Watch! Watch!
Philips files for patent to force ad viewing — Geez. What next? Having goons come over and beat us up!
This sounds like something out of the brainwashing scene in Clockwork Orange.
Philips Electronics has done it again. Flush with heady optimism after successful products such as the digital compact cassette (DCC) and the super audio CD (SACD), the redoubtable European giant has developed a way to keep television free for the masses for the foreseeable future—a patent application for a device which prevents a user from changing the channel during commercials.
There’s always the off button
Haha, K. Ballweg was right; you really do know how to pic the perfect pictures.
I think “forcing” people to watch ads is a joke. People will just walk away from the TV which is what I do. I have a DVR but sometimes I let the commercials play as I brush my teeth or get something to drink. Why can’t these people spend all this money on making a great product that sells itself instead of using great marketing?
It’s like all those summer blockbuster movies that flop. There’s several months of anticipation with so many commercials about it and then bam! A whole lot of nothing. They don’t care, you already forked over the cash to see the thing. Who cares if you enjoyed yourself?
I LIKE IT
Personally I HATE it when people channel surf during the commercials… I always end up missing the first 30 seconds of the show after each commercial break
“Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.”
Yeah. The inventors of tv were thinking of commercials and forcing people to watch when they were toiling away in the lab.
I have a feeling that this patent exists because someone at Philips thought it up and decided to patent it before anyone else did. No one would ever actually impliment this because it would further errode commercial tv viewership to cable and DVD. On the other hand, who would have predicted the RIAA’s actions.
Im waiting for the patent to KEEP the TV ON…
I remember the days when the OFF button DIDNT leave a multitude of small glowing lights. WHEN OFF was OFF..and you saved power.
My main room looks as if there are 50 small rodents ALL over the place..
It’ll never fly. Who would buy a TV they couldn’t control? Or, is Phillips planning on giving them away for free as long as you view the commercials?
Who’s running the show at Phillips these days… SONY? This grand idea is sure to help sales nosedive.
Geez, isn’t it enough that I already pay $80 a month to watch the 3 channels that are of any interest to me? Now you want to *force* me to watch commercials?
What happened to the days when companies were trying to outdo each other by offering bigger and better services to the customers? Things seem to have turned 180 degrees. Now companies are trying to make things that even they know customers will absolutely hate.
Hate to be the 1st to tell you this, pedro; but, even the Globe Theatre and Shakespeare had sponsors.
A quote from another site:
======================
Philips suggests adding flags to commercial breaks to stop a viewer from changing channels until the adverts are over. The flags could also be recognised by digital video recorders, which would then disable the fast forward control while the ads are playing.
Philips’ patent acknowledges that this may be “greatly resented by viewers” who could initially think their equipment has gone wrong. So it suggests the new system could throw up a warning on screen when it is enforcing advert viewing. The patent also suggests that the system could offer viewers the chance to pay a fee interactively to go back to skipping adverts.
=====================
“Greatly resented by viewers?” We have a new champion of understatement!
Flush with heady optimism after successful products such as the digital compact cassette (DCC) and the super audio CD (SACD)
My god, that has “prank” written all over it! 🙂
DCC came out the same time that Sony’s MiniDisc did – they were direct competitors for awhile. Now, nobody knows what DCC was, and most are surprised that MiniDisc is still alive.
Anybody [outside of audiophiles] even know what SACD is???
something like this MIGHT be cool….IF
They drop their prices about 1/2 OR FREE…and include this option.
But it would need to be setup with the Commercial indusry first..
So what, I get a 52″ HD Wide screen for 1/2 price, because i cant change channels during commercials..
Have to admit, it’s getting better… getting better all the time.
One more reason to buy a TiVo. The TV may not allow you to change channels but the TiVo will. TiVo is a class act. Screw Philips.
Of course, TiVo is the enemy of advertisers and, hence, the reason why this type of patent is even considered in the first place.
I smell pending Congressional Legislation. Anytime the networks and advertisers are losing money, the lobbiest are working on the problem by buying votes on the floor.
This type of patent would be disasterous for Philips TV sales all by itself. UNLESS, of course, it is mandated by the Federal Government. The argument will be that the advertisers are paying for the shows so we should be forced to watch their commercials to assure they are getting the services that are being contracted for. Namely, getting you to watch them.
And, if the Feds mandate the use of this device, Philips will make billions because they hold the patent. I don’t think this is a case of filing a patent just because they had an idea. I think there will be movement on this in Washington in the not too distant future.
#11….eideard….maybe they did, but back then you could turn the ad off with a well placed long bow shot.