Time Warner Lets First Few Viewers 'Start Over’ Shows

By Matt Stump -- Multichannel News, 11/7/2005

Time Warner Cable officially launched its “Start Over” networked digital video recording service in the Columbia, S.C., area last week, allowing customers to “jump back” to the beginning of a show that’s already underway.

The initial launch, to 10,000 subscribers in Irmo, S.C., is being offered free of charge to consumers and includes programming from 60 networks. The rollout will grow to 137,000 digital subscribers across South Carolina in coming months.

Each program in “Start Over” carries an on-screen prompt. Viewers can hit “Select” on their remote control and immediately start the program from the beginning. The commercials also run again, uninterrupted. The programs are only available during their telecast window, so a half-hour show must be started within that 30-minute span.

Content providers include NBC affiliate WIS-TV; WB affiliate WBHQ; Oxygen; Fox News Channel; Lifetime Real Women; and a full list of national and regional cable channels from NBC Universal, MTV Networks, Fox Cable Networks Group, Turner Broadcasting System Inc, Discovery Communications, Scripps Networks and Comcast Corp., as well as HBO and Cinemax.

Time Warner Cable also said it had agreements with the movie studios Warner Bros. Entertainment, Universal Studios and New Line Cinema.

Consumers can pause and “rewind” the shows, but can’t fast-forward through ads.

Start Over will likely be added to several additional markets in 2006.