You can't turn that channel now!!!
- From: "RichA" <rander3127@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 22 Apr 2006 15:53:34 -0700
They'll probably incorporate this into TiVo or some other 'droid
product.
Inventors Philip Newton and Declan Kelly, at Philips Electronics
(Eindhoven NL), have come up with a system to stop you from changing
channels when viewing an ad and fast-forwarding past ads on recorded
material.
While this technology may not be exciting to the viewer, some
non-subscription channels (TV) and recorded media companies may like
the idea. Even subscription channels might like to keep their own
promotional materials from being skipped over by viewers - Discovery
Channel, take note.
Unfortunately for the inventors, there are some serious changes needed
to existing hardware in order to make this work. For recorded material,
however it's a different story. Devices like the TIVO and other
digital video recorders are all too easy to re-program. Devices that
handle pay-per-view would also be good candidates.
[Anti-Ad Blockers Sure to Irk Viewers]
Diagram from patent showing Advertisement Controller (270) between VR
controller(250), Video Unit(260) and Cable/Internet input.
To get an idea of how this technology feels, you need go no farther
than your DVD player. There are times - especially during shorts and
anti-piracy ads in the beginning of the video - that your remote
control seems ineffective. You can't fast forward or activate
subtitles. You must watch the ads or restart the video. Instead of an
action, you get the message "operation impossible" message flashing
on your screen.
This new invention will feel much the same. It will detect the content
via a special code, like "this segment is an ad" and proceed to
disable your channel changer and fast forward buttons. The system will
also pass these codes to recorded video and will continue preventing
you from fast-forwarding past the ads.
Their system will also have the ability for users to be able to pay NOT
to see the ads - nice, huh? It will accept payments made by pressing
a special button and entering a code.
Once the ad is finished, the control will be returned to the user
permitting him to change channels or fast-forward recorded footage.
It's important to note that this is hardware as well as a software
solution for the majority of devices on the market today. It could,
however, start showing up in cable TV decoders, DVD players and DVRs
- Digital Video Recorders - and even Internet. It could even be
integrated into normal TV monitors. In fact, any playback device could
use this technology. It should also temporally defeat any existing ad
blocking systems since it's a hardware solution.
While media producers and ad execs might like to see this technology,
history has shown that customers don't want it and won't buy it -
unless, of course, they have no choice.
A good example is the DVD player. Originally slated to be able to play
only the DVDs in a given region, DVD player makers who offered
multiregional support got all the sales. Now, very few DVD players are
not multiregional units. The idea was to isolate the areas where much
of the DVD piracy occurred - Asia and Latin America - was a good
one, but market forces decided the technology's fate in just a few
years.
In fact, all attempts at forcing a specific behavior on users have
resulted in a drop in market share and even potential lawsuits. Sony
and DRM - Digital Rights Management -is probably the best example
with its "root kit" that installs on a hard drive to protect copy
written material. Check out this link to see if your computer has a
root kit - a serious malware. (Click here for more on the DRM
fiasco.)
It's hard not to feel a little sorry for the ad execs - these days
the customer has so many choices they can simply skip over the ads by
changing channels. But any attempt at enforcing ad viewing with this
type of technology is sure to result in serious customer resentment.
Traditional broadcast TV audiences have been changing to cable and will
continue to vote with their feet on any type return to entertainment
straight jacketed by advertising.
Even if it is implemented, experts predict it will be just weeks before
a hack is available on the Internet. Since it's a hardware and
software solution, however, the hack may be expensive and require
add-on equipment like a converter box.
Customers may do what they have been by the millions - paying
directly for entertainment rather than suffer though hundreds of ads
for free viewing. This, of course, also is a big plus for media makers
as they then receive their revenue directly from the paying public
instead of ad agencies - the only big losers.
By Philip Dunn, Copyright 2006 PhysOrg.com
.
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