Posted on 04/20/2006 6:26:51 AM PDT by Xenophobic Alien
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- In this era of easy ad skipping with TiVo-like video recorders, could television viewers one day be forced to watch commercials with a system that prevents channel switching?
Yes, according to Royal Philips Electronics. A patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office said researchers of the Netherland-based consumer electronics company have created a technology that could let broadcasters freeze a channel during a commercial, so viewers wouldn't be able to avoid it.
The pending patent, published on March 30, said the feature would be implemented on a program-by-program basis. Devices that could carry the technology would be a television or a set-top-box.
Philips acknowledged, however, that the anti-channel changing technology might not sit well with consumers and suggested in its patent filing that consumers be allowed to avoid the feature if they paid broadcasters a fee.
On Wednesday, company officials issued a statement that noted the technology also enables the opposite: allowing viewers to watch television without advertising. The intention was never to force viewers to watch ads against their will, the company said of the technology.
"We developed a system where the viewer can choose, at the beginning of a movie, to either watch the movie without ads, or watch the movie with ads," the company stated. "It is up to the viewer to take this decision, and up to the broadcaster to offer the various services."
The company also said it had no plans to use the technology in any of its products.
Philips wanted to provide the technology and seek the patent only as part of the broader developments within the industry, Philips spokesman Andre Manning said.
Just so long as we still have an OFF button, I see no problem.
BTW, you may actually enjoy talking to your wife! LOL
I'm withya on that one pal.
Here is a 100% guaranteed way of skipping ads, turn the boob-tube off.
I hardly watch any TV as it is.
I'm sure the 'off' switch will still work.
Boy that is sure the truth...NOTHING
hacker work around in 3..2..1
Yep. Now you pay extra for "premium channels" which don't have commercials. All they have are "making-of specials" which are really commercials for upcoming movies. And so it goes.
(One reason I won't get satellite radio.)
Besides, with two young kids, I just don't have the time to sit down and watch anything. I'm the kind of person who has to watch something without being distracted, and that's just not possible.
I couldn't tell you the names of any of the popular shows on TV anymore, except for the cartoons that the kids watch.
"What is even more ridiculous is the fact that we already do pay for cable that is loaded with commercials....this is what really ticks me off."
This is one place where free market is in effect and works like a well oiled machine. Television is a non essential service. You are free to choose to watch it, or not watch it. (If you don't watch, I suspect that it would enhance your quality of life, but that's a different topic).
So, if you choose to use this service, you play by the provider's rules. Don't like the rules? Don't buy it. If enough don't buy, the rules will change.
Beautiful.
Oh, yeah, there is a difference! LOL
Yea, and it will be a cold day in hell when I buy either of them. You better believe, I have a choice between a tv that won't let me flip during a commercial and one that will let me flip... I'm buying the one that lets me flip.
:) - Just the idea of not being able to switch channels would make to brake the box, or tv.. or give it up altogether! :) - I am a professional "channel switcher." I can't stand of the garbage on regular tv... I use my Tivo/direct dvr for everything. I can watch a football game in 30 minutes!! :).. when I want a commercial is because I like it! like the ones with little Gico animation :) I enjoy that commercial. Who me rambling? :)
This would the same level of ongoing in-your-face assault as telemarketing... and the result in that case was that Congresscritters actually felt enough heat to fear losing their jobs and passed a law (the Do Not Call list) requiring the assailants to back off. IMO, the same thing would happen here.
I wouldn't be surprised if both parties supported it, depending on how much money was stuffed into their coffers for doing so.
I can see it now, a couple of years down the road...
"Please click your remote to identify and rate the commercials you've just seen. We will then allow you to watch another 5 minutes of '24' before your next required commecial break..."
Seriously... it is so incredibly obnoxious NOW (nevermind what they WANT to do!) that it's really, REALLY tempting just to blow off a season of (fill in the show of your choice here), and wait around for the DVDs to pop up... which will look better, sound better, (hopefully) not be interrupted by commercials every 6 minutes, and (most certainly) not be pre-empted for 2 weeks every other week.
And I will sell Philips executives a lunch box that will punch them in the nose when they open it. They will be allowed to avoid the feature by paying me a fee.
$500 for cable... bwahahahah...
Gimme Ala Carte and I'll buy what I want...
Why should I be paying for BS channels like BET? Or Oxygen or THe Gay Channel? or CNN? or ......
Cable needs to evolve or die... Ala Carte Commercial Free programming is worth paying for... the crap model they now have is not... which is why I don't have it.
Some DVDs also contain lockout controls that force you to view studio ads at the beginning the discs. And that is for home video you paid for.
I guess as consumers we didn't pay enough.
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