and no commercial skipping. You could just "start over." Of course, perhaps they were just doing that to avoid the inevitable lawsuit. A few years later, Cablevision decided that it would offer a centralized DVR and was quickly sued for doing so. Amazingly, Cablevision lost that case (though, there's still an appeals process).
Time Warner, then, is obviously being careful as it expands it's "start over" service. It only took the company three years to morph the start over service into the "look back" service, that will basically let you watch any show that was broadcast earlier in the day. Of course, it only goes back one day, and you can't fast forward through the commercials. Apparently, there are still TV execs out there who think that commercial skipping isn't a key feature of DVRs. Rather than trying to prevent popular features, wouldn't these companies be better off coming up with creative ideas that don't involve pissing off customers?
Reader Comments (rss)
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I would look as this 'look back' or 'start over' feature as just another opportunity to record something on the Tivo or DVR. Then fast forward or skip as you please!
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what a STUPID idea
Leave it to Time Warner to come out with yet another stupid service that they can charge up the a$$ for. I'm not paying $200 a month for all your services...if you won't even let me skip commercials?!? That's THE WHOLE POINT of a DVR... I get to watch TV on MY time, when I want, and I get to watch a "1 hour" show in 30 minutes thanks to commercial SKIP.
No thanks, Big Cable. I'll keep my DirecTV with my IN HOME DVR UNIT (that I own so NO one can take it away from me...big advantage of satellite, you CAN buy your own equipment)and keep skipping all the annoying, lame commercials. Hahahaha.
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I'm waiting...
for the day when advertising companies start using RIAA tactics and try to for cable/satellite providers to hand over info on customers in order to start suing them for "irreparable damages."
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Re: what a STUPID idea
Very true I hate paying $4 a month for my time warner dvr. But the downside of DirectTV is the signal is lost in bad weather! Nothing worse than that...especially when it happens on a show you recorded.
The other option is to setup your own pvr and then you'll get the best of both worlds!
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Re: Re: what a STUPID idea
Oddly enough that is why I dropped cable for Dish Network. The cable in my area would go out much more frequently due to bad weather and you could not get through 1 single two hour movie without at least some digital static. And when I complained I was told this is how all TV service is. and the article just highlights why so many people are ditching the cable in favor of the dish. The scare tactics of "it doesn' work in the rain" are starting to lose their impact. Escpecially as more people fnid out that it is no where near as bad as they claim.
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Kinda cool....
I actually think this is a great feature. I have a TiVo and I have to say my biggest pet peeve is jumping into a show halfway through and not being able to go back to the beginning (since the DVR only recognizes from the time you tune in). This would be great since I could restart the show and see it from the beginning.
I do think they have some ways to go though. Not being able to skip forward is a huge drawback. Not from a commercial skipping standpoint, but generally I skip content I don't want to see (like if I'm looking for a particular news story).
I say kudos though for at least coming out with one useful feature that current DVRs don't have and would be desirable for people.
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Love technology
I love how technology continues to disrupt these business models that have been in place for years... not because they have a good product, but because they have had a mostly captive audience.
It makes me think that that when/if projection technology develops (for glass windshields in cars) to a stage where a car maker could maybe electronically "filter out" billboards ads from your line of vision as you drive, we'll suddenly hear billboard owners screaming about how GM or whoever is stealing ad revenue from them.
I personally could care less. Suck it captive audience ad revenue.
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Re:
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Re: what a STUPID idea
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Thank God for the DVR
I just don't understand how, short of an economical situation, that people wouldn't be using a DVR. It's the only way I'll ever watch TV. If it's not on the DVR it's not on my screen. Big TV people do you hear that! No DVR no Watching.
O' by the way I too skip the ads. Screw advertising. I may be imagining things but a few years ago when a set of commercials came on there were like three of four commercials and back to the program, but these days it's like six sometimes seven commercials before they return to the program. In a microwave society of today who has the time and patients to sit through another commercial. Not Me...
Viva La DVR..
The Eggster
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Re: Kinda cool....
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Re: Re: what a STUPID idea
the question is whether or not they can actually enforce it. viz - the current court case between umg and a promotional disk seller. The right of first sale is law of the land, at least for now.
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You all are idiots, including the original author. TWC decides to offer a _FREE_ new service to its customers that offers a significant amount of added value, yet all you can do is bitch about it. If you don't like it, don't use it. And if TW pisses you off so much, don't be their customer.
"wouldn't these companies be better off coming up with creative ideas that don't involve pissing off customers?"
how is offering a free additional service going to piss off customers? They now have the chance to watch shows they wouldn't otherwise. I'm sure that's really going to piss them off.
