Fox Sues Dish Over Ad-Skipping Auto Hop

[Tampa8]

Without recording how many of their shows would we not even watch? What if it was one channel at a time? So technology has vastly improved the TV industry. Problem is they want to pick and choose the technology. Scott is right on the button - if they would embrace and learn how to use the technology to their benefit everyone would be happier. The Movie industry loathed VHS, but it and DVD energized them. The Music industry as Scott points out finally gets it. I'm not talking about allowing pirating, but they were against you having a digital copy to use in more than one place. They learned the expensive way there is no way to stop that, so they learned to make money from it.

 

[Hall]

It would seem to me that the Networks should forget the lawsuits and resolve this issue with Dish when network affiliates are negotiating retransmission agreements.

If they lose, rest assured, they will !

 

[theoak]

I know Apple has an advertising budget, but it is not just commercials.

Pretty much every show I watch, comedy, drama, action flick, when there is a laptop, there is that neon white Apple logo sitting on the cover.

Every time an actor/character makes a phone call, half the time it is with an iPhone.

Folks are just going to need to be more imaginative when it comes to advertising.

How many folks have "cut the cable/dish" and now go with a pure Netflix/Hulu/Online approach now? It is growing.

Like others here, I have not watch a commercial in like ... forever. What I do find funny and observe, is that for the 30 second skip ahead, it always seems to land on a Victoria Secret commercial for that brief second. The wife hates it ... and I do too of course

Yes, the networks will probably insist on more money because Dish's customers are not watching the commercials with AutoHop. That is fair, but also, nothing new with current technology.

Sent from my new iPad using SatelliteGuys

 

[Hall]

Because the actual content that is covered by copyright remains intact.

One could rightfully argue that the program is now "different" though. By the same token, they would have to go after some of their own affiliates who re-broadcast their programming and don't transmit at full bitrate, i.e. a local station with multiple sub-channels can't technically achieve full bitrate if they simulcast add'l channels.

 

[theoak]

I know Apple has an advertising budget, but it is not just commercials.

Pretty much every show I watch, comedy, drama, action flick, when there is a laptop, there is that neon white Apple logo sitting on the cover.

Every time an actor/character makes a phone call, half the time it is with an iPhone.

Folks are just going to need to be more imaginative when it comes to advertising.

How many folks have "cut the cable/dish" and now go with a pure Netflix/Hulu/Online approach now? It is growing.

Like others here, I have not watch a commercial in like ... forever. What I do find funny and observe, is that for the 30 second skip ahead, it always seems to land on a Victoria Secret commercial for that brief second. The wife hates it ... and I do too of course

Yes, the networks will probably insist on more money because Dish's customers are not watching the commercials with AutoHop. That is fair, but also, nothing new with current technology.

Sent from my new iPad using SatelliteGuys

Case and point ...

Did anyone watch the American Idol finale?

A commercial right in the middle of a proposal! That blew my mind. But on the flip side, I have to give the advertiser credit for thinking outside the box.

Sent from my new iPad using SatelliteGuys

 

[Dah-Henny]

What I do find funny and observe, is that for the 30 second skip ahead, it always seems to land on a Victoria Secret commercial for that brief second. The wife hates it ... and I do too of course ...

Yup, I've got knots all over my noggin because of those darn commercials.

 

[dare2be]

"Their wrongheaded decision requires us to take swift action in order to aggressively defend the future of free, over-the-air television."

That's laughable. Dish can't affect "free, over-the-air television" with AutoHop.

yes there is

Iceberg, it IS the same, since the user still has control whether to initiate the AutoHop feature or not.

 

[Ganthet]

What I find unbelievable is the the TV viewing model the broadcasters continue to describe - that without this technology people would just sit in front of the TV and view the commercials without looking away. Even in the pre-VCR days we didn't just sit through the commercials. We either changed to a different channel or used the commercial breaks for bathroom/drink refill/let the dog out time.

I'm sure Dish had their legal defense all planned out before even launching the service.

 

[dare2be]

The Fox case is by far the best written. Its design to get the courts attention and rush this through.

Fox is the king of sound bites to get people's attention. "threat to free, over-the-air television", "bootleg VOD service" lol

 

[dare2be]

I think it's odd -- and stupid -- for Fox to request a jury trial.

A jury of their peers. ABC network executives?

 

[digiblur]

Because Dish makes money by taking those "free over the air" broadcasts by including them in your package" Cable and satellite pays for that service.

Technically Dish loses money every month based on what they charge the customer for locals. Retrans agreements, local POP operations, fiber backhaul costs, regional uplink costs, and multimillion dollar satellites built and maintained to support local spotbeams, and the list goes on and on..

