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88 Comments
- plastek, on 11/14/2007, -1/+68Sell me a DRM-free season directly, lets cut out the cable companies. I would be more than happy to pay a couple of bucks an episode for a show I really enjoy, but don't expect me to buy it if it's locked down to Windows Media Player, or some other nonsense.
- Tallon29, on 11/14/2007, -5/+46Wait, Windows Genuine Advantage did what to who?
- MarkDykeman, on 11/14/2007, -3/+38The mediums may be changing, but the need for content will always be there. Your favorite programs, episodes, releases, or editions in any medium are dependant upon the talents of the writer. Why not let the writer profit a little more?
- typicalusername, on 11/14/2007, -2/+24Plus, you're forgetting about OLD PEOPLE. They love CBS and shiz. They're not going to abandon their TV's for the interweb!
- DesuKN, on 11/14/2007, -0/+21Somehow this article assumes the music industry doesn't attack artists.
- tdelet, on 11/14/2007, -5/+21The "death" of television? Get a grip. Maybe go outside for a few minutes and get some freah air and a little perspective.
- Beylan, on 11/14/2007, -2/+15That's perfectly fine too. They need me (and those like me) more than I need them.
Besides, I can always torrent it. =) - 2gig, on 11/14/2007, -0/+13"TV is not disappearing anytime soon, but clearly, it's going to be replaced by either the internet or some TV/internet hybrid"
The author at times confuses content with the medium through which that content is distributed. There will always be content, otherwise there is no point to any medium, TV, internet, anything. The author is correct in saying the authors of that content need to be paid for the content independent of how its distributed. - asskey, on 11/14/2007, -3/+15No, you're forgetting that eventually OLD PEOPLE DIE!
- RabidAngel, on 11/13/2007, -1/+11You have no idea what you are talking about. Do a little research before pulling statements like "over paid and under worked" out of your ass.
- ColorBlind, on 11/14/2007, -2/+11Death of Television??? I just bought a brand new big screen HDTV to watch heroes in high-def and play my xbox on. Don't make ***** shows and we'll watch more tv.....simple as that!
- iloveazngurlzs, on 11/14/2007, -2/+10WTF!? how is TV honestly dying. Do you and your friends crowd around a computer to watch movies in itunes all the time? I dont think so.
Please stop posting articles on the death of TV... it seems every blogger is a prophet of media. - reed311, on 11/14/2007, -2/+10Yah, it's always funny to read these "death of television", "death of mainstream media", "death of the music industry" articles. The people who submit these assume that everyone else also belongs to their demographic... they don't.
- lambda, on 11/13/2007, -0/+7A while ago, I would have agreed with you, there weren't very many good shown on. But now there really are a lot of great shows to watch. And sports.
- EntropyFan, on 11/14/2007, -1/+7Why is it people applaud iTunes and buying DRM'd content locked to Apple, yet bitch about it being 'locked down' when it comes to WMP?
Lets at least attempt to be honest here. A cage is a cage.
Also, the 'couple bucks' isn't going to cover the losses in Ad revenue that is currently made. Selling you the content directly, unless they charge a lot more, will simply be a going out of business solution. So if that is the model you want, say goodbye to most of the content you enjoy.
- norman619, on 11/13/2007, -3/+9You can't torrent what doesn't exist.
- lambda, on 11/14/2007, -1/+7Incidentally, each TV channel I receive is a 19 Mbit/s stream. Unless the Internet suddenly becomes this fast in America, TV will stick around.
- Unlgued, on 11/14/2007, -0/+6I remember the death of Television: Full House.
- Jones82, on 11/13/2007, -2/+7Are you one of those people that go around bragging that you don't even own a TV? No one cares.
- zydeco, on 11/13/2007, -1/+5You're watching an uncompressed broadcast stream. Lots of people are watching shows compressed in software or hardware, and use much much less bandwidth. Anyone watching by cable or satellite is watching a compressed stream.
- zydeco, on 11/13/2007, -0/+4I'm sure the networks are spending millions upon millions to deliberately make bad shows, just to piss you off.
More likely, it's like any other creative venture, where you throw crap at the wall over and over and watch to see what sticks. Nobody can (or ever will) figure out the habits and likes of the TV viewer. Why do you think there are so many copy cats of a successful show (like your beloved Heroes)? When something strikes a chord with the public, you mine that vein of gold as quickly as you can until the public burns out on it. Then you start over again with the crap.... - Speed, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4Except TV and Movie writers are by the very nature of their business freelance. If one group of writers ONLY worked for ABC and another ONLY worked for FOX, we'd have even less variety than we have now, since there would be no collaborations or anything. Fox would become "***** and Ass TV", ABC would become "So Cute you want to Throw Up TV" and such. You think we'd be able to have The Simpsons and 24 on the same network if they just hired a group of writers on salary?
- FredFredrickson, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4... Bitch, please.
- MikeFallopian, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4Not even close. The actors and producers get royalties from DVD sales and digital revenues; the WGA is simply asking for the same deal. It's a very reasonable request in my opinion.
- inactive, on 11/14/2007, -2/+6I see what you did there.
- pandasonic, on 11/13/2007, -0/+3I understand what that 'description' means but just to clarify: TiVo isn't making TV obsolete in any way, so that phrase needs to be changed. TiVo exists because TV exists. TiVo records TV streams.
- shredswithpiks, on 11/13/2007, -0/+3no no no no this goes against my whole reasoning for being angry at record labels for holding IP rights to songs they didn't create >:[
- pevensen, on 11/14/2007, -5/+8Perhaps the industry needs to go to work-for-hire model. Most software developers don't get royalties. They are paid a salary and company owns the rights to what they develop.
