Category: Television

Tuesday, 17 January 2006

A Proposal for a TiVo, iTunes, Podcast Ad Formats

by Garrick van Buren Comments Off on A Proposal for a TiVo, iTunes, Podcast Ad Formats

30 seconds is way too long. On the TiVo, we’re fast-forwarding through the commercials and other boring bits. We’re still watching as we fast-forward (we get the brand-impression, just more quickly and without sound).

Same with podcasts. As I’ve mentioned earlier, we’re not skipping the ads, just getting through them more quickly. I know one of the podcasts I listen to is sponsored by Earthlink. The host mentions it the moment before I start fast-forwarding. I don’t need to hear Earthlink themselves waste my time – the host already told me everything I need to know. Using 3 words – “sponsored by Earthlink”.

Likewise, television advertisers need to embraces the fast-forward and create media entertaining at both speeds. Something akin to the Levi’s ads from the 80s – a big logo taking up most of the screen surrounded by entertaining animations. This would scale to smaller video devices like the iPod, PSP, and Archos while giving TiVo viewers a reason to replay.

Friday, 13 January 2006

Audio is to Books as Video is to Car Crashes

by Garrick van Buren 1 Comment on Audio is to Books as Video is to Car Crashes

A conversation at last night’s PodcastMN meet-up got me thinking about the difference between audio and video.

As I see it, the goal of writing is to use the fewest words possible to illustrate the most to the reader. Density. In fact, I’m pretty sure the job of an editor is just that. In the end, chances are, the voice in your head reading this is different than the one in my head. That’s just the start. The specifics of the tiny, upstairs room I’m writing this in, with its plastic-coverd north-facing window, wall-long bookshelf, and boxes of unwanted cables is probably more comfortable in your head than in reality.

That’s the cool part.

The funniest sketch I’ve heard on Teknikal Diffikulties was a visual gag. Cayenne Chris gave just enough – then let us listeners build out the rest.

Unlike audio and text, video is a finished, self-contained product. Leaving little to the imagination. As such, it’s more expensive on all counts. From production, delivery, and most importantly – audience attention. Video demands 100% of the audience’s attention. Like a car crash on the freeway.

We all stare.

Wednesday, 11 January 2006

Saturday, 31 December 2005

TiVo’s Future is in Videoblogs Not in Network Television

by Garrick van Buren 4 Comments on TiVo’s Future is in Videoblogs Not in Network Television

We’ve been a TiVo household for about a month now. Excellent service, I’m glad we got it. What we don’t have is a satellite or cable service. As I mentioned on my other blog, this omission is very challenging for TiVo.

To me, the most interesting television isn’t on television. It’s the videoblogs or video podcasts or vlogs, or video clambakes, or whatever you like to call them. After watching a handful of TiVo recommendations, I’m confident in saying anything you can do with a video camera and iMovie is on par with most over-the-air offerings.

Right now, TiVo is only recommending programs based on what it can see with the decade-old rabbit ears on the top of my non-HDTV. But it’s artificially handicapping itself. The TiVo is on my home network – so its recommendations should be based on all the video across the internet.

This means because I prefer watching video on my TV rather than my computer, I’m way behind on Minnesota Stories, RocketBoom and without an incentive to dig deeper into video.

Now, despite the TiVo being a Linux box and hooked up to my network – I can’t easily send video to it. To be clear – I don’t want to get video off it – I want to put video on it. Easily. As easily as setting up a Season Pass. This seems to be completely outside current capabilities – these are the capabilities keeping TiVo alive, out from under the thumb of television advertisers, and provide a reason to accelerate the TiVoToGo rollout.

Just as Apple has embraced podcasting as a way to sell more and bigger iPods, copies of GarageBand, and podcasting servers, TiVo could do the same and one better – put a recommendation layer on top of all this video, a la AmigoFish.

Let’s take this one step further: Each TiVo is a Linux box, with Apache running and a Firewire/USB2.0 port in the front – it provides an easy way for people publish their video to the rest of the world. Turning TiVo into a social medium and a full-fledged citizen of the Read/Write Web.

In early December, TiVo started a very slow rollout of Online Services – including podcasts. Baby steps to their survival. But, my box hasn’t been upgraded for the TiVo Online Services yet. So it remains less used that it could be.

Monday, 19 December 2005

Deal? No Deal.

by Garrick van Buren Comments Off on Deal? No Deal.

I’m not a big fan of games of chance and tonight’s debut episode of Deal or No Deal confirmed it. The promos declared this most pointless of all game shows is sweeping the globe. Yes, that’s the same sales pitch used with Big Brother and the Weakest Link.

Premise in a nutshell: 26 briefcases held by 26 models (America’s Next Top Model rejects?). Each briefcase contains an amount – from a penny to a million dollars. Pick a case. We find out the amount in your case through the process of elimination. As you open up the cases, a shadowy man in a skybox calls Howie Mandel. Shadowy Skybox Man declares a number to make you stop opening briefcases. You take the money or not (that’s the deal or no deal).

So, no trivia questions, no feats of skill, nothing but opening random boxes for way too long.

It was boring tonight. It will be boring tomorrow. I’m pretty sure the contestants on the debut episode were plants. Their enthusiasm didn’t smell right. I’d be surprised if it wasn’t replaced before the holidays were over. Sorry Howie.

On the plus side, 30 minutes into it, the Tivo asked us if we’d like the channel changed. Yes. Thank you, Tivo.

Update 27 Dec 2005: Bob at TV Squad feels the same way.

