Now, if Apple made a device, like a TV set, with this capability, It could receive the commercials and, optionally play them, or not.
It would be under control of the user. But, the content distributors (broadcast, cable, Internet) could be included in an arrangement where the user paid a fee or subscription to play the content commercial-free.
I think that this would conform to the legalities, support the current advertising model, and support a new non-advertising model.
There could even be a new hybrid business model, If sufficient metadata is available -- the user could automatically play some commercials (local) and skip others (meow-mix).
Playing of commercials could be monitored and feedback given to the content distributors. The user could opt to play the most popular commercials about things that are of current interest to him, e.g. a new car.
If Apple could deliver this capability to the TV set, it would be of interest both the user and content distributors.
Finally, let's not forget that some of the best content on the TV... Is some of the commercials.
The most annoying issue I see with this kind of "option" is that you still have to endure a 2+ minute break in the programming every 5 minutes. Which to me, that sucks and I'd rather have a DVR and watch my shows commercial free. I never watch TV live anymore except for the news and occasionally sports.
It's a sad reality now that TV show writers/directors are now producing shows with commercial breaks in mind now. Have you ever tried to watch an episode of, or example, "Lost" commercial free? It's actually quite strange not to have the commercials in the episodes because the writing and soundtracks are edited for those breaks.
Additionally it's pretty sad to pay upwards of 75$ per average seat at a live sporting event when you have to endure the "TV Time-outs" for commercials. Especially at a Hockey game where the action just comes to a screeching halt for @^%@#^%@ commercial breaks.
Sorry that's a bit off topic.
Except for live events that are paused for commercials, the following would work:
the device (STB or TV) could buffer the content to compensate for the longest commercial -- then you would be watching while the commercial was being skipped. If you paid for uninterrupted content, the agreement would be that the content distributor streamed commercial-free content with no buffering and no delays.
Then, if people are willing to pay for it, I could envision live events being repackaged to allow paying customers to receive the event live and commercial-free. Non-paying customers would see the content after it had been recorded and the commercials inserted... The first content segment would be real-time, but all the others would be delayed to compensate for inserted commercials...
In either case, the user would still want the ability to pause for potty breaks...
Edit: A STB or TV that put in the hands of the user, the decisions:
to watch or exclude the commercials
to watch in real-time or delayed
could be enough incentive to cause the content providers and distributors to repackage their products to give the users what they want on an ad hoc basis.
And how do we know if Steve's version of "cracked' is good? I mean since Steve's death he's basically been turned into this god like figure that could do no wrong. And anytime Apple does something someone doesn't like we get the 'Steve would never have..." posts.
My response wasn't meant to be claiming SJ's ideas were gospel, more so that we probably won't know the true meaning because he's gone. But if you read the quote from the Bio, he went on to say he imagined it to have the simplest possible UI. That was the point of my response. I think you're reading too much into this.
Except for live events that are paused for commercials, the following would work:
the device (STB or TV) could buffer the content to compensate for the longest commercial -- then you would be watching while the commercial was being skipped. If you paid for uninterrupted content, the agreement would be that the content distributor streamed commercial-free content with no buffering and no delays.
Then, if people are willing to pay for it, I could envision live events being repackaged to allow paying customers to receive the event live and commercial-free. Non-paying customers would see the content after it had been recorded and the commercials inserted... The first content segment would be real-time, but all the others would be delayed to compensate for inserted commercials...
In either case, the user would still want the ability to pause for potty breaks...
Edit: A STB or TV that put in the hands of the user, the decisions:
to watch or exclude the commercials
to watch in real-time or delayed
could be enough incentive to cause the content providers and distributors to repackage their products to give the users what they want on an ad hoc basis.
And what makes this model any different from a DVR? That the buffer is automatic? I don't see anything simplified or any more useful about that option than the current options available today. Most people I know rarely watch live TV anyway so what's the point of this rather complicated system of subscriptions you've proposed? Sound very un-apple-like.