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

 

[dtro77]

I got one Question.

Do any of you really think that someone from ABC,NBC,CBS,and FOX have no idea how the Hopper works?

No doubt in my mind they know. There are insiders with every company that research products. There could be someone here right now that works for NBC that has the Hopper.
There could be thousands that have DishNetwork!
I bet there are Directv employees with Dish equipment , and vise versa scanning the inner workings.

I thinks its fair to say the Networks are well aware of it functions, and everyother TV providers DVR functions.

 

[Teehar]

I got one Question.

Do any of you really think that someone from ABC,NBC,CBS,and FOX have no idea how the Hopper works?

No doubt in my mind they know. There are insiders with every company that research products. There could be someone her right now that works for NBC that has the Hopper.

I thinks its fair to say the Networks are well aware of it functions, and everyother TV providers DVR functions.

If thats the case they need to word their documents properly then.Some have stated that autohop removes the ads completely,some state that it modifies the ads which neither is the case.Which leads me to believe they are talking out their perverbial arse.But thats just my opinion.

 

[Hall]

Do any of you really think that someone from ABC,NBC,CBS,and FOX have no idea how the Hopper works?

I've no doubt that they have plenty of smart people who've investigated the Hopper and Auto-Hop and they understand it fully. It's when the top-level executives open their mouths with inaccurate information though and that's what the public hears or reads. That's all fine, let them.... The average consumer just hears "Dish has a DVR that will automatically skip commercials for me ? Cool !". The court filings are another matter entirely. Get a technically-competent judge to read the claims and then compare them to what actually takes place, he/she may throw the suit out !

 

[DustoMan]

Do any of you really think that someone from ABC,NBC,CBS,and FOX have no idea how the Hopper works?

Based on the text of their lawsuits and what the studio heads have stated at their upfronts, they don't have a clue.

 

[dtro77]

I've no doubt that they have plenty of smart people who've investigated the Hopper and Auto-Hop and they understand it fully. It's when the top-level executives open their mouths with inaccurate information though and that's what the public hears or reads. That's all fine, let them.... The average consumer just hears "Dish has a DVR that will automatically skip commercials for me ? Cool !". The court filings are another matter entirely. Get a technically-competent judge to read the claims and then compare them to what actually takes place, he/she may throw the suit out !

Totally agree! Thats the point I'm making. There is a lot we don't know, but we can rest assure they KNOW how the machine works.

 

[356B]

I got one Question.

Do any of you really think that someone from ABC,NBC,CBS,and FOX have no idea how the Hopper works?

No doubt in my mind they know. There are insiders with every company that research products. There could be someone here right now that works for NBC that has the Hopper.
There could be thousands that have DishNetwork!
I bet there are Directv employees with Dish equipment , and vise versa scanning the inner workings.

I thinks its fair to say the Networks are well aware of it functions, and everyother TV providers DVR functions.

Ya think? These are not stupid people, they have sources for information everywhere, but this is the game they play and the game they have always played...problem is the pubic has finally caught on...and that is what I believe they in some cases they don't get. Kind of like the 1%ers not knowing what the 99ers are really about...which says more about the society then business. They, Dish and the Networks have many talking, reading and hearing about this today, publicity for all of them.

 

[dtro77]

Based on the text of their lawsuits and what the studio heads have stated at their upfronts, they don't have a clue.

Based on your research and interpretation only.
Its dumb to think they don't have a hopper right in front of them.

 

[JPhil]

I got one Question.

Do any of you really think that someone from ABC,NBC,CBS,and FOX have no idea how the Hopper works?

No doubt in my mind they know. There are insiders with every company that research products. There could be someone here right now that works for NBC that has the Hopper.
There could be thousands that have DishNetwork!
I bet there are Directv employees with Dish equipment , and vise versa scanning the inner workings.

I thinks its fair to say the Networks are well aware of it functions, and everyother TV providers DVR functions.

In the Fox complaint, many assertions are preceded by the phrase "on information and belief". That's legalese for, "I'm not absolutely sure, but this is the information I was given, and I believe it."

Being wrong isn't necessarily relevant. If Dish challenges these assertions they will need to provide details on how it is actually done, and the Network's lawyers will then have an opportunity to pick it apart.

 

[dtro77]

Totally agree with all your posts.

You all make good points.

Lets not just simply say they are unaware of how the hopper works.
THEY KNOW!

They could figure it out just by reading these threads, and any other tread or post on the internet.

If you guys can figure out how the Hopper works, what makes you think the Networks can't?