Does anyone actually watch commercials anymore?

Sometimes I get stuck watching commercials - a few of Comcast's on-demand channels do not allow fast forwarding. I also get stuck watching them during sports events since the DVR's that we have are not HD. On some sports standard def is not a big deal and the 15 second skip button is perfect for watching football but with hockey it is virtually unwatchable in standard def.

 

As everything we watch comes through the DVR, commercials are just an annoyance that we avoid (except the Super Bowl!). What's funny is that my 10-year-old daughter has grown up with the concept that commercials are like the rain or high winds - just something you deal with when it happens. When we visit grandma's house, for years she used to ask me where the FF button was on the TV remote. It was the only place where we'd watch real "live" TV, and it astonished her how much time was spent on the crap that wasn't part of the show. "Why do they do that, Papa?"

 

What I don't understand about the whole cable TV model is why consumers have to pay twice. Once directly to the cable companies, once indirectly by having to watch the bloody commercials!

It appears Internet TV is taking the same route, unfortunately.

 

when it first came out, that was the big selling point. once they got everybody in, WHAM! same with pbs, every year, it gets a little worse.

 

well PBS does not have commercials but "sponsorships"

 

Yeah, and I don't want to get into my wife's pants. I just want to "adjust her undergarments."



Tom

 

It's a good thing nobody sits near me at work cause I just busted a gut laughing at your last post :heh:

 

I can deal with the sponsorships on PBS. They're quite understated and tastefully done, not like those in-your-face and obnoxiously loud commercials. And they're only shown at the beginning and the end of a program, so your viewing experience is smooth and uninterrupted.

To me the sponsorship spots are a fair and reasonable tradeoff for the high quality programs which my family and I get a lot of value and benefit out of. I'd much rather give my money to CPB (which I regularly do as a member) than to cable and satellite companies (which I no longer subscribe to.)

 

i resent them, especially because i'm a member. and if you saw the building they just moved into in boston (brighton) you would too. or not.

 

I don't live in Boston so I have no idea. Besides, my membership is only with my local public radio/TV station anyway. I don't give money to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (at least I don't think so!)

 

I bet you watch this one. (After the first 30 sec commercial) NSFW

Parachute Mishap The best commercial ever ! SIEMENS not sure? FuNnY and HOT!! | tushev on blip.tv

 

That was good. Maybe I should watch more TV.

 

saw that one, not in the u.s. tho!

 

Sometimes they seem to sneak in but I do what I can to avoid them. I really hate them.

 

I downloaded the high definition version of that six months ago. There is also a nice video about the making of the commercial. It's worth watching. You can find them all here:

Fleggaard

Tom