TV on DVD. Why do you buy it? (1 Viewer)

[Will_B]

Similar to what Casey said, what I like about tv on dvd, which hasn't really been expounded upon is:

The longer story arcs of a season are easier to appreciate when you watch the episodes in the proper sequence, and without commercials which distract and confuse the viewer.

About the proper sequence: unlike broadcast television, which stops, shows repeats, restarts, shows some repeats, and finally reaches the end of the season.

And about the commercials: I am not merely saying commercials are annoying. Of course they are. What I am saying is not only are they annoying, they actually distract your attention or your memory from the finer points of the storyline - particularly the larger story arcs which, being unwelcomed by most networks, are perhaps are only being conveyed by the actors and writers through knowing looks or truly minor moments in each episode; moments which one might not remember if a commercial tries its best to distract your attention a few seconds later.

Commercials are like reading a book but having someone pop a baloon next to your head after every few pages. They truly ruin the storytelling.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

And watching a show with a bug/logo is like reading a book with someone putting a finger on the edge of your eyes!

 

[Kyle**S]

I completely disagree. I good TV producer knows the most effective spots to insert act breaks in a program. The commercials make the show more dramatic, and usually actually improve the storytelling.

Yes commercials are by definition a limitation, but masters like Joss Whedon, JJ Abrams, etc. use the act breaks to enhance the viewing experience.

Of course, I like skipping the commercials on tape or DVD, I'm just saying that most TV shows would not be the same without the act breaks, and without commercials, there would be no point in having the act breaks.

Plus, y'know, commercials let us watch TV for free!

 

[cole_b]

as long as what you want to watch is on one of the networks, anyway.

in regards to TiVo, it's not really worth it if, like me, you don't watch much TV. aside from what I have on DVD, the only thing I watch with any regularity is The Daily Show. (I'd watch Smallville, but we don't get the WB here.) I also prefer to watch stuff on my computer; since I got one with a DVD-ROM drive, I haven't touched my DVD player.

 

[Kai Zas]

Act breaks do indeed enhance the story, but I won't believe seeing a happy clown dance across the screen or a lady with her period smiling while she explains how dry she is can be beneficial to a story. The mood is changed, period. You're on the edge of your seat, tension is rising, commercial break. Don't tell me there's the same tension four minutes later after you've watched like eight to ten different states of mind.

I like the feel of a show on DVD. And I know exactly when there's a "break" coming up. After so many years of American television, you kind of get the whole rythm. (I prefer watchin the BBC, or our commercial free VRT and the other dutch stations that only have commercials before the news. Much more natural.) You realy feel the difference when you're watching HBO programming that lasts an entire hour.

No... Commercial breaks are NOT good, no matter how you look at them. Come on, speeding up the program or cutting scenes short just to cram in some more advertising? Sick!

And what's with that bar telling you WHAT you're watching and what's coming next? I download SG Atlantis and Sci Fi can't seem to help itself. Realy, do they think people are stupid? It's the premiere of something, first viewing, and they have to spoil the entire thing with these messsages? Way to kill the mood, if you ask me.

TV on DVD is the ONLY way to go. And at the rate the studios are plonking their content on the silver disc, I think they have the same idea.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

That's only an issue when adding more commercials to an alread complete show. Soem shows are designed to have commercial breaks and don't work as well without them. 24 is probably the most obvious example.

Even worse is the way some syndicators move commercial breaks around. Watch any show that originated elsewhere on Spike or some of the audlt swim shows.

 

[Brian-C]

alot of reasons have already been stated.

but one big reason, is because my work schedule doesnt allow time for me to watch shows on the weekdays, so I miss practically everything.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Another plus with sets is that you can consume a season in a short period of time. This allows you to be better immersed in all the moods, themes,nuances and subplots of the show. It becomes more like reading a book!

 

[Adam*M]

I wasn't saying that people should get TiVo instead of buying season boxed sets. I own a lot of TV on DVD, but you cannot buy Season 7 and 8 of SG-1 yet (for example.) I have them on my TiVo, and I can skip the ads faster than I could on a tape. The other reason I said TiVo was the complaints about having to watch at a certain time. Since we got TiVo, my wife and I never have to rush because a show is coming on, or because we have to get back in front of the set before a commercial ends. In fact, we rarely ever watch anything "live" anymore. It's more convenient to watch it later, when we can skip commercials. When we do watch live, the pause feature comes in really handy. And the best part is that TiVo records things it thinks we might like, and has found some very interesting shows we never would have picked on our own. (And the DirecTivo records everything in the same quality it came off the satellite - including 5.1 audio - I haven't used the VHS recorder in a year.)

I do have a 400 disc DVD changer as well, and more than a third of it contains TV shows. In fact, I've been thinking about buying another one, since I can't even fit in my X-Files and TNG discs. And with TOS on the way...


Cliff notes version: I think DVD and TiVo are complimentary, and most people would enjoy having both.

 

[Will_B]

Tivo isn't much good without cable tv though.

 

[Adam*M]

I don't have cable TV. I have DirecTV.