Categories
Television

How to Keep DVR Viewers Watching Ads

I’m a DVR fanatic. I use it to record almost everything I watch. Seriously. I even record the news and watch it later so I can cut out the commercials (interruptions) and get to the stuff I want to see.

This is a problem though, because of this (quoted from TV by the Numbers – excellent site if you’ve never visited TVbtN:

That’s not surprising given that all DVR users skip some of the commercials some of the time, with many skipping most of the commercials most of the time.

TV Commercials are Interruptions but They Shouldn’t Be

Yep. I skip them every time, unless I forget or something catches my eye as I’m skipping and I skip back to watch. I’m pretty sure most people can imagine how often that doesn’t happen.

In the end, I think the best idea for product placement is in the show itself. A closer relationship between the advertiser and the television series creators can bring us fun ads that fit right into the series itself. I know it’s harder in science-fiction and fantasy television, but not impossible. I still think the Degree/Eureka partnership was a great example of how it can work. I remember those “ads” that were really just part of the episodes. And it didn’t bother me that they were there. I can imagine it working for many of the shows I love.

I don’t have a problem with advertisements and television. I have a problem with interruptions. Ads don’t have to be interruptions… I’m just saying…

Categories
Sci-Fi Views

Have your TV viewing habits been forever changed by DVR technology?

Last year in an article about Chuck (the TV series), I wrote that my TV viewing habits had been forever changed by my DVR. I think now more than ever, TV networks need to take note of this change, because I know I’m not the only person who has adopted a new way of watching TV.

Years ago, if a show was important to me, I watched live. These days this is exactly opposite of how I treat the TV shows I love and adore.

Here’s what I wrote:

One thing I will say as a last side note, Networks and TV people need to take note of how the DVR has changed tv for so many people. I watch stuff live when it catches my interest but isn’t on my have-to-see list. If I absolutely don’t want to miss a show, it gets recorded.

I don’t watch any of my favorite programs live anymore. I want to be able to see Chuck and my other favorites from start to finish without interruptions–and that includes the commercial content. It’s only the stuff that doesn’t really matter that I watch live these days. I feel it’s important that networks understand this. I’m not the only one with this attitude. The DVR has forever changed my TV viewing habits. (Link: Chuck TV show news article where I made these comments)

Do you depend on your DVR the way I do for favorite shows, but leave live viewing for less-than-beloved series? How do you watch TV these days?

Sci-fi fantasies