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AOL's Mystro TV vs Tivo?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the now-here's-where-it-get-interesting dept.

admiral2001 writes "Here is is a NYTimes story about AOL-Time-Warner's plans for a TiVo-killing 'Mystro TV' (nytimes annoying free registration required). They plan to begin rolling this out sometime in the next two years. Their major features are the simple pause, rewind, and fast forward that all PVRs have. However, they've taken the obvious stance to "let[s] networks set the parameters, dictating which shows users can reschedule, and it also creates ways for networks to insert commercials." The article even mentions how they could get an advantage in pushing their product because "viewers could try out Mystro TV by pushing a button on their remote"."

5 of 356 comments (clear)

  1. WHy would anyone buy this? by Unknown+Poltroon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Whats the point if i cant skip commercials? If the network decides what i can watch? I mean, hasnt the network already shown it at the wrong time, thats why im recording it!

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  2. Yeah good luck... by i_want_you_to_throw_ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Getting the legions of Tivo owners to give up the system they have become so rabidly fond of. It's not just a product, it's a culture.

    Getting an industry behind you won't help that much either. You could probably get bunches of AOL people who are on the fence about a Tivo purchase but anyone who owns a Tivo probably wouldn't jump at the chance to start receiving commercials.

  3. Missing the boat... by peterdaly · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The whole appeal of Tivo is that the watcher can take back control of watching TV. That is what makes Tivo a "killer app."

    This reigns back in that control. That being the case, it is not the "killer app" TWC hopes it will be.

    -Pete

    --
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  4. Re:TiVo killer? by Sabalon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Never understimate the power of a lower price over quality.

    Q.E.D - Wal-mart

  5. Max Headroom said this would happen... by SolemnDragon · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Anybody remember Max Headroom? Quote from the site: "It predicted the use of Internet-like e-mail to cast election votes, such as is commonly done for taking polls nowadays by CNN and many other Web sites, and as is done by Web page-hit counters. And some states are now talking of instituting political elections via Internet.

    It predicted the rise of "BlipVerts" as advertising, in the use of short ads that flash constantly-moving and -changing images to the viewer because the viewers' attention spans had become so increasingly short.

    It predicted the common occurrences of computer viruses, tapeworms, timebombs, and Trojan horses as ways of defeating other programs. In fact, one episode showed Max invading an enemy's computer network with an image of a wooden Trojan horse! Of course, today, these are well-known hackers' (crackers') products. It predicted what is known today as "page-jacking," or the surrepticious taking over of another's Web page, calling it "zipping" (of an online broadcast station's signal) in one episode. In the same "zipping" episode it introduced the idea of on-line shopping. It predicted, in a sense, the clandestine use of Web anonymizers or ways of being online without being tracked, calling the people who can do this "blanks."
    It also included features such as televisions functioning as webcams, by remote control with two way feed, televisions which are manufactured without shutoff buttons, in a world where the television show/ network with the most ratings wins an election. And of course, my alltime favourite quote from The Max himself, "Why do you think they call it 'programming?'"

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