Fan Rant: Watching Movies on Television
Filed under: Fandom, Home Entertainment, Fan Rant
Look, this has nothing to do with films that air on cable television without commercial interruption. And it's even hard for me to rant against films that air on television with commercial interruption because this is the way it's been done for many years now. I can deal with that. I have a DVR, I can record films that air on, say, NBC, and fast forward through the commercials. Sure, from time to time I'll stumble across a flick like Lord of the Rings: Return of the King on TNT HD, become sucked in because Peter Jackson created three awesome movies, and have to deal with commercials since I never recorded it. This happened to me yesterday.But what I didn't sign up for was to watch some stupid character from whatever random television show drop down the middle of my television screen and start waving at me during a key scene in the film. Oh yes, from out of nowhere this guy swings right down the middle of the screen where he meets some girl and -- whaddya know -- it's an advertisement for another TNT show airing later in the week. Thanks. Because it's bad enough they have to interrupt these films with five-or-so minutes of advertisements, but now they're advertising things DURING THE FREAKING MOVIE.
I got over the watermark in the lower corner because they've since made them a bit more translucent (though MTV is notorious for covering up dialogue on the bottom of the screen with their stupid watermark). But this ... I simply cannot get over. I've noticed these little miniature characters walk on the screen during films and TV shows on both TNT and TBS, and I'm not sure who else is at fault but it needs to stop now. It's literally so irritating that I've banned TNT and TBS in my apartment. Not watching either station until they lose the stupid ads. Please join me.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-01-2008 @ 12:19PM
Eric said...
They do it because people fast forward though there advertising.
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12-13-2008 @ 3:51AM
Leeb said...
Yeah, If that's not bad enough they usually make little sounds too.
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12-01-2008 @ 12:22PM
mpp said...
I thought that was Gollum crawling around down there via Lucas type editing.
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12-01-2008 @ 12:22PM
techstar25 said...
My question is why do we put up with the damn watermarks? Do they think we don't know what channel we are watching?
When exactly did that become accepted practice?
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12-01-2008 @ 12:36PM
Brian G said...
Man, I am SOOOOOO with you on this. That crap is the most annoying thing ever. You want to know what's worse, though? They do the same thing on Showtime, and I PAY for it! Talk about being immediately sucked out of the movie...
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12-01-2008 @ 12:54PM
Alid said...
A video dealing with this very issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FYYOXmmn34
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12-01-2008 @ 12:59PM
Jeff said...
Moving in show adverts and the solid blocks that take up the bottom third of the screen. I remember hearing an interview with a program director for the CW when it first formed. One of the questions asked was if they were going to have the bottom third ads during their shows. The guy said yes because of the advent of the DVR people skip ads and don't know when their favorite shows would be on. Well if they wouldn't muck with the schedule on a monthly basis we'd remember when the shows would air.
I don't watch TNT or TBS as their HD programming is non existent, and I'd rather gouge my eyes out than watch a movie with commercials, DVR'd or not. But when shows like Stargate, Psych, and Monk are interrupted by an ad that takes up a third of the screen advertising some awful reality show it makes me wonder why I pay Dish Network $50 a month to watch TV. There have been many times where I've seriously considered dropping my TV package, and waiting for the DVDs or using bit torrent.
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12-01-2008 @ 12:59PM
Me said...
Well I think I see your problem. Networks like TNT, TBS and Spike broadcast to the lowest common denominator. They know that tv spamming will work on their type of audience and not too many people will be intelligent enough to pick up on it consciously.
I don't mean any offense to you as I sometimes find myself stopping on these channels while surfing the dial if something catches my eye, but these stations really are aimed towards complete dolts.
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12-01-2008 @ 3:59PM
Dorv said...
Saving Grace, the lowest common denominator? The Closer? Saved?
Some pretty good television on TNT. And no, I don't like being called a dolt ;)
12-01-2008 @ 1:00PM
lt said...
agreed...
kyra sedgewick waves her flashlight in my face while i'm trying to watch a basketball game on TNT
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12-01-2008 @ 3:05PM
Christian H said...
Wait, they still have channels with commercials? I guess that's what happens when your cable bill breaks $100. No commercials. Especially with the cost of premium channels.
Actually some pay channels have popups at teh bottom of the screen advertising some movie.
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12-01-2008 @ 1:40PM
Josh said...
The most annoying ad of that type I've seen was on TBS. It was an ad for "The Bill Engvall Show" that literally took up about a fourth of the screen.
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12-01-2008 @ 1:50PM
Liz said...
I was watching the LOTR marathon too while doing other things, it is great background noise, but sometimes I would sit down for the good parts... and then BAM there's these people in black swinging from the top of my screen and running around the bottom. So annoying!
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12-01-2008 @ 2:27PM
Bill said...
I think ABC has been guilty of this too with Pushing Daisies ads. I agree that it is a stupid ploy and more often than not it backfires with me. I associate The Closer on TNT with these annoying interruptions and never watch it. I don't care how talented Kyra Sedgwick might be. I hate the sight of her face now.
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12-01-2008 @ 2:51PM
Dennis said...
I don't watch TNT and TBS for this reason. I have emailed them and told them so. I did the same thing about all the shows in Sttretch-O-Vision. They still stretch 4x3 to fill the screen on there HD feeds. Just say no and stop watching there crappy HD feeds and annoying adds on the SD and HD channels. If you watch and complain nothing will happen. Changing the channel is all they will understand.
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12-01-2008 @ 5:08PM
Dru said...
Like someone above said, they have to watermark ads because people just fast-forward through the commercials. Also, a lot of shows wind up on the internet in a heartbeat, and watermarked ads make sure that the viewers are paying...somehow.
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12-01-2008 @ 3:51PM
drew said...
I COMPLETELY agree! its so obnoxious to see these stupid ads I immediately change the channel when they come on. They are right up their with "ITS MY MONEY AND I NEED IT NOW!!" Most are pushing that stupid Frank tv...if they have to try that hard to get someone to watch then its more retarded than it looks.
And Bill Engvill sux, horrible writing.
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12-01-2008 @ 4:04PM
terry said...
these tv ads durning the middle of this great master piece,is a crime of our time! This sucks more than anything that has sucked before!!!
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12-01-2008 @ 4:07PM
codymr said...
I have to agree... those banner ads placed in the lower 3rd during the film are AWFUL! Now they are getting bigger and often appear all over the screen.
If I recall, the Simpsons did a great gag about this a few episodes back.
BTW: That little translucent station watermark is appropriately named a "bug" in the industry.
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12-01-2008 @ 4:29PM
Rufus said...
They don't do this on British TV, mind you they don't show people being blown up and sawn in half at 11:30 in the morning either...
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