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Not worth paying for it then.
Simple as that - I'll just not watch it - period :)
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And you know - half the point of the original selling point of cable - was no commercials. If they are going to FORCE us to 'watch' commercials, then they simply need to cut the rates in half.
Otherwise, thanks to other new technology - like Video Games, DVD - well to hell with it.
I'm VERY glad I don't have time warner with this news and I refuse to pay for a DVR that I can't fast forward, what kind of moronic approach is that. It's like paying for half a device.
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This is what happens when the government
Lets a media company buy a cable company.
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If I find something on TV I want to watch, I'll pause it for 10 minutes and go do something else, just to let the tivo buffer up enough so I can skip all the commercials. TWC is retarded.
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Re: Re: Kinda cool....
How does that help me if I'm just cruising through the channels? Sometimes I stumble across a tv show I've never heard of before and I would like to watch it from the beginning.
Or sometimes it's only an episode I haven't seen before. I use my TiVo for shows I know I won't be awake for (so I do use the guide), am working through, or movies. I don't see the point in filling my TiVo up with crap while I'm at home.
My point was this feature is useful, and something TiVo doesn't offer. I know how to use a TiVo, I don't need tips. I am at least open-minded enough to think that being able to flip back to the start of an episode is a desirable thing for some people. Some people just see it as a Big Cable network making a useless feature, but I disagree.
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"Except it's not exactly "_FREE_", as you like to call it."
Please explain the additional charge TW is levying for the service.
That's what I thought.
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Re: Re: what a STUPID idea
>But the downside of DirectTV is the signal is lost in bad >weather! Nothing worse than that...especially when it >happens on a show you recorded
OMG. You sound like you work for Time Warner. That's what all the cable companies brainwash you to believe. What you said above is 100% a lie. Back when Satellite TV was new, yes, whenever the weather shifted the signal would go out. That was 10 years ago. Things have changed and technology has gotten better. I've had DTV for 2 1/2 years now. When it rains, I hardly EVER have problems. I have friends who have cable and their TV goes out more often during rain or storms.
I live in WI, where it gets really cold and snows a lot in the winter. Last winter we had a big storm, 15 inches of snow. My dish was completely covered with snow, but somehow it only interrupted my signal for about 10 seconds. My TV was as clear as can be. I am not making this up. The dish can be soaked with rain or covered in snow and I still don't have any blackouts or signal isssues. The longest my service ever cut out for was a minute, and that was during a really BAD thunderstorm. Try using CABLE during a storm...it doesn't work. And you lose your Internet service, too. Lame.
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How are they forcing you to do anything? Change the channel, watch something else, or, god forbid, turn the TV off.
"I'm VERY glad I don't have time warner with this news and I refuse to pay for a DVR that I can't fast forward, what kind of moronic approach is that. It's like paying for half a device."
Again, it's a free service, halfwit.
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Re: Re: what a STUPID idea
Wrong again. DTV may not LIKE the FACT that we can buy our own equipment, but there's nothing they can do about it. I got my R15 DVR from E-BAY. It was used by a previous DTV customer in MN. All I had to do to get it working was call up DTV and have them send me a new access card and activate it on my account. Poof. It works. And if I ever get rid of DTV, that box does NOT go with them. It stays with me and I can sell it if I so please. They aren't charging me the $4.99 lease fee on it, either. because I OWN it. There's nothing to lease.
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Uh huh. That's what I thought.
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Re: Re: Re: what a STUPID idea
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It's my understanding that this is to be a "free" service, i.e. you are to trade in your existing cable box for one with these features at no additional charge. That being the case, I think this is a pretty good idea for people without DVRs (I know quite a few). It seems like they are giving away a "good enough" DVR to those who don't already have one, to possibly prevent them from spending money in the future on a real Tivo that has commercial-skipping features. Desperate maybe, but it could keep X number of eyes for Y number of years stuck to the TV during breaks.
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Hey, you want a free car? I've got em!! Just about any kind you want and absolutely free too!! Just tell me what kind you want, buy a service contract on it from me, and I'll throw in the car for free!! Who wouldn't want a brand new, free car?!?! Come on, get yours NOW!!!!
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Re: Re: Re: what a STUPID idea
I live in Milwaukee and had DirectTV last year. I had to switch to cable because of the black outs. Yeah cable goes out but that is very seldom and it's never been weather related (Probably some retarded time warner employee messing something up).
I don't like Time Warner either! That's why I said a PVR is the best solution. Read the post you jackass.
BTW you sound like a DirectTV spokesman!
Saying your DirectTV never goes out in bad weather is a 100% lie!
