AOL Is Planning a Fast-Forward

AOL Is Planning a Fast-Forward Answer to TiVo from the New York Times. More cluelessness from big media. Basically, they are developing a system that allows "Tivo-like" functionality, but all the content and technology is held at the head end (in other words, centrally controlled). These guys still don't realize that the horse has left the barn, the train has left the station (fill in any other bad analogy you would like here). The Internet has proven that successful networks allow the power to go out to the edges.

Tivo accomplishes that by allowing the user to take control of the content. Even the lame, Tivo-like features that they are discussing here: time shifting, pausing, fast forwarding, etc. -- are rendered less useful to the user by serving them up from a central location. Will your local cable company have the bandwidth to execute on this? What happens when there's a great play during the Super Bowl (or another Britney Spears commercial), and everyone on your block hits the rewind button at the same time. Even more important...will you pay more to your cable company for a Tivo that inserts ads when you pause, fast forward or rewind?