The Digital Home

(Credit: NBC)

Correction: This blog initially misstated the day NBC announced it was pulling its content off YouTube. It was Monday.

Am I the only person who has lost every ounce of respect for NBC? First, it tells the world that it will not renew its contract with Apple citing disputes over content pricing, and then it tells us all Monday that it has pulled all of its content off YouTube and will reserve it for Hulu when it finally goes live.

Nice one, NBC. Not only have you pulled your programming off the most popular video-sharing site on the Internet, you've decided to add it to a video site of your (and News Corp.'s) own that has no promise. Am I missing something here?

There is no chance Hulu will ever become a success. And the reason is quite simple: It is being produced by two companies that have no idea what consumers want and are utterly unaware of how the Internet works. Even worse, neither of those companies knows what Web 2.0 is all about.

I give Hulu one year.

A bunch of suckers

(Credit: Digital Home)

As anyone who has been following the NBC saga knows, the media company has laid down some heavy fire over purported copyright violations on the part of "bastions of piracy" and has even gone to Congress to ask lawmakers to pass laws that make copyright enforcement even more stringent.

But with the recent news of NBC violating copyrights by not asking for rights to play the song featured on Andy Samberg's latest viral video, "I Ran So Far," isn't it ironic that this company that supports such draconian laws has violated those laws itself? Because the company did not ask for permission to use the Aphex Twin sample used in the video, will it gloss over it like so many have before or will it put its money where its mouth is and admit that it's a pirate? Either way, I'm going to love watching this one unfold.

In news that comes just weeks after iTunes' loss of Universal Music Group, NBC has officially canceled its contract with iTunes, citing the need for stricter piracy controls and higher pricing that Apple was unwilling to provide. That said, NBC will still continue to sell its programming on iTunes until its contract runs out in December.

In other words, January will be the month that NBC sees a severe increase in the piracy it's trying to so hard to curb.

Bozos of the month

(Credit: NBC)

I'm not quite sure what any of these companies are thinking. First, Universal Music Group steps away from the third-largest music retailer in the world because it thinks iTunes is suffocating it, then NBC walks away to make more money and stop people from stealing its media. But what both companies don't understand is that they need Apple far more than Apple needs them.

Let me paint a scenario for you of what happens as soon as NBC pulls its programming off iTunes.

Another ode to Elliot

(Credit: ShopNBC)

In part one of this two part series, I introduced you to a young fellow named Elliot. Elliot, a blue shirt wearing, black-haired salesman on the ShopNBC channel was in the process of selling an HP notebook, an HP printer and a digital camera. If you're interested in his hilarious, yet amazingly error-prone dissertation on why you should buy this gaggle of goodies for a mere $1000, then head on over to this site. If not, then keep reading.

When I last left you, I promised stories of peer pressure, body building and Vista excitement. Luckily for you, oh faithful reader, I shall not disappoint. But I must warn you: if you have not read part one of this two part saga, please do not read on, for there are spoilers ahead.

As Elliot was describing the HP notebook with that "uncrashable" Windows Vista Business installation, he had an epiphany. Instead of wasting our time with sales pitches that just weren't working, Elliot decided to go back to school. How you ask? Well, instead of talking about the notebook's classroom practicality, Elliot reminded us of days that are best left in the past: bullying.

In Elliot's own words, this HP computer is something that "kids will be proud of." They will no longer need to walk through school telling everyone that they're using a Mac or those incredibly ugly Dells, why no! From now on, 9-year old Johnny can tell 10-year old Billy the Bully that he is proud to own an HP laptop featuring a 15.4-inch widescreen with Vista Business and an Intel Core Duo. Proud!

Elliot, obviously remembering his childhood, left nothing to chance. Instead of wasting time talking about 3D windows, he went to the jugular. He almost lost me before he pulled out his ace in the hole. But as soon as he mentioned peer pressure, I was immediately brought back to D.A.R.E. class with Officer Casey, and I melted all over again. This man, Elliot, had me on the edge of my seat.

But rest assured friends, this was just the tip of the iceberg. Next up, Elliot told us how lightweight this svelte beauty was. Tipping the scales at just under six pounds, this laptop is nothing like the rest of the laptops on the market -- those fifteen pound clunkers! Why, no! Instead of forcing you to use both hands, Elliot showed us all that he could lift this laptop "with what? Three fingers?!" And while this may sound like a simple feat, think again -- Elliot was a small man with some muscle issues, for sure. After all, if he can lift up a notebook with just three fingers, can you imagine what you can do with it? Just think of the possibilities!

