Is TiVo Killing “good” TV?
July 23rd, 2007 12:07 pm

While reading a post on slashdot regarding Internet Site rankings someone posted an interesting idea. Simply, TiVo and other PVR units are responsible for the crap on tv. This sounds silly, but really think about it.

When Nielson surveys homes, it does not track TiVo recordings (yet). The very smart and often well off are typical early adopters of new technology, this goes double for Science Fiction fans. So our (I am assuming since you read this blog you are all exceptionally smart) voice when it comes to what is worthwhile on television is being completely ignored. So smart shows and very noticeably Sci-Fi shows are given the ax because of “low viewership.

Does anyone else begin to wonder if this is what happened to shows like Studio 60, Firefly, etc…

Posted in Culture, Thinking by kugreg
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beckster
July 23rd, 2007 7:02 pm

Very insightful, KUGREG. Never really thought of that, but I totally agree. How else would you explain shows like WifeSwap topping the ratings? I mean sure, there’s the fact that a LOT of Americans are raving idiots, but it does seem like intelligent shows are very under-represented on the Nielson scale. But don’t they already track TiVo shows? I’ve heard stats like for instance “Lost” and “The Office” (both good shows btw) are the most TiVo’d. So obviously someone is tracking it.

kugreg
July 23rd, 2007 7:38 pm

Well there are two things to say there.
1) Nielson just started to incorporate the info from “TiVo”

2) However it does not track any data from any other PVR or homebrew systems out there. So things like MythTV, BeyondTV, Microsoft MCE, and the PVRs for different cable systems all over are still not included.

TiVo being the major player it was the “only” one that will be included (and this next season will be the first to incorporate some TiVo data.)

But the current market is moving more and more toward PC based PVRs. I am sure that Microsoft’s MCE will eventually be included, but how much damage will have been done by then?

bstop
July 24th, 2007 6:16 pm

Is there s statistically significant number of TiVo users? Or can TiVo users be lumped into a margin of error?

Well, let’s hope more TV shows are smart and funny in the future. It is nice having a personal filter to recommend shows so I don’t have to a) subscribe to cable and b) watch all of the bad TV to find the good TV. Thanks Greg.

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