Re: Can the digital conversion finally stop TV "pop-up" ads?

In article <jradndoWWs5Q5VHanZ2dnUVZ_rignZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxx>,
"Mason Barge" <masonbarge@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

<jwsdisney@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:8a1acf34-cfe9-4fa6-924b-2c3d2a0e8f94@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I hate TV "pop-up" ads. In an already cluttered TV screen, they make
it almost impossible to enjoy the viewing experience.
-
I know that they can be stopped on computers with the right software.
But can "pop-ups" be stopped on TV?

To answer the question that you actually asked:

No. A "popup" on TV (by the time it reaches your set, at least) is a
completely different animal from a popup on your internet browser.

Right. Pop-up blockers and ad-blockers in web browser work by
recognizing the special codes that need to be put into web pages.
Pop-ups require the web page to say "open a new window for this", and
the browser can refuse. Ads generally require the web page to contain a
reference to another company's web site (the advertising service) that
contains the advertising image, and ad blockers can simply block
connections to those well-known sites.

But TV is nothing like this. All the work of combining the "show" and
the bugs and ads takes place either at the network or your local
affiliate, so it's mixed together in the signal your TV receives. This
doesn't change with the advent of digital TV -- it's still just sending
complete pictures. The TV isn't doing any of the work, the way a web
browser does, so there's nothing for it to do differently.

I think digital TV is envisioned to allow some new technologies that
take advantage of smart receivers. Along with the regular images,
they'll be able to send metadata that computers can process, e.g. a web
site address. So while you're watching an ad, you can click a button on
your remote and be whisked to the vendor's site so you can read more
about the product and buy it. While watching a program you could click
on the face of a character and go to their bio on the show's official
web page. Commentary tracks could also be transmitted and enabled
separately from the main program.

But I don't think they're ever going to send the ads in such a way that
they'll be easy for the receiver to pull apart from the program. It's
just not in their interest.

--
Barry Margolin, barmar@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***
.

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