An Ode to Elliot

(Credit: ShopNBC)

Last night, as I was making my list up for the top 5 best video games of all time, I was flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch. Bored with the choices, I decided to turn on ShopNBC to see what the salespeople had to offer. And while I was prepared for some lines that would make a used car salesman cry, I wasn't prepared for the hilarious onslaught of pure bull.

The show started at 9PM and was replayed at 10PM with some extra anecdotes of information and a few more tidbits of funny and incredibly erroneous salvos. Needless to say, it was one of the most entertaining events I have witnessed on a television show in years.

Let me set the scene for you: Two men, one with blond hair sitting on the left and the other with black hair (Elliot) sitting on the right, were discussing an HP notebook (the August 26th top value item) that was sporting a 1.6GHz Intel Centrino Core Duo, a 120GB hard drive and a 15.4-inch "HD-quality" screen. Amazingly, the total package with an estimated value of almost $3,000 came to just five easy payments amounting to roughly $1,000. Of course, the whole package included software, an HP printer and a digital camera, so that amazing value quickly becomes even more laughable with the additional gadgetry thrown in.

At first, I thought ol' Elliot was going to, you know, tell the truth to the "30 million viewers" watching the show that night. Wait, hold on. "30 million viewers"? If 30 million people were watching Elliot and friend spewing this garbage about an under-equipped HP notebook, then that many people are reading this. More like 30 if you ask me.

OK, so where was I? Oh, right, celebrity A-lister Elliot, in blue. So, after he bragged about his numbers, Elliot got into the core specs of this "V12 engine." This is when it gets fun.

According to our friend Elliot, the HP notebook sports the "safest, most unhackable and (most importantly) uncrashable, Windows Vista Business edition." At this point, I almost lost it, but I maintained composure until he hit me with this monster: "With Windows Vista Business, there is no need for extra security software! It's the first operating system to protect against viruses and pop-ups!"

Oh Elliot, Elliot, Elliot. If I didn't love your blue shirt so much, I would tell you how amazingly ridiculous you sound. And, if I had the time, I would definitely explain to you why you're oh so wrong. Instead, I think I'll just sit here and laugh.

But trust me, this is only the beginning. With nary a blink, my new best friend Elliot decided to show off the operating system that "will not inflict a machine with viruses or spyware." The first thing he pointed out that the guy with blond hair seemed so excited to see was Vista's 3D window display.

Confused, I turned the volume up to see what in the world this dolt was talking about. After a lengthy description that went nowhere, Elliot finally showed me what he was talking about: the 3D window flip in Vista. Wow. Obviously business must be slow on ShopNBC and the material was running low because if that was the best he had, then he might want to find a new profession.

But, just as I knew he would, ol' Elliot found it within him to take this poor excuse for a sales pitch out of the basement and make everyone see what the true benefits of owning an HP laptop really are: Wi-Fi.

Elliot started out with an empathetic tone by explaining to blondie that he has been told on numerous occasions that, "you know, Elliot. I'm just not there yet for wireless -- it's too much to learn. I like to go in steps and I just don't think I'm ready to take it to the next level." Well, just to show us how easy it is to get onto the Internet, he was going to walk us through the process.

So, with a few knuckle cracks, rolled-up sleeves and some sweat, Elliot went through the arduous task of connecting wirelessly to the Internet. Amazingly, Elliot showed us how to hit a wireless button above the keyboard that would magically light up in blue once connected. And then, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Elliot was lauding the fact that wireless connectivity was "just that easy!" But wait, there's more. Once connected to the Internet, ol' Elliot, feet planted to the ground, ready for anything that may come his way, told us all that the notebook comes with Internet Explorer and wait! It features a "pop...up...blocker!" The exuberance that filled the room was enough for any grown man to cry. Honestly, it was just that touching.

And while you would have turned the station already, I was strangely captivated by these two men, obviously spewing information with no knowledge of the product they were selling while trying to appeal to the "30 million viewers" anxiously waiting on Elliot's next words. Believe me, the next few topic areas take the cake.

Now that you read part 1, check out part 2 where Elliot tackles peer pressure, body building and Vista excitement!

Although the price isn't the same, I'm pretty sure this is the same package as what was on Sunday night. Check it out.

