SAN JOSE, Calif. – Television networks are lending new meaning to time-shifting: TV shows don't necessarily start or end right on the hour or half-hour anymore, screwing up some viewers' video recordings.
More programs are running an extra minute or two longer to keep viewers from switching channels. Shows recently padded include CBS's "Without a Trace," (search) Fox's "Renovate My Family," (search) ABC's "The Bachelor" and NBC's "ER," according to Nielsen Media Research.
The tactic has been used on and off for a few years but has grown more popular as competition in network television stiffens.
As a result of the overruns, people who use VCRs and digital video recorders like TiVos end up clipping the beginning or ending of a show. For some, the time conflict could also prevent a later show from being recorded.
TiVo Inc. (search) officials say they have fielded a small number of complaints about the network time-shifting. This season, the company began advising its 2 million subscribers to watch out for such time conflicts and to adjust their recording settings manually.
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