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It's my understanding that this is to be a "free" service,
Yeah, kind of like the "free" car offer above.
I meant relatively free, as in no additional charges, which is why I used quotes. Do you want it absolutely free? Perhaps the government can pay Time Warner to roll out its products... socialized cable. Would that be preferable?
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Re: Re: Re: what a STUPID idea
But my dish has been covered in ice and it didn't work. I had to climb up there and carefully knock it off.
I would sure hope snow or rain doesn't stop it!
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Re: what a STUPID idea
I will just continue to use my TWC Internet to download commercial free torrents of the shows I watch. I can always "Go Back" to them whenever I fell like it.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: what a STUPID idea
I'm not a DTV spokesman. I'm not saying they are perfect. There are things they do that piss me off, sure. But at least I can watch TV and don't have to put up with the cable going out 4 times a week like I did with Time Warner.
I never said my service NEVER goes out during bad weather. I said it HARDLY ever goes out, and when it DOES, it's only for a minute or two. That is NOT a lie. It's an observation I have made. Too bad your DTV didn't work, but it sounds like you didn't give it a chance to. Perhaps the idiot who installed your dish did it wrong. Did you call DTV to have them send out a tech to troubleshoot, or did you just assume because you got a bad tech and/or faulty dish that it's ALWAYS going to be that way??
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Seriously, you're a fucking idiot.
This service is free. To Time Warner paying customers. You still haven't explained how it isn't free, beyond the obvious fact that Time Warner has the gall to charge for their services at all.
You pay for TW cable, you get this service for free. Seems pretty straightforward for anybody with more than a single-digit IQ.
(In case you're too stupid to tell, yes, there were some insults in there.)
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Re: Re: Re:
Just like the car above. To those who pay for the service cantract.
You pay for the service contract, you get the car for free. Seems pretty straightforward for anybody with more than a single-digit IQ, huh? What kind are you going to get?
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"Name calling really doesn't help make you any more credible."
Perhaps, but the fact remains. You're a fucking idiot.
You still can't explain why Time Warner offering its customers a free additional service is something for which they deserve scorn.
But that's okay. The world needs idiots, too.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: what a STUPID idea
DTV's claim to retain ownership of CUSTOMER OWNED box... That is what I meant. They can "claim" to own it all they want, but botton line is, I bought my DVR for $75. That was not a down payment or a rental fee. I own the box. DTV can try to sue me all they want, but when I cancel my service, I AM taking MY BOX with me.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: what a STUPID idea
DTV's claim to retain ownership of a CUSTOMER OWNED box... That is what I meant. They can "claim" to own it all they want, but botton line is, I bought my DVR for $75. That was not a down payment or a rental fee. I own the box. DTV can try to sue me all they want, but when I cancel my service, I AM taking MY BOX with me.
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You still didn't say what kind of "free" car you are going to get. Only an idiot would turn down a "free" car, right?
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I really don't understand the pedophile reference, unless you can't otherwise make a point, and need to resort name calling.
I guess I can see what you're saying: if you think that Time Warner should charge money for services rendered then you probably rape children. It makes perfect sense.
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You can drop the straw man. Repeating it over and over isn't going to make it any more valid, just like the pedophile comment.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Oooh, clever. You're still not making much sense, I'm afraid. But I'll give you an A for effort, since it must be pretty difficult to lift your knuckles up off the ground and get your hands to the keyboard.
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Just to make sure we are all on the same page, here. You pay $55.24/month for your cable bill now, which includes a cable box. You get this new service, your bill stays at $55.24/month, and you can do more with it. I can't really figure out if that is what everyone is saying or not. Now whether you consider that to be "free" or not is a matter of semantics, I guess, but really, the point is that it doesn't cost more than you are already paying.
To use the car analogy, I was "suckered" into getting a "free" car but have to pay a service contract of $55.24 a month to drive the "free" car. (which would be a very good deal, I know). Now someone offers me a newer version of my car, but the new one comes with navigation. It still costs $55.24 a month. Why wouldn't I swap it out? Because it's not free? I don't see the logic
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Re:
You're the first one here to say that and I must say that your thought process is truly scary if that is how you think. If it makes perfect sense to you then please get some "professional" help. Soon. And stay away from kids.
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funny...
Its a free digital service.
if you have a converter, you'll be able to access these features.
just because your too cheap to hook up the cable directly to your 1986 22inch TV, and complain that you cant get them. im sorry for you. these services require the terminal to access them. your tv is basic analog. the converter/terminal is required to access the encrypted data and read the digital signal that comes down the line, in UNICAST with the analog.
before you fucks complain about the technology. research it first, you all look like asses.
