Online video: Must-free TV (ABC to offer next-day online streaming)

[DeepModem Mom]

Online video: Must-free TV
Media experts debate whether ABC's decision to put hit shows online for free will really shake up the television industry.
By Paul R. La Monica, CNNMoney.com senior writer
April 10, 2006

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Who needs TiVo?

An executive for Walt Disney's (Research) ABC network said Monday that starting next month, ABC will offer online streams of some of its most popular television shows, including "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," for free the day after they first air on broadcast TV.

The online video offering, like regular TV, will include advertisements.

Some analysts said that the move has the potential to dramatically impact the way viewers watch TV and shakeup the industry -- others weren't convinced that there would be much impact at all.

"This is pretty significant. The most obvious benefit the consumer will see is the ability to watch a show whenever it is convenient. It takes the TiVo concept and applies it to the Web," said Phil Leigh, president of Inside Digital Media, a Tampa-based research firm....

http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/10/news/companies/abconline_free/index.htm?cnn=yes

[Kutjara]

1. I need TiVo

So I can fast forward past all the craptacular ads. You can bet your life you won't be able to do that with 'streaming' TV.

[high density]

5. This morning on CNN they said there would be three one-minute ads.

I would love to see all of the major networks do this and see a lot of people shitcan their $65/mo cable subscriptions.

[MADem]

2. Now, if they do this through cable (ON DEMAND) that will make

a dent.

It just seems that they like to fight it out for a time slot, so you have to make decisions about what you want to watch at a particular time period, if you don't have the means to record a show while watching another.

[mike_c]

3. this won't impact the way I watch TV at all....

I don't watch TV. Haven't in nearly two decades. I'm certainly not going to start wasting badwidth to watch it now.

[mom cat]

4. Day old bad shows are still bad.

[SoCalDem]

6. um... for "free"??

Most people PAY for cable, or satellite these days, and they PAY for their internet service.. I think it's a good marketing ploy for ABC to put them onliine, and the fact that it's "free" should not even be a factor, unless they are planning to charge for it at a future date..

VCR's are dirt cheap, and most cable/satellite services have or offer Tivo or PVRs so people are already "timeshifting" their programming..

Watching it online pretty much guarantees that they can market to you while you watch it, so it's an advantage to them, more than a convenience to us..

I have all the episodes of Sons & Daughters on my PVR (haven't watched any yet".. If it sucks, no biggie, I can just delete them all, but if I like the show, I can whiz thru them withour having to wait for commercials, and can skip past the boring parts..

[zbdent]

7. Maybe Fox would offer on-demand

so that we could fast-forward through he BS O'Reilly bullshit to get to the commercials . . .