Source: Washington Post
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Prime-time television and its mighty 30-second commercial were supposed to be in trouble when a new, cutting-edge technology arrived on the scene several years ago, giving viewers a tool to zip past the traditional, on-screen ads.
Digital video recorders were like VCRs with super powers: able to pause live television, effortlessly record a season's worth of shows and even pick programs they think you will like. By shifting television's time schedule and watching recorded programs at their convenience, viewers could skip those annoying ads with the click of the remote.
Today, as the DVR becomes more accessible to the mainstream - notably because cable and satellite companies are starting to incorporate the technology into the set-top boxes already in millions of living rooms - the technology is having a different impact.