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Save the Day.
First off, if you're going to bicker online, please put a name in, so my nose bleeds less from trying to figure out who typed what.
Secondly, if you had bothered to read the article, it clearly states:
This means it could actually *lower* your monthly bill, if you have their $10 DVR box, and you're happy with just being able to start a show over, you can downgrade to the non-DVR box and get *standard* Look Back feature.
Also, this flame war could have been prevented if, instead of using the word "free" you used the phrase "at no additional charge".
Now, I suggest you all meet at the sandbox after school and settle this like children, but until then, settle down and play nice. Agreed?
PS- The cable versus Dish bickering is almost, but not quite, as pathetic as the PC versus Mac bickering. Use what you want, it doesn't matter at all to me. :)
Have a great day! ;)
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Re: Save the Day.
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Hooray for pedantic fuckwads.
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Re: Save the Day.
"This means it could actually *lower* your monthly bill, if you have their $10 DVR box, and you're happy with just being able to start a show over, you can downgrade to the non-DVR box and get *standard* Look Back feature."
That's a pretty big "if" and not one I'd think most people would go for. Along the same line of thought of giving up functionality in order to save money, you could just buy a DVR and record a bunch of shows and then cancel your cable entirely and save even more money. "If" you are willing to watch the same recorded shows over and over. Again though, that's a pretty big "if" and not one I'd think most people would go for.
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Actually, I have to agree with The Dock22 (with his example of using this service WITH a DVR:
"... my biggest pet peeve is jumping into a show halfway through and not being able to go back to the beginning (since the DVR only recognizes from the time you tune in). This would be great since I could restart the show and see it from the beginning."
This has happened to me too (mostly while channel surfing) and i'm sure it will happen again!
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Hooray for pedantic fuckwads.
i don't know why you're cheering them. i'm tryin to give away free cars here but people here just aint biting. in spite of all the posts here defending that idea of "free", no one has signed up for a "free" car yet. who wouldn't want a free car? it's almost like they don't even believe their own arguments. heh, can you believe that? some people.
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Re: Re: Kinda cool....
Oooo. you sound so smart, you must be a real tech expert. IDIOT! Just because you fail to see practical and real world uses for certain technologies doesn't mean they don't exist. All it took was ONE real-life example from Dock22 to shoot down your condescending, foolish, ignorant self serving comment.
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Re: Re: Re: Kinda cool....
The TiVo program guide suggestion wasn't in response to his example. So, just how did that his later example make the Tivo program guide into a bad thing to have ever suggested?
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Re: Re: Re: Kinda cool....
I wouldn't disagree with that.
Ahhh, so that's what this is all about. Not that anything I wrote was wrong or inaccurate, but it hurt your feelings. Sorry about that.
Again, I would agree.
Which people? Not the poster you replied to.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Kinda cool....
I'm sorry. I forgot to take my meds today and then my mom caught me spanking it again earlier today so I'm not in a very good mood.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Kinda cool....
The TiVo program guide suggestion wasn't in response to his example. So, just how did that his later example make the Tivo program guide into a bad thing to have ever suggested?
I never said the TiVo program guide was a bad thing, someone misconstrued something along the way. I just said it does not help me much while channel surfing.
Ahhh, so that's what this is all about. Not that anything I wrote was wrong or inaccurate, but it hurt your feelings. Sorry about that.
I just get irritated at people who offer up advice about a service that most people already know how to use. Beside your tone was offensive, why should I take that?
Which people? Not the poster you replied to.
That was more of a general comment, but I don't even know who I'm replying to Anonymous Coward.
Still, I agree this service could compliment current DVR systems. I like it and would buy it if offered in my area, or upgrade, or whatever.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Kinda cool....
I kind of thought Dock22 and Max might be the same person. This pretty much confirms it for me.
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Re: Re:
Hooray for pedantic fuckwads. And their straw men.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Kinda cool....
I kind of thought Dock22 and Max might be the same person. This pretty much confirms it for me.
That would make sense if I was a guy. How could me mom catch me "spanking it again" if I don't have it in the first place?
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Well
Most of the time I watch a recorded progrma, I forget I'm watching a recorded program, and thus forget to ff through the commercials.
of course if I had the option, I'd get the box that allowed me to FF
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Kinda cool....
And I find your tone offensive as well. I, however, do not conjure up explicative spewing, name calling sock puppets in response. Time for you to nym-shift now that dock22 has been exposed. Whatever your new one is, you probably won't be hard to spot after a few posts. I bet Techdirt has some really interesting IP logs.
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