Friday, 16 December 2005

The Most Desperate Tivo

by Garrick van Buren 1 Comment on The Most Desperate Tivo

“Want to watch how the FBI uses math to solve crime?”

“The Tivo’s so desperate, it’s probably recording it for us right now.”

We’ve had the Tivo for about a week now. Yes, we’re still getting over-the-air broadcast television with our trusty rabbit ears – half-dozen channels depending on weather conditions.

This means Tivo is trying really, really hard to show us how smart it is. Unfortunately, there’s not much for it to impress us with. So far, its offered; religious programming, old Cosby reruns, Conan, Will & Grace, and a bunch of daytime talk shows.

Like a new puppy bringing home a dead bird.

No, it didn’t record Numb3rs for us. Guess the bird was too dead.

Tuesday, 13 December 2005

Amazing Race 8 – Episode 11

by Garrick van Buren Comments Off on Amazing Race 8 – Episode 11

Dear Amazing Race,
Thanks for visiting our airport. We have a lovely city as well.
Love, Minneapolis, MN

Detour: Slide it or Roll it
You’re in Canada and you don’t go curling? That’s like, well, going to Canada and not curling.

This is why I like the Lintz’s – they have such enthusiasm. Makes armchair travel all worth it.

They have to find a door on the back of a non-descript warehouse? Why didn’t they just stick around Minneapolis for the final? We’ve got curling and non-descript warehouses with ‘J’s painted on the doors.

I’ve been hoping for a catch-up this entire episode. Looks like I got it – the search the stadium for 5 minute-apart departure times for the next morning, should bring everyone neck and neck.

(Oh yeah, and I vote for Jen to do the trapeze catch.)

Jen says when she flew back from visiting me in Germany (almost a decade ago, wow) the pilot pointed out the CN Tower.

Detour: Ship or Shoe
Jen just gave me a #10 “are they serious?” look after Phil described the ‘Shoe’ task. So, um, I’ll be hiking up a ship.

On a related note, we checked out the Cinderalla holiday exhibit at Fields downtown earlier tonight. Lots of fun – the exhibition designers did some very cool mirror work to show the magical transformations. The little man slept through it.

Roadblock: Geography Puzzle
I’m taking this one. I remember a puzzle from my youth very similar to this one – though that one didn’t have the Canadian provinces – and it was much smaller.

Final Standing of Garrick’s Favorites:

  • Lintz – #1

This is the second time I was on the end of my seat hoping for my favorite to win. Sure, it wasn’t like last season where I stopped watching.

Jen’s closing thoughts, “They’re such good kids.”

Special thanks go to Tivo for making this 2-hr finale much easier to get through. I now consider pausing live-TV a necessity for new parents. Coincedently, with all our stopping and restarting – we ended at 10pm.

Looks like we’ll meet all back here in Feb for another 2-person trek. Until then – it’s all non-elimination rounds.

Tuesday, 6 December 2005

Amazing Race 8 – Episode 10

by Garrick van Buren Comments Off on Amazing Race 8 – Episode 10

Bills Bust

“Let’s just focus – we might have to eat some turtle.”

This is the Big Catch Up we’ve missed the last couple of episodes.

Detour: Pioneer Spirit or Native Tradition?
We’re going for assembling the wagon wheels and horse team. I’m feeling like the horse team might not be _that_ much trouble.

Buffalo Bill is one of my favorite Old West personalities. Great story on how one man can change….unless I’m confusing him with Wil Rogers. Eh, either way. First time we drove through Nebraska, we stopped at some roadside Buffalo Bill Cody attraction. More poop jokes in one spot than anywhere else. So many.

The photo kicking off this post I shot in Deadwood, SD this summer. I’m pretty sure it’s Buffalo Bill (and would appreciate a correction if I’m wrong – thanks).

Roadblock: Finding Colored Golf Balls?
In this challenge (find 4 golf balls of a specific color) the leader has the advantage only if they pick a color that’s easy to spot from a distance. Trailing the pack and being stuck with ‘green’ will guarantee a good walk spoiled.

Current Standing of Garrick’s Favorites:

  • Lintz – #2

Friday, 2 December 2005

Sports Night – Still Best Show Not on TV

by Garrick van Buren 1 Comment on Sports Night – Still Best Show Not on TV

Sports Night on DVD finally bubbled up our Netflix Queue. More than 5 years later, it still has the best dialogue of any television series ever.

It’d translate perfectly to the video iPod also; audio that doesn’t need video and very basic video (people talking, generally not moving quickly). Hopefully, iTunes will become a strong enough distribution platform that studios will make more shows like Sports Night and send them straight to the fans.

Tuesday, 29 November 2005

Amazing Race 8 – Episode 9

by Garrick van Buren Comments Off on Amazing Race 8 – Episode 9

“The Amazing Race has cured me.”

The promos for this week’s episode were edited to look like a hot air balloon collision caused the Weavers to freak out. After watching the episode in its entirety – it’s clear that wasn’t the case.

Detour: Spike it or Steam it?
We’re spiking it. Knowing how a railroad gets put together seems more interesting than hauling coal. Coal Haulers: feel free to comment.

Raodblock: cattle drive.
Since it’s just Jen and I in this armchair Amazing Race, we’re both doing it.

There’s soooo much driving in this season – blah. I’m longing for the last-minute airport counter negotiations of the previous seasons. We’ve driven some of these stretches. Honestly, being at each others throats in a car in the desert is never cool.

On a related note – anyone know what the “production errors” are that cause the car batteries to be drained? Seems to have happened a handful of times already.

Current Standing of Garrick’s Favorites:

  • Lintz – #3