Except for live events that are paused for commercials, the following would work:
the device (STB or TV) could buffer the content to compensate for the longest commercial -- then you would be watching while the commercial was being skipped. If you paid for uninterrupted content, the agreement would be that the content distributor streamed commercial-free content with no buffering and no delays.
Then, if people are willing to pay for it, I could envision live events being repackaged to allow paying customers to receive the event live and commercial-free. Non-paying customers would see the content after it had been recorded and the commercials inserted... The first content segment would be real-time, but all the others would be delayed to compensate for inserted commercials...
In either case, the user would still want the ability to pause for potty breaks...
Edit: A STB or TV that put in the hands of the user, the decisions:
to watch or exclude the commercials
to watch in real-time or delayed
could be enough incentive to cause the content providers and distributors to repackage their products to give the users what they want on an ad hoc basis.
And what makes this model any different from a DVR? That the buffer is automatic? I don't see anything simplified or any more useful about that option than the current options available today. Most people I know rarely watch live TV anyway so what's the point of this rather complicated system of subscriptions you've proposed? Sound very un-apple-like.
Any show is available, anytime, anywhere -- from live events to prior recorded events
You don't have to record anything, or manage any recordings.
For example, I want to see the Olympic diving finals from 2012 and 2008 -- I didn't know this in advance, so I recorded neither...
Comments
Except for live events that are paused for commercials, the following would work:
the device (STB or TV) could buffer the content to compensate for the longest commercial -- then you would be watching while the commercial was being skipped. If you paid for uninterrupted content, the agreement would be that the content distributor streamed commercial-free content with no buffering and no delays.
Then, if people are willing to pay for it, I could envision live events being repackaged to allow paying customers to receive the event live and commercial-free. Non-paying customers would see the content after it had been recorded and the commercials inserted... The first content segment would be real-time, but all the others would be delayed to compensate for inserted commercials...
In either case, the user would still want the ability to pause for potty breaks...
Edit: A STB or TV that put in the hands of the user, the decisions:
could be enough incentive to cause the content providers and distributors to repackage their products to give the users what they want on an ad hoc basis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogifan
And how do we know if Steve's version of "cracked' is good? I mean since Steve's death he's basically been turned into this god like figure that could do no wrong. And anytime Apple does something someone doesn't like we get the 'Steve would never have..." posts.
My response wasn't meant to be claiming SJ's ideas were gospel, more so that we probably won't know the true meaning because he's gone. But if you read the quote from the Bio, he went on to say he imagined it to have the simplest possible UI. That was the point of my response. I think you're reading too much into this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
Except for live events that are paused for commercials, the following would work:
the device (STB or TV) could buffer the content to compensate for the longest commercial -- then you would be watching while the commercial was being skipped. If you paid for uninterrupted content, the agreement would be that the content distributor streamed commercial-free content with no buffering and no delays.
Then, if people are willing to pay for it, I could envision live events being repackaged to allow paying customers to receive the event live and commercial-free. Non-paying customers would see the content after it had been recorded and the commercials inserted... The first content segment would be real-time, but all the others would be delayed to compensate for inserted commercials...
In either case, the user would still want the ability to pause for potty breaks...
Edit: A STB or TV that put in the hands of the user, the decisions:
could be enough incentive to cause the content providers and distributors to repackage their products to give the users what they want on an ad hoc basis.to watch or exclude the commercials
to watch in real-time or delayed
And what makes this model any different from a DVR? That the buffer is automatic? I don't see anything simplified or any more useful about that option than the current options available today. Most people I know rarely watch live TV anyway so what's the point of this rather complicated system of subscriptions you've proposed? Sound very un-apple-like.
Any show is available, anytime, anywhere -- from live events to prior recorded events
You don't have to record anything, or manage any recordings.
For example, I want to see the Olympic diving finals from 2012 and 2008 -- I didn't know this in advance, so I recorded neither...