New Technology Could Force TV Ad Viewing

Just found a 'new technology' if you will, to further impied our freedom of... Well I'm not quite sure where this would fit in, but just when I thought they couldn't figure out another gimmick to rip us off with, then I stumble upon this...

www.LiveScience.com Link

IMO, forcing us to watch the ads would almost be kind of like monopolizing the industry as well. Sort of. Because think about it, when do you usually find something thats better that is on?? Not usually when you are reading the 'tv-guide' or 'sat guide' is it?? Its when the ads come on for the show your watching... Surfin' time... there's the sence of competition... You HAVE to be running something thats better on (hopefully with an offset time to other channels 'ad times').

But either way, I just think its unfair and just another way for Mr. FatWallet to stuff just a little extra in there. Because he's gonna make more either way. If he can Guarentee that people will stay on that channel in that real good movie thats running he could charge Huge premiums for that. Or like the link say's they could just charge the end customers for ad-free tv and make it that way..... Just sad sorry.

That sounds pretty horrible. If that ever comes to be, I just might be done with regular TV at that point. I know that commercials are vital in order to keep some stations going, and I can understand that advertisers want to get their money's worth, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. No one is going to tell me if and when I can switch the channel,... and when they start doing so, I'll be done with them for good. Most of the shows on TV simply are not worth the agony.

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.

So, someone thought it would be a great idea, to disable one's remote control (unless, or course you pay extra ).
This would be so unpopular with people that I never see it catching on. I like to see what's on during commercials, seems like all the stations run their commercials at the same time anyway, so what's the point?

Yeah, it's annoying, but it was only a matter of time. Advertisers want more bang for their buck.

My advice, if you've got TV, get up and stretch, walk around the house during the 'mandatory' commercials. Not only is it saving your brain, it's saving your butt as well.

Once the video feed leaves the cable box.

I can still "TiVo" the show, even with an old VCR, and just fast forward through the commercials.

Actually, since I got a DVR I actually watch more basic cable since I can ffw through all the crapparoo.

I will admit that I was a bit shocked to find that I'd watched the 30 minute local news in less than 8 minutes!

You can literally slow down, only for the headlines; when you determine that its another "human disinterest" story, you just ffw3 to the next "headline" graphic. It helps that I have no interest in sports, and get my business news from a real source like cnbc.

I have no interest in sports either, you know what chafes my hide, sitting through 5+minutes of commercials.
I read somewhere, I certainly believe it, that shows are actually shorter now, to make room for more sponsers.
Less content, more consumerist training.

Oh NO!! my clicker finger is going to die! Whew... forgot that I stopped watching TV six months ago... looks like I won't be taken advantage of by the adman after all.

Well, according to the information provided, the data feed for the advertisements is fed seperately from the actual coax feed itself.

The system should be a sinch to bypass... especially for anyone who is experienced with electronics.

If this comes to be, first thing I'll do is start a website on how to bypass it.

Easiest thing, would be to just pull the chipset out, and retrofit yourself an old dial tuner. Heheh... ancient tech wins again!

If you found a way to bypass it I would send each and everyone I know to your website

Also, I heard something on the news not so long ago that by the year 2009 or 2010 they want to put and end to 'on air' free tv. The stations that you pick up through your bunny ears/vhf/uhf antenna in your house. They said that they wanted to do that to use the frequencies for other uses like cellphones etc. (Just curious, wonder what it will be like to 'watch' someones celly conversation on tv...lol... "OMG The tv's talkin to me!!! Call Ghost Busters!!!" lmfao) This is going to put many people that have very small budgets to either give up tv... (the whole 4 channels they pull in.. .wooohoo ) or pay the man... Anybody else hear of this??!


