Every show that the service has ever shown would be available through a "Video On Demand," feature, as would every show that's currently playing.
Live TV shows would still be available, of course, and viewers would be able to pause and rewind them just as they can with TiVo and certain other systems, but *unlike* those systems, viewers can rewind all the way to the beginning of live shows, even if that viewer started watching part way through.
I haven't *recently* used a TV system that had pause / rewind / fastfoward on live shows, but when I did, the furthest back I could rewind was to the point at which I'd changed channels to that show. With this service, when you change channels to a live show, it simultaneously loads and shows the "live" part, and loads the earlier part of the show (whatever you missed) in the background, so you can rewind to it.
Past portions of the TV guide would also be available -- as far back in time as the service has been in operation, and possibly earlier, if archives of that data exist.
To reduce cost to the consumer, the service would partly be paid for through advertising. Ads would be stored separately from shows, and the system would keep track of which ads you've seen (and when), and which you haven't.
By keeping tack of that, the system would avoid showing you ads which you've recently watched... this would keep viewers from being excessively upset about fast-forward being disabled during commercials that the viewer hasn't seen.
Also, advertisers could pay the tv/vod service based on actual number of (non-fastforwarded) viewings, not estimates.-- goldbb, Mar 09 2010 iPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/see what you can't watch [xenzag, Mar 10 2010] UK stats on sports participation. http://www.statisti...a/Sport&Leisure.pdf [DrBob, Mar 11 2010] Baked - iPlayer.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 10 2010 iPlayer is also not available in the colonies.-- xenzag, Mar 10 2010 //iPlayer is also not available in the colonies//Serves them right for being so uppity.-- coprocephalous, Mar 10 2010 A Virtual Private Network (VPN) to the correct geographical location tends to defeat location based restraints, allegedly.
This is a "give me everything" idea, which might be a tad deficient in the invention and innovation stakes. It might also be a rant ...-- Aristotle, Mar 10 2010 //might be also a rant//don't think so: "give me everything" is certainly valid when everything is actually available to give.
But it won't happen: while (say) 50c per hour might be okay for those of us who don't watch much TV, a household with kids or TVaholics would be forced to *not* watch as much TV or at least have a graphic reference (the monthly bill) showing how much of their lives are being wasted, which might produce a future shortage of victims... err patrons. And if the system were juggled to make it affordable for them, then they wouldn't get much revenue from installations with few or not as committed, viewers.
But regarding FF'ing through commercials: the set-top box could simply note that a commercial has been FF'd through and adjust the price accordingly (presuming there would be different costs for commercial-laden and commercial free viewings).-- FlyingToaster, Mar 10 2010 There are cable companies that offer TV on demand for their portfolio; the BBC iPlayer has already been mentioned - but other channels have Flash-based & Windows media based catch-up services {in the UK: SkyTV, FiveOnDemand, 4oD}; there are Internet-based TV & movie systems such as Hulu.
Sorry, [goldbb], I'm not sure I see the novelty in the idea. If it's one all-encompassing video on demand (Fully on-demand TV) then fine - but there are more rights and billing issues than time tabling or video-playing ones.-- Jinbish, Mar 10 2010 [Slight aside] Dismayed by the never-ending coverage of curling by the BBC, I crawled the internet in desperate search for some decent TV coverage of the Winter Olympics. To my great surprise & delight I discovered that the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) had set up, as part of it's public service broadcasting remit, free, live web coverage of every event.-- DrBob, Mar 11 2010 [continuing the aside]: //never-ending coverage of curling by the BBC// because it was one of the very few events the UK had a good chance of a medal. I mourn the demise of "Grandstand" (BBC sports show); I have always felt there should me more minority sports on the telly - not just rugby, tennis, motorsport and football (which is ppv on the satellite channels anyway).-- Jinbish, Mar 11 2010 //it was one of the very few events the UK had a good chance of a medal// Yeah, I get that, but showing every last match for both men and women was a bit much. I agree with your desire for more 'minority' sports on TV which is why I was miffed that this once in every four years opportunity was devoted entirely to a sport with a negligible level of popular participation when other sports, Ice Hockey is my particular hobby horse here, barely got any coverage at all.-- DrBob, Mar 11 2010 //Or if there’s ever such a thing as a one-way website that delivers by DVB-S.//
There isn't... but it is defined in the standards for DVB-T under Data Carousel operarion (and S, I think).-- Jinbish, Mar 13 2010 random, halfbakery