Breast incident reveals � TV might be watching you

What do you guys think of this? Does it bother you that what you watch, etc. can be known, and sold to other agencies with the use of this technology?
If any of you subscribe to this, did you know it was used for this?

Breast incident reveals � TV might be watching you

More than one million Americans subscribe to a television service called TiVo, which allows people to pause, rewind and replay live television and record up to 80 hours of programming.

The TiVo "black box" is like a digital VCR, only the programming is saved on to a hard drive instead of tape. It is generically referred to as a personal video recorder, or PVR.

Users are able to time-shift their programming so they can view shows at their own convenience.

A day after last Sunday's Super Bowl the company put out an interesting news release regarding Janet Jackon's halftime "extravaganza," which also featured Justin Timberlake and Ms. Jackson's creatively-pierced right breast.

TiVo sampled about 20,000 of its customers � anonymously, they assured � and determined that the exposed breast incident, or in Timberlake's words the "wardrobe malfunction," took the crown as the most replayed moment on TV during the company's seven-year history.

"Viewership spiked up to 180 per cent as hundreds of thousands of households used TiVo's unique capabilities to pause and replay live television to view the incident again and again," the company reported.

It beat the famous kiss between Britney Spears and Madonna.

[Edited on 9-2-2004 by parrhesia]

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[Edited on 9-2-2004 by parrhesia]

in Soviet Russia, TV watches YOU!

sorry, I couldn't resist. this wouldn't bother me if no names or account numbers are attatched to the data, and it's just used for statistical purposes. and if it were also used to calculate program ratings, I'd go out and buy a TiVo right now. I've had way too many shows I like canceled because I don't have a Neilsen box. power to the people!

Well the preacher said last Sunday that xxx videos reach maximum sales when christian conventions come to the big city of Atlanta.

Yeah and I hear that digital TV can be used to track viewer habits too. They have been desparate to get me to sign up for digital TV now for over 2 years and I keep saying no. I don't want them to know what I watch when I watch it.

lol, Mornington.

I'd rather not have the information collected, regardless of what's it's to be used for. I don't have cable or anything, though, so, it's no big deal really.

This doesn't really bother me that much. Corporations share information whether we like it or not.

I'll bet that the FBI will use this type of technology as well to spy on the populace's viewing habits.

Just like the OnStar system.

Originally posted by IMMORTAL
Just like the OnStar system.

this is a tad off-topic, but is there any substantiation for this rumor? I've been hearing it all over the place since the Auto Show, and supposedly a friend of a friend of a friend works there and says it's true...but you know how those things go.

I think it is true.

www.securityfocus.com...

On-topic: no cable, digital or sattelite TV for me, thank you.

I can get all I want to see on the net.

Originally posted by MorningtonCrescent

Originally posted by IMMORTAL
Just like the OnStar system.

this is a tad off-topic, but is there any substantiation for this rumor?

I would suggest that you check out this ATS thread. You might find it useful to form your opinion.

ATS Thread

I bet one day they will have hidden cameras inside your tv to see whats going on in your house. I really couldn't give a care what info they are gathering. I think it makes it easier for them to see what is really selling and what isn't. My only gripe with sattelite is the price. If it were just me I would have no TV, cause all I do is read.

I read that in the recrord buisseness it used to be really hard to get an acurate count of what actualy sold and what didn't in the stores. Then when they got an honest to goodness count digitally, country music was selling way up next to rock music.

The Onstar navigation system put into cars was used to track and arrest a criminal recently.

That is a fact.

Satellites also track where you are by bouncing a signal off of your cell phone, anytime, anywhere.

DirecTV and Dish Network also store what channels you are on and for how long, and at what times.

Cable does this also.

There is no escaping it unless you use antenna only---

ive got cable tv, we dont have digital (cable) here yet but will in a few months, personally i think that the pro's far outway the con's, i couldnt give a # wheather they know what i watch.

i'd rather be able to rewind to the start of a program that i missed, or forgot to tape.

not to mention that digital cable subscribers will get over 100 channels (currently at the most we can get around 60 channels, i personally only get 30, that includes a re-broadcast of free to air channels).

i'd like to be able to rewind pause (might need to go to the toilet) or fast forward through ads(yeah pay tv doesnt have add's or so they say).

Originally posted by darkwraith
DirecTV and Dish Network also store what channels you are on and for how long, and at what times.

While I agree with most of what you say. I can tell you for a fact that DirecTV & Dish Network don't know what you watch etc. because the current satellite systems they use are one-way. If you order Pay-Per-Views they can only tell you ordered it & when because you either phoned it in or your modem dials them & tells them. However if you have a TIVO system with your sat system they are collecting more info as the media has indicated. Cable on the other hand is just like being on a LAN & they can see what's going on anytime, if they want.

