PVR/DVR Fast Forward Functionality

We the undersigned, as consumers of PVR/DVR technology, petition TIVO (manufacturers of TIVO), DNNA (manufacturers of ReplayTV), and the cable and satellite TV providers who offer PVR/DVR technology to refuse ABC executive Mike Shaws request to disable the Fast Forward functionality of the PVR/DVRs.

Firstly, the statement he makes, "I'm not so sure that the whole issue really is one of commercial avoidance," is fundamentally incorrect. For many of us, skipping the commercials is what makes the PVR/DVR worth the subscription fee. Without this feature, many of us would not continue to subscribe.

This brings us to a second point, which is that we are PAYING monthly fees for our subscriptions and therefore need to continually feel that we are getting a service that is worth paying the extra money for. Many of us already feel that with the high cost of cable and satellite TV, commercials are getting too lengthy. A thirty minute block contains about twenty-one or twenty-two minutes of actual programming, and a one hour show contains only slightly more than 40 minutes. With lives getting busier and commercials getting longer, the allure of TV is, for many of us, taking a back seat to movies, where we can sit down and watch pure content for a set period of time, without the wasted time of advertisements we are not interested in. With subscription services like NetFlix costing about one-tenth that of a cable TV subscription, consumers need a way to make their cable TV experience more rewarding.

This is exactly what PVRs and DVRs offer, and with ten percent of the TV watching public already willing to subscribe to such a service, it seems this could be a mutually beneficial alternative to both the consumers and the MSOs (Multi Systems Operators). However, removing a crucial function of the PVR/DVR would weaken the already tenuous devotion many of us feel to these devices.

Please do not consider Mike Shaws request to disable the Fast Forward functionality of the PVR/DVRs you are offering. This is a step in the wrong direction, and it threatens to make your great product only a good product. Please continue to offer the full functionality currently available on these products.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.