I dont happen to be that unfortunate myself (not necisarilly fortunate either but...) But I know people, especially those who live in rural areas who cannot afford satellite tv or cable will be even more bored. I can see it now... On air tv ends, then every kid that depended on that for their morning cartoons or what not is just going to be that much more bored and go out and cause trouble... (though a little less tv for todays kids would be a GREAT thing, but for some reason the very last thing I see is these kids pickin' up a book or doing something constructive...(some will, but guarentee not all will )

Its really too bad that everything in this world comes down to the 'almighty' dollar (almost the same reason I run Linux on all of my computers, not just because I like it better (which I do) but I totally refuse to put another penny into Bill Gates pocket... )

There were only three channels. and after the news, NBC showed Johnny Carson, ABC showed the _(weekday)___ night movie, and CBS showed bowling for towels or something.

They all turned off at 11:30 p.m.

And we didn't die of boredom. Amazing, isnt' it?

We built tree-forts, we had snowball fights, we went fishing, we rode our bikes out to the graveyard and tried to tape record the sounds of ghosts, we rode our bikes out to that old abandoned house where the family was murdered by highwaymen in the 1890's . . . .

When we got older we started building heathkit projects like FM transmitters and simple computers, we formed our own rock bands and illicit substance networks and shop-at-home schemes.

In other words, we imagined, we planned, we exercised, we enjoyed 3-D life.

And the TV was better, too.

.

True enough, but look at all the kids today that are basically raised by the tv? Its a sad thing, but it has sucked the imagination right out of todays kids... Its almost as if they depend on tv for their ideas.
Sometimes I swear its almost like the 40Hz sound of electricity is almost 'calling' ppl towards it...

p.s. Im not exactly a youngin'... for the "when I was your age" I have 2 kids of my own.... I wasnt exactly born with cabletv either....lol Infact I can remember having the hugest thrill with our new remote controlled vcr when i was a kid... That was just the most amazing thing in the world.. Not having to get up to switch the channel... lol




[edit on 24-4-2006 by jta79]

I think there is another conspiracy wrapped up in this. AM/FM radio is, and will be for awhile, free. It's free because they throw in commercials. Why can't tv be the same. We get fed commercials all the time. I understand I can still get free tv with rabbit ears, but come on. My cable bill is just shy of $100/month with cable internet, but my radio bill is $0. For the money we pay around here for cable, there should be 90% less commercials.

Not for much longer can I see even am/fm radio being free.... The newest thing (which most of you probably have heard of already is the SIRIUS and XM Satellite Radio systems...

www.satellite-radio-source.com Link

Originally posted by jta79
Not for much longer can I see even am/fm radio being free.... The newest thing (which most of you probably have heard of already is the SIRIUS and XM Satellite Radio systems...

www.satellite-radio-source.com Link

I got satellite radio, because I hated listening to more commercials than music/talk shows/whatever the damn radio was for in the first place. It turns out,.....satellite radio DOES have commercials! They are their own commercials (XM stuff), but still just as annoying. Sure the music channels are free from it for the most part,.... but every station that contains "talk radio" has them. It drives me insane. Of course, now they offer completely commercial-free XM radio at an additional cost. XM is definitely not as bad as regular radio, but what the hell is up with this additional cost fee?? Why the hell do they think I bought XM for in the first place?

the only thing that I thought when I read this is that there will be new business for TV repairmen in the digital age, as EVERYONE will be MODding their TVs.

I got satellite radio, because I hated listening to more commercials than music/talk shows/whatever the damn radio was for in the first place. It turns out,.....satellite radio DOES have commercials! They are their own commercials (XM stuff), but still just as annoying. Sure the music channels are free from it for the most part,.... but every station that contains "talk radio" has them. It drives me insane. Of course, now they offer completely commercial-free XM radio at an additional cost.

XM is definitely not as bad as regular radio, but what the hell is up with this additional cost fee?? Why the hell do they think I bought XM for in the first place?

That's what its gonna be for everything soon.. Most unfortunatly... I wonder if they will come out with chips for the xm radios kinda like they have the hotcards for satelite tv? You know the ones you program on you computer and get free tv untill you get 'zapped' which is when u just pull the card and reprogram it....

Anti-channel changing technology? That is absolutely ridiculous. I know for a fact that if that ever became a reality, then I would never watch a minute of TV again. My own movies perhaps, but NEVER TV. It would be my own sort of rebellion against it, because I see that as absolutely ludacris.