- whatthefu, on 11/14/2007, -2/+5Why even have episode season formats if TV is "obsolete?" Episodes are constrained to fit TV schedules. If one part's going to adapt, others have to go with it. However, TV will never die, at least anytime soon. It's only the young demographics that are using the internet and DVDs to watch their favorite shows.
- tdelet, on 11/13/2007, -3/+6Then don't expect them to sell it to you.
- Jones82, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4Cut the "good old days" crap, everything now is as good (or bad) as it ever was, you just have to keep an eye out and keep an open mind.
- epohs, on 11/14/2007, -3/+5Instead of simply telling the poster to "get a little perspective", and ending it there I propose you share the enlightened perspective that you seem to be implying you have.
- HonoredMule, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2I can't think of a single show I desire that doesn't exist. Funny, that.
You can't pine over not getting what wasn't marketed to you due to said non-existance. As for sever shortage of any good content to desire in the first place...we're already there. It can only get so much worse before novels gain primary popularity for fictional entertainment. Writers won't be complaining then; actors might, but I've doubts that anyone will listen or care.
And really...a good novel is great entertainment, and fairly priced too. - bradleyland, on 11/13/2007, -0/+2So many years ago, and yet Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) is still right:
http://www.bpmlegal.com/twain.html
Read the whole thing before you make any assumptions. - epj3, on 11/13/2007, -1/+3Here's the problem:
1. Trying to compete with other forms of entertainment - ie video games. There are some VERY good games out. Most allow you to (in a very informal manner) socialize with your friends even if you're across the world. I would rather play COD4 after work... I would rather watch an episode on my own time.
2. Inconsistent schedules. Why can you not keep a single show in a single spot for more than a few months? I gave up trying to watch the second season of Lost - between changing schedules, random reruns, sports, etc. I simply lost interest. The office? I'm not even sure what day it's on, let alone what time.
3. Lack of good, quality programming. Everything fits in a niche now-a-days - shows like "The OC," Come on, give me a break... American Idol? Give it up - it's entertaining during the "tryouts," but you don't have to air spin offs every day. This is why we resort to video games.
4. You make it IMPOSSIBLE for those of us who are not around during "prime time" to even catch an episode. College students, people who work at that time, etc. I'm not paying $whatever ridiculous amount for a low quality, DRM copy of the episodes. I have to wait til the DVD's come out, and by that time I usually loose interest!
Here are the solutions:
A. Stop ruining the shows that ARE doing well. Let the writers use this whole "creative freedom" thing. Look how successful south park is.
B. Allow us to buy high quality (ie High definition) episodes for a REASONABLE price. As in - buying an entire season would cost the same as if it were on DVD or even HD DVD.
C. NO DRM! Why can I not keep a copy on my laptop, my desktop, and burnt to DVD? I'm not selling it! Sure, I may loan it to a buddy. How is that ANY different from buying the season on DVD and loaning that out?
B would solve 1, 2, and 4 from above.
You solve #3 yourselves. When my TV is on, it's either on Discovery channel, or Comedy Central. Take a hint. - MikeFallopian, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2So you think the studios should be the only ones profiting? The writers sign away the copyright for the works they create in return for fair compensation. If the studio is getting paid based on the popularity of the product, the writers' pay should follow the same model.
- jejones, on 11/14/2007, -4/+6"The mediums may be changing..."
You mean they aren't using crystal balls any more? - HonoredMule, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2That's hardly a fair comparison. Software developers are respected professionals and well paid whether freelancing or on salary. I can't vouch for the TV writers' positions, but that certainly doesn't describe the position of song writers, or film script writers, or graphical artists, or most novelists, or basically any other "non-professional" producer of creative work.
Developers like you and I are also paid based on the work we do. We don't go hungry because an idea we were hired or commissioned to develop wasn't "popular." - Speed, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2The emos are getting younger and younger every year.
- DiscoLando, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2You know, you're right. I'll never understand how anyone ever learned about science, education, or history before there was television.
Thanks for setting me straight! - hexydes, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2And yet...somehow the movie studios survive...
- Speed, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2B is the main reason the writers are striking, they get almost no money from DVD sales, and absolutely noting from online or HD sales.
- rperez1972, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2I sort of get what he was saying... published works should have perpetual copyrights to the creators... unfortunately, most copyrights are sold by the creators for a chance at having them published... that sucks...
in any case, my favorite quote from Twain's speech was: "But that goes to my daughters, who can't get along as well as I can because I have carefully raised them as young ladies, who don't know anything and can't do anything." Too funny!!! - DiscoLando, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Actually, we don't have a TV. Thanks for playing! Send a self-addressed stamp envelope to:
10286 W. Mockingbird Lane
Suite 105
New York, New York 10012
Your prize will be in the mail! - GreatSunJester, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Aren't TV episodes just the breaks between commercials?
- Jones82, on 11/13/2007, -0/+2Is it just me or does your second sentence contradict the first?
- ZenMojo, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2All you'll have is reality TV. It's REALITY TV. Granted, there are writers now, but you don't need writers to make those shows.
- Tenoq, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2But they do represent a large part of the audience - particularly when it comes to advertising. Who do you think sits down and watches infomercials all day while the rest of us work 9-5? Old people. And they're cashed up with nothing to do: a marketer's wet dream. They still matter in a big way.
- tdelet, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1Not superior to the people, but I think people are better than "the medium". 98% of television is *****, give or take 2%.
- Ayavaron, on 11/13/2007, -0/+1Actually, if they don't represent a large enough part of the audience to justify the costs, then they totally cease to matter. That's the problem the newspaper industry is facing.
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