# I don't want to watch streaming video, I want text, damnit! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128 "2007-03-30T16:30:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gentle\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gentle\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gentle_Robot)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128/21 "2007-04-01T01:59:08Z")
Hey! I hate this crap too! They should at least put a transcript or an equivalent story. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128/22 "2007-04-01T05:59:06Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] As **bump** and **dnoonan** mentioned, it’s very likely for the ad revenue, especially since I’ve noticed they do this only on odd/human interest stories (the kind that pique your curiosity), not main news headline stories. [/QUOTE] For the OP a hearty AMEN! I’m on dial-up so I don’t do the streaming video thing. It’s just not worth it. But **An Arky** , it’s not simply the odd/human interest stories that get this (video only) treatment. It includes most anything, it seems, especially reports about science and technology. (I notice those more than the human interest stories, because that’s what I read most often.) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128/23 "2007-04-01T14:05:33Z")
Amen again. They are a total waste of time. And have you ever noticed, if you do succomb and actually watch one, they are invariably entirely fact-free? ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128/24 "2007-04-01T15:22:25Z")
You know what? I hate these videos just as much as the next guy, but the very least they could do is get a flash-based player instead of that realplayer or windows media crap. We’ve had this technology for years now and it’s just excruciating to open realplayer. It’s such overrated bloatware. I am sorry, but I have absolutely zero use for Real message center, or their own type of web browser. What the hell is that even for? ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128/25 "2007-04-01T18:54:22Z")
I am so on this with you. I avoid watching the videos at all. Don’t want it. I just want to skim some text and get the info, I don’t want to have to watch people fuddling or mumbling or whatever. Why don’t they have text \*and \* video? So many times nowadays they only have video. Dumb asses. People are already stupid and nearly illiterate. There’s no reason to exacerbate things by letting people get the news without reading. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128/26 "2007-04-02T05:33:36Z")
[QUOTE=CairoCarol] And have you ever noticed, if you do succomb and actually watch one, they are invariably entirely fact-free? [/QUOTE] Which is different from regular television news how? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128/27 "2007-04-02T16:01:15Z")
Another AMEN to the OP. I was just looking for a tiny rants thread in the Pit to bitch about this very thing. Do they honestly think users want to horse around opening realplayer, wait for it to load and then play some jerky POS when they could read the text in, what? 30 seconds? I agree it’s probably about the bleeping ads. Bleep. ---
**Author:** ![titorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@titorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/titorian)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128/28 "2007-04-02T16:05:29Z")
I’m with you. I just a minute ago refused to listen to a Roeper movie review, but shut it off and clicked again on the Ebert print review. ---
**Author:** ![Jelymag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jelymag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelymag)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128/29 "2007-04-02T16:07:41Z")
Amen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-want-to-watch-streaming-video-i-want-text-damnit/398128.md?page=1)