TV3, Did the Americans vanish? Do I have to download?

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bazzer

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#792059 3-Apr-2013 08:15

Handsomedan:
JimmyH: Does anyone really care about what time a show screens at nowadays? It's not like we have to sit up and wait for it anymore, that's why we have recorders.

If a channel doesn't advertise adequately WHEN a show will be on, it becomes nigh on impossible to record.

I had that with The Amazing Race - one moment it's on a Friday (or Monday - can't quite remember) and the next it turns up a couple of weeks later (unannounced) on a saturday afternon at 1pm.

I missed two episodes and completely lost the thread of what was going on.
First-World problem, I know, but really? A little notice would be nice.

With series link, it does it all for you.

Dingbatt

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#792067 3-Apr-2013 08:39

I reckon if "The Americans" could somehow include reality cooking in their show they would be back in primetime immediately.
The show lasted 3 episodes in its initial timeslot then was moved to the graveyard - I know this because my HTPC missed recording episode 4. The change was obviously made late because the EPG was already downloaded.
TV3 will no doubt say it was due to poor ratings, but 3 episodes is hardly enough to gain traction. I despair when what is a quality drama is not given a chance. Perhaps you needed to be an adult when Reagan was President for this series to really resonate.....

Areas of Geek interest: Home Theatre, HTPC, Android Tablets & Phones, iProducts.

DonGould

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#792129 3-Apr-2013 09:52

Jas777: Don,

You can't blame TV3 (even though they annoy me a lot) as the break was a US thing not a NZ thing so TV3 didn't have an episode to show.

US networks especially the FTA ones don't alwys play their programmes every week.

Hey Jas,

A foundation stone of CGA legislation is to target this 'blame game, I'm not responsible, the other guy is' business.

As a consumer, if you sell me a TV then you have to make sure you have repairers in place to meet your obligations under the act or you risk having to just refund me the full purchase price 5 years later.

We don't have the same consumer protection in the content space, but we also don't need it do we?

In paying for content, I suggest a FTA provider needs to make sure they can deliver regular supply or face the wrath of consumers.

I fully respect MediaWorks right to operator their business as they choose, just ask Allan Freeth.

Next time they advertise a show that seems like it might be interesting, I'll focus my energy on how to obtain a regular supply.

But as with TCL, I won't write the CEO a letter complaining about my entitlement driven sense of being wronged. I'm more likely to just write to the show producers and ask how I get their content and then blog about my adventures as I go (for the enjoyment of the internet reading public like you).

In short, you're quite wrong, I can blame TV3... but you're quite right in suggesting that would just be a total waste of my time.

Anyway.... as much as I love my 100Mbit HFC with 150Gb (thanks Vodafone)... I must away to put up a ceiling for the neighbour!

D

Promote New Zealand - Get yourself a .kiwi.nz domain name!!!

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old3eyes

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#792150 3-Apr-2013 10:10

wakaridnnz: Yeah it's a great program alright but according to TeeVoid it's on next Tuesday at midnight! geez midnight, what's up with that?

In NZ "Reality Rulze"

Regards,

Old3eyes

Oblivian

4099 posts

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#792154 3-Apr-2013 10:14

Why do I see this going round in circles quickly. Damned if you do damned if you don't if you hold that thinking.

The alternate is delayed tramissions ex the US.. complaints from watchers for it being so far behind "they get it first why cant we waa waaa"

Or, 0-day and at the wrath of the supplier. And re-runs in the place to fill gaps "why do I want to see one I already have?!?!?!"

Don't see anyone pointing finger at supermarkets for not stocking Marmite when the factory wasn't making any...

robjg63

3120 posts

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#792183 3-Apr-2013 11:04

Mmm - Its ironic that you are immediately thinking they are mucking about with program scheduling and might have cancelled your program when they are in fact trying to screen it really quickly and have a hold up from the states.

Both main networks do have a bad habit of moving stuff around if they dont think enough people are watching.

