I saw an ad on TV for the Hopper, Dish Network’s new DVR and
I skipped through it because, a.) I skip through almost all ads and b). I’ve
looked into Dish Network and it’s not for me.
But then came this article in the New York Times online. Turns out the Hopper has
one very special feature: it can automatically skip all advertisements. No more
fast-forwarding, no more backing up because I went too far. The device records
the ads but just doesn’t show them to you. All you see is programming.
The networks are of course up in arms. They can’t produce
shows without ad revenue. And of course Dish Network can’t survive without
television shows, virtually all of which -- not just at the major networks -- are created with ad money. So where will this end? Hard to say.
But it’s a fascinating idea. Would I pay extra to have a
device that automatically spared me from Madison Avenue’s screamingly-loud,
sophomorically-stupid, endlessly-repetitive adverts? Abso-f*ing-lutely!
It’s ironic that I’m hearing about the Hopper at this
particular time. Most mornings I have 30-60 minutes of quiet time when I’m
downstairs having tea, checking email, or putting away the dishes before the
herd descends from upstairs. Ransom tends to stay up later than I, so sleeps in
a bit longer too. The other day he came down right after me and I ended up
sitting with my cereal and tea in front of the television. I thought, I’ll just
catch one news story and then go back to getting ready for work.
There was an ad on. I muted the TV, ate my cereal and
waited. And waited. And waited some more. I finished my breakfast before the
ads finished their run!
I was stunned -- remember, I virtually NEVER sit in front of
live TV -- so I went back to the beginning, when I had started watching. (TiVo
automatically records as you watch). I counted the ads. Fourteen! That’s not a
typo. 14 ads in a row before the local news show returned. And in fact, there
may have been more, since I don’t know what was on just before I started.
14 ads in a row! And people put up with this? I don’t, and I
can’t imagine who would. What I can imagine is that there will be a ready
market for the Hopper. I look forward to TiVo offering a like service.
Wow fourteen ads in a row! That's a ridiculous amount to sit through. It is just another reminder to myself why I have a DVR though. I actually have the Hopper that you're talking about, and absolutely love the new Auto Hop feature! My coworkers at Dish told me about it last week, and I honestly didn't believe them until I tried it a couple days ago. All I had to do was enable Auto Hop on my select prime time recording, the day after premiere and I was good to go. I watched a 60 minute show in 40 without having to press a button on my remote. It's just one of the benefits of the Hopper I'm really digging. :)
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