Could Dvr On Satellite Tv Mean The End Of Commercials?
One of the best additions to cable and satellite TV over the last five years has been the âOn Demandâ feature. Granted, the movie stations, HD channels and sports packages have satisfied millions of subscribers, but the âOn Demandâ feature just takes the cake for having it all.
Before the DVR technology, people would plan their whole day around their favorite shows. They would eat dinner later or get home from work earlier just so that they could watch â uninterrupted – that great new episode that would premiere once a week. As a child, I can still remember going to bed at 9:00pm and setting my alarm to wake up two hours later, so that I could watch the new episodes of âSouth Parkâ every Wednesday night at 11:00pm.
Now, however, the DVR available either through cable and satellite TV or from TIVO allows users to dictate when they want to watch a particular program. Somebody working late or picking up a last minute shift at his or her restaurant should not have to sacrifice quality television watching. Granted, people want and need to make money, especially in this economy, but that is still no reason to miss that favorite show that only airs once a week.
Thus, DVR has enabled video recording, acting basically as a hard drive storage space on a television. People can record programs if not around and watch them whenever their heart desires. And with the huge amount of memory, people can keep their favorite television moments recorded and stored for as long as they like.
Plus, the âOn Demandâ feature also contains many, pre-recorded and available programs for people to watch whenever. With such a huge database of movies, television shows and high definition programming, people who may have forgotten to record something the night before or who may just want to watch a never before seen flick can navigate through the wide array of programming to find something that fits their tastes.
With all new technologies, however, many people have begun to wonder if the DVR is in some ways cannibalizing the television industry. The fact that more and more people are watching programs on their own time and not live reveals that the television audience for commercials is shrinking. The ratings machines can no longer accurately gauge the success of a program or the amount of people who pay attention to a particular advertisement since many choose to record it and watch it later. Plus, with the DVR, viewers can easily fast forward through the commercials in order to focus solely on the specific show.
Therefore, many believe that the DVR could easily cause a decline in the television industry. If advertisers believe that no one is watching their commercials, they will cease to pay for television spots, which will thus decrease the budget of individual stations, since the majority of income is based entirely off of ads. This pattern could potentially increase and move the television industry along the same path as the newspaper industry, which is currently suffering from rapid declines in ad revenue.
Hopefully, the DVR will not spark the downfall of commercials and thus the television industry. All anyone can do, however, is wait and see. But for now, might as well be in charge of the television and watch what you want, when you want.
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With more HD channels and “On Demand” features than cable, a direct tv offer is too good to pass up. The more direct tv packages you subscribe to, the more “On Demand” features you possess. Take control of your television.