Plex introduces native commercial removal!

[Jdiesel 1114]

So you are saying free (ad-supported) broadcast TV should just go away because it doesn't suit you?  If you like the pay-for-content model better, there are options for you.  I do think the world is changing here but as long as the "free" options are there, they have no choice but to try and survive based on advertising.

 

I am fine with advertising within reason, especially for the OTA channels that are free. When my cable bill is $80 a month and I still need to sit through ad after ad I start to get a little pissed off. Meanwhile I am able to pay $10 a month for Netflix with zero commercials. I just think the cable TV model is on life support and the providers seem to feel the remedy is increasing pricing and including more advertising so they can continue to make the same profits they did when there was no competition.

[Jdiesel 1114]

So... how do you propose they stay in business so that they can continue to provide you this content if not through advertising?

 

I am no business expert but Netflix managed to convince me (a life long pirate and cord cutter) to give them my money every month for the last 3 years. Pricing, convenience, content, and no advertising will attract paying customers.  

[ebr 14959]

I am no business expert but Netflix managed to convince me (a life long pirate and cord cutter) to give them my money every month for the last 3 years. Pricing, convenience, content, and no advertising will attract paying customers.  

 

Yes and that is the way the industry is going en mass.  However, there is a large demographic out there that will still need to rely on non-pay TV models and advertising isn't going anywhere - it is how businesses work.  The advertising simply needs to shift (and it is) to other methods because advertisers can no longer take advantage of most of their customers all being "captured" in the same place every evening like it was when there were just a few channels on broadcast TV. 

 

Advertising works and advertisers are going to continue to find ways to get their products in front of your eyes.

 

BTW - I'm not trying to be adversarial if it seems that way .  I'm just playing Devil's advocate because I know that absolutely nothing is actually free.  Someone, somehow, has to pay for it.

[adamstewiegreen 149]

I am no business expert but Netflix managed to convince me (a life long pirate and cord cutter) to give them my money every month for the last 3 years. Pricing, convenience, content, and no advertising will attract paying customers.  

Pricing: It's ok, but just wait until the top 10 programs are spread over 8 different services (Disney for instance is going to take all it's Marvel and Star Wars content with it when they leave netflix to start their own service).  It's not far off, and prices are going up fast (esp. Netflix).  Streaming sites saving grace: no contracts.  But as they need to spend more money to finance big budget original content (Amazon's LOTR!!), that may become a thing of the past too.

 

Content:  I find Netlix and Hulu to be mostly filler TBH, enough great content to keep people subscribed but it's nothing special.  Plus, if fans of (real) cinema are left in the lurch as there is almost no content on Netflix pre-1970.  And, contrary to what IMDB will tell you, most of the best movies ever made were made pre-1970.  (There is no Hitchcock on Netflix!)

Convenience and no advertising are the real big pluses!  I have the no-ad Hulu and it's great! 

 

That said, I'm not optimistic about the future of streaming.  I see it becoming the new cable much sooner than later.

[Jdiesel 1114]

I think everyone values a product or service a little bit differently and thus will have a different opinion on what is acceptable or worth paying for. For example, I feel that the cinema is too expensive so I will purchase the Bluray instead (usually when it goes on sale), I find cable TV too expensive (especially for the amount I view it) so I look towards streaming series to catch up on series that I enjoy, I have never purchased digital music but I do subscribe to Spotify and purchase my absolute favorite albums on vinyl. 

 

For me I put a high value on limited ads and physical copies of my media.

[ebr 14959]

I think everyone values a product or service a little bit differently and thus will have a different opinion on what is acceptable or worth paying for. For example, I feel that the cinema is too expensive so I will purchase the Bluray instead (usually when it goes on sale), I find cable TV too expensive (especially for the amount I view it) so I look towards streaming series to catch up on series that I enjoy, I have never purchased digital music but I do subscribe to Spotify and purchase my absolute favorite albums on vinyl. 

 

For me I put a high value on limited ads and physical copies of my media.

 

Yes, that's all true and good for you.  My only point is that your statement that the broadcast providers are "shooting themselves in the foot" is not accurate.  They are doing the only thing they can to try to survive.  They cannot convert themselves to a pay-for model nor can everyone in the world afford only pay-for TV services. 

 

Those providers' business model is based on ad revenue so they are doing what their customers (the advertisers) are demanding and taking steps to ensure that the advertisers' content is actually seen by someone.