[Edited on 13-2-2004 by outsider]

Originally posted by MorningtonCrescent
in Soviet Russia, TV watches YOU!

Good one Yakoff. Too bad you don't have a career anymore.

Been on the table for years, called NEILSON EYEBALLS.

It's not been implemented because of price and opposition but proponents want a camera in your tv room that measures eyeballs along with the ratings box.

People leave the box on all day to "save shows" or leave the room during commericals and Nielson prosposed a method to record active viewership with this technology. Now it's not a camera, it doesn't see or record YOU, just the whites of eyes. But still, people are reluctant.

I don't think it's a bad idea for advertisers getting scammed by the Neilson and Arbitron monopolies AT ALL. Arbitron diaries are the WORST. People out right LIE. If you think 21 million people actually spend three hours a day listening to AM radio, you deserve to pay Limbaugh advertising prices. People lie to make political point and save shows. Period.

It's not so much whether or or not they can see you, or know what you are watching, ar how long, or from where,...


The important thing about this technology to remember is just like the cookie system on the internet.

Over time, collecting bits and pieces of data, and then put in an info clearinghouse, mass record building can be accomplished. Using this data, compiled into a 'personal profile' they can begin to calculate which ads you respond to, what your interests are, and what you spend on.

This could be used statistically like for a company trying to determine the effectiveness of it's products or marketing,...

but what I fear is the fact that 'they' could end up knowing more about you and your personality and habits, than you even know about yourself.

Data Mining & Harvesting, and Statistic compiling, as a group or an individual.

So TiVo can begin to accumulate bits of info, and then you may find the movie you want to watch, is being offerred at the time you wish, misteriously more frequently.

Course they are going to lease this data out,...so blockbuster will start sending you coupons for your favorite movies, and Amazon will offer sales just for you on your favorite subjects.

Originally posted by THENEO
Yeah and I hear that digital TV can be used to track viewer habits too. They have been desparate to get me to sign up for digital TV now for over 2 years and I keep saying no. I don't want them to know what I watch when I watch it.

I have a digital box but the only channels I ever watch on it are "The History Channel" "Discovery Wings" and "The Science Channel" -probably boring the people tracking my usage to death!

I've often wondered who gets choosen to do TV ratings since I have never known or even heard of anyone who was selected. The value of collecting data on actual TV usage would be solid gold to advertisers and TV execs but I am not sure how it would figure into intelligence gathering, a la "Total Information Awareness." Maybe the CIA has figured out what shows terrorists really like.

Originally posted by smirkley
It's not so much whether or or not they can see you, or know what you are watching, ar how long, or from where,...


The important thing about this technology to remember is just like the cookie system on the internet.

Over time, collecting bits and pieces of data, and then put in an info clearinghouse, mass record building can be accomplished. Using this data, compiled into a 'personal profile' they can begin to calculate which ads you respond to, what your interests are, and what you spend on.

This could be used statistically like for a company trying to determine the effectiveness of it's products or marketing,...

but what I fear is the fact that 'they' could end up knowing more about you and your personality and habits, than you even know about yourself.

Data Mining & Harvesting, and Statistic compiling, as a group or an individual.

So TiVo can begin to accumulate bits of info, and then you may find the movie you want to watch, is being offerred at the time you wish, misteriously more frequently.

Course they are going to lease this data out,...so blockbuster will start sending you coupons for your favorite movies, and Amazon will offer sales just for you on your favorite subjects.

Good point Smirkley. The rating system then MA, A, V, etc. could be used more like a coding system to determine what you like. Or it could get more specific. Shows with Bob Barker, etc. It's all data already in there. And could evolve...shows where they have a particular political slant or world view, etc. Christians would be a big target.

With the advent of TIVo we can expect more of these one shot oops shots beaming into our heads by the media spin doctors. not only for tivo but a nice subliminal head shot to all the little kiddies out there watching football with paps. that halftime show was forsurely phycologicly engineerd, after all they have the largest captive audience of all year. i only wonder what was in there that we didnt catch...
*The Coo Coo Is Out Of The Clock*

Originally posted by MorningtonCrescent
in Soviet Russia, TV watches YOU!

sorry, I couldn't resist. this wouldn't bother me if no names or account numbers are attatched to the data, and it's just used for statistical purposes. and if it were also used to calculate program ratings, I'd go out and buy a TiVo right now. I've had way too many shows I like canceled because I don't have a Neilsen box. power to the people!

Thanks yakov.

I totally agree with you, too. But I don't think that people should be keeping track of us, and keeping tabs on our watching habits like that.