In a recent study conducted by NBC, people were hooked up to sensors and shown television shows. During their time watching the show, researchers took note of changes in heart rate, palm sweat, eye movement and breathing patterns to see how the human body reacts to the program. From there, the researchers showed commercials in fast-forward to measure if the same bodily reactions were present during the commercials. The answer is actually good for everyone involved: they were the same.

Although it evolved out of a series of recording technologies before it, the Digital Video Recorder can be officially traced back to 1999 at the Consumer Electronics Show. At this show, two unknown products: TiVo and ReplayTV showed off what would become one of the most important products in the past decade. With this new technology, consumers were finally able to record television shows without the need for a tape, and easy access to these recorded shows meant we could fast forward our way through those annoying commercials.

In a matter of days, tech columnists were saying DVR was the greatest thing since sliced bread, while major networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX) were clearing bank accounts to stop the possible issue of lost revenues. Although the logic was confusing at best and desperate at worst, networks claimed that fast-forwarding commercials would spell the end of quality programming because consumers would fast-forward through commercials and advertisers would lose the need to promote products on television. Unfortunately, this rhetoric continues today.

I take offense to networks justifying why I shouldn't be allowed to fast-forward my way through television shows by threatening bad television. Do they really think we are that dumb? The reason television networks want companies to remove the fast-forward button is because it costs them money -- and lots of it.

According to a study conducted by Jupiter Research in 2006, DVR users sped their way through almost $8 billion in advertising and that number should rise in all subsequent years.

For years, networks have claimed that our ability to fast-forward through commercials is damaging to the entire television infrastructure, but do you honestly believe that network executives don't use a TiVo at their homes? Further, do these self-righteous commercial lovers watch every car dealership ad just because it helps the network survive? By that justification, couldn't it be said that NBC executives should only watch NBC shows and ABC executives should never even consider watching 24 just because it's on another channel and fewer ratings means less revenue? Oh, and one more thing: if networks are so concerned about ratings and are insistent upon us watching live TV, they should tell their own executives to stop recording shows they missed because of a late meeting.

But as annoying as these arguments are, the release of the NBC study effectively solves two issues for people on both sides of the fence. Now that we know people are actually responding to commercials in fast forward, TV networks have no reason to attack DVR manufacturers or lobby in Congress -- commercials are still getting through to us. On the other hand, the people who strongly support DVRs now have the proof they need to justify the fast-forward button and keep their boxes for the future.

We not only should have the right to fast-forward any show we want, we should have the option to do it at any time. With this study, the writing on the wall seems clear: keep pushing your advertising at us and do what you have to do to make your money, just expect us to hit the fast-forward button. That said, the future implications of this study should become all the more apparent: networks still haven't dropped the idea that we are not watching television shows when they are live, and so they must charge less for advertising because of worse ratings. Nonsense.

Explain something to me networks: before we had Nielsen Ratings and all of the other ratings matrices that you cherish today, how did you ever find a way to charge for advertising? You adopted the Nielsen Ratings system to charge for advertising, why can't you adopt a similar system that measures the number of people who DVR a specific show. With that data in hand and armed with this study, you could go to the advertisers and ask for more. Is it that difficult?

Maybe I am off base here, but to me, that solution seems quite practical. Nielsen already uses a variation of this model and so far, these numbers have proven to be quite useful. In January 2006, Nielsen unveiled its first report on DVR viewer-ship and House's ratings jumped from a 2.2 to a 2.3 for that week. See? More revenue!

Unfortunately we are knee-deep in a battle between the old guard who believes in live static programming and the new guard who believes in the right for consumers to do whatever they want with the material being streamed into their homes. And while there is a whole intellectual property debate helping to add more fuel to the flame, the basic premise of this struggle is simple: networks are looking for as much money as possible and consumers are looking for the best possible viewing experience. But what networks don't seem to realize is that they are in a sinking ship. As Internet advertising becomes more logical and effective, it will not be the consumers who will change, it'll be the networks who will be fighting for their lives.

Much like the days of radio where television became the chosen medium for advertising, TV is losing ground to Internet advertising. And unless these networks realize that change is not only necessary, but it is required for future well-being, the need for fast-forwarding may become a moot point: no one will want to advertise on TV.

Change is upon us. And while we, the consumers, are ready to meet that change head-on with a fast-forward button pressing against our thumbs and commercials flying by, networks are unwilling to welcome that change, and so regardless of how they respond to this study, networks are faced with a severe problem. Let's hope they make the right decision and try to change.