I have to applaud the networks here when they try and screen popular stuff quickly to try and stop people downloading.
But there is still a huge amount of stuff that they dont screen or take a long to to show.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

DonGould

3892 posts

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#792319 3-Apr-2013 13:29

robjg63: Mmm - Its ironic that you are immediately thinking they are mucking about with program scheduling and might have cancelled your program when they are in fact trying to screen it really quickly and have a hold up from the states.

Both main networks do have a bad habit of moving stuff around if they dont think enough people are watching.

I have to applaud the networks here when they try and screen popular stuff quickly to try and stop people downloading.
But there is still a huge amount of stuff that they dont screen or take a long to to show.

You're quite right. The networks have such a poor reputation that my immediate thought is that they've just canceled my program.

The networks have done a poor job of managing my understanding, so yes I just jump to conclusions.

The advertisers need to take real note of this as they're paying for my eyeballs (for what that's really worth) and getting there less and less.

Promote New Zealand - Get yourself a .kiwi.nz domain name!!!

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DonGould

3892 posts

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#792330 3-Apr-2013 13:41

Oblivian: Why do I see this going round in circles quickly. Damned if you do damned if you don't if you hold that thinking.

The alternate is delayed tramissions ex the US.. complaints from watchers for it being so far behind "they get it first why cant we waa waaa"

Or, 0-day and at the wrath of the supplier. And re-runs in the place to fill gaps "why do I want to see one I already have?!?!?!"

Don't see anyone pointing finger at supermarkets for not stocking Marmite when the factory wasn't making any...

You're quite right as well. I didn't post anything about Marmite that I can recall. I just stopped eating it. Craigs have been enjoying my business and I've been enjoying black current jam on my morning toast.

However to address your point...

If I was MediaWorks (which I'm very clearly not), I've be writing to my contacts in the US TV production industry and pointing out who this dick, Don Gould, is.

Don is the guy who grew up with TV people all around him. He would eat dinner with major writers and producers of television drama produced in New Zealand. So Don has been schooled in the importance of a local industry from an early age, he's the very last type of customer you want to loose to just stealing your product for nothing off the internet.

While loosing Don's business really means squat in the big picture, it's the issue of loosing this type of customer, the kind who is most likely to do the 'right thing'.

This is not catch 22 you present it as. This is just an example of a set of companies who have done a poor job with respect to the whole package.

Sure, they've made the program, they've got it just about on air all at the same time, but they haven't backed it up with proper marketing. I watched last weeks show and didn't see any mention of it being off air for a week.

Everyone knows my email address. I didn't see any email to say what's going on. I didn't see any advertising showing with the show to suggest a join a mailing list for show updates and local regional information.

Of course, MediaWorks don't have to make this effort, they can do as they choose. They can run their business as they like and I can take or leave their product offering just as I can choose to be a Vodafone customer or move my mobile to 2Degrees or Telecom.

At the end of the day if I don't like 2,T or V then I can just choose not to have mobile connectivity.

As with my marmite, I can choose just to eat something else. I can choose to just give up on FTA and new shows and just wait until they appear on the internet or someone just hands me a 1TByte hard drive with 500 hours of movies and other shows on it for nothing but the cost of the drive.

D

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Jas777

588 posts

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#792375 3-Apr-2013 14:15

Don,

So you have your new plan and 1 TByte of data and you go to watch 'The Americans' on your favourite site and it is not there what will you do?

Will you think I really like this and want to watch it every week at the same time so I will start a week later as there is not an episode on over Easter?
And as an aside to that if you really like a Show on NBC and watched it live or close as every week would you think it should still be on instead of the SuperBowl which is the singles biggest watch TV programme in USA.

DonGould

3892 posts

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#792388 3-Apr-2013 14:18

Jas I suggest reading 792330

D

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Jas777

588 posts

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#792936 4-Apr-2013 09:28

Fair enough. But you were so convincing.

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