[BAlGaInTl 279]

I am fine with advertising within reason, especially for the OTA channels that are free. When my cable bill is $80 a month and I still need to sit through ad after ad I start to get a little pissed off. Meanwhile I am able to pay $10 a month for Netflix with zero commercials. I just think the cable TV model is on life support and the providers seem to feel the remedy is increasing pricing and including more advertising so they can continue to make the same profits they did when there was no competition.

 

I'm confused by this....

 

Cable is paying additional to gain access to more channels, and to do so without an elaborate or unsightly antenna rising from your home.  It isn't to remove advertising.

 

Don't get me wrong... I'm not a fan, and I skip commercials on my recorded OTA shows.

 

I'm not sure what you are "a little pissed off" about. 

 

OTA channels are not free.  "Free as in beer" perhaps, but there is actually a significant cost for the networks to run those television stations across the country.  My point of view is from the U.S. of course, but other countries you have to pay a tax per TV in the home, and you STILL get advertising.  Would you rather have that model?

 

Personally, I've dropped cable, and yes, that means I have to pay more for my internet, because the company still needs their overall margin.  I went from around $120/mo a few years ago to ~$85 (Internet + Netflix + Amazon Prime).  If you amortize that over the 5 years that I've been a cord cutter, I've saved well over $2500 because I didn't always have Amazon, and Netflix cost has gone up.

 

That's part of the reason why I had no issue giving $100 to the developers of Emby.  I know that it makes my OTA part of my experience much better.

[Jdiesel 1114]

 

 

Cable is paying additional to gain access to more channels, and to do so without an elaborate or unsightly antenna rising from your home.  It isn't to remove advertising.

 

 

 

I'm not sure what you are "a little pissed off" about. 

 

 

I was referring to the original premium cable model where by paying for the premium service you did not receive advertising. This was many many years ago although HBO still follows this model. Now I feel the model is to pay more for more channels you don't want so you can get the one channel you do want.

 

I am pissed off by the increased amount of ads there are. Cable bills increase, the amount of ads increase, is the cost of delivering it to my home increasing? I'd say no. 

[BAlGaInTl 279]

I was referring to the original premium cable model where by paying for the premium service you did not receive advertising. This was many many years ago although HBO still follows this model. Now I feel the model is to pay more for more channels you don't want so you can get the one channel you do want.

 

I am pissed off by the increased amount of ads there are. Cable bills increase, the amount of ads increase, is the cost of delivering it to my home increasing? I'd say no.

Ah. I understand. That's a VERY old model.

 

The problem is that the cost of delivering it IS increasing. The networks charge the providers for the right to deliver it, and that keeps going up. All the other associated costs also go up. I don't think that the cost of cable it too far off from normal inflation rates.

[PrincessClevage 173]

Looks like Plex have no intention of removing the functionality to remove commercials as they are pushing direct advertising of this feature

[Tur0k 143]

Yea, I am nearly done with my custom script to do this exactly. I am trying to get the post prod script to run after the recording is made. Cut the junk parts and re-save the file. Then I will likely need to workout if Emby needs to rescan it afterward.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited December 8, 2017 by Tur0k

[skidmarks 188]

Everything is copyrighted.  At the time (i worked in TV for many years) the only true legal way to record anything was for "educational uses only".  That required commentary about the said programming for an educational reason.  Dish network / DTV / Tivo and all the other services out there allow you to DVR programming.  But i can only assume the rationality behind that is the program is locked down to a hard drive internal to that device.  Not allowing access to these recordings from anything external to the device.  Allowing private access to those recordings was / is a huge copyright infringement issue.

 

The chances of national broadcasters coming after people are slim (unless you share said programming).  But i would most certainly bank on them coming after you if you are providing the way to not only record programming but also alter said programing.

 

I would tread very lightly with a wait and see approach on this one...  (i have no horse in this race either way, i do not utilize the DVR functionality)

Edited December 9, 2017 by skidmarks

[Jdiesel 1114]

Just wait Plex will have a new "feature" to remove commericals and replace them with Plex's own sponsored content.

[BAlGaInTl 279]

Just wait Plex will have a new "feature" to remove commericals and replace them with Plex's own sponsored content.

 

That would not surprise me at all given recent decisions on their platform.