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TV Networks Cutting Back On Commercials (bloomberg.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Cable providers aren't the only ones feeling pressure from cord cutters. The TV networks themselves are losing viewers the same way. A lot of those viewers are going to Netflix and other streaming services, which are often ad-free, or have ad-free options. Now, in an effort to win back that audience (and hang on to the ones who are still around), networks are beginning to cut back on commercial time during their shows. "Time Warner's truTV will cut its ad load in half for prime-time original shows starting late next year, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bewkes said last week on an earnings call. Viacom has recently slashed commercial minutes at its networks, which include Comedy Central and MTV. Earlier this month, Fox said it will offer viewers of its shows on Hulu the option to watch a 30-second interactive ad instead of a typical 2 1/2-minute commercial break. Fox says the shorter ads, which require viewers to engage with them online, are more effective because they guarantee the audience's full attention."
I think most of the tech showed in CSI counts as sci-fi.
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...or you could just do what I do.. throw up an antenna, set up mythtv on an old PC, then legally record and watch Big Bang and much other good stuff without ever paying a cent or watching a commercial, since mythtv also has automatic commmercial detection/skipping so you dont even need to press fast forward on your remote.
mythtv is especially great If you travel a lot, since you can also set it up as a server then stream your own live tv, recorded shows, and any ripped media to your android phone app or any browser no matter where you are.