over broadcast tv:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060420/ap_on_hi_te/anti_ad_skipper;_ylt=AvyXq2W3dIbPGIk6LELGz0Gs0NUE; _ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-

Ugh! :rage:

Ultimately, nobody can keep me from pulling the plug.

"We developed a system where the viewer can choose, at the beginning of a movie, to either watch the movie without ads, or watch the movie with ads," the company stated.Um.... duh! I'm so confused! Which do I choose, which do I choose....
"It is up to the viewer to take this decision, and up to the broadcaster to offer the various services.""We called this special board meeting so that we can decide whether we want to use technolgy to freeze viewing of commercials or let the viewer avoid them. Which do you think our advertisers would prefer?"

Relax folks, it's only a patent application. A corporate giant like Philips probably submits hundreds of patent applications a year. I doubt that 1% of all patent applications ever get used.

... but, it got me to thinking. It's time for a commercial revolution :) . It shouldn't be that hard to make commercials interesting. The advertising industry just has to throw away its paradigms.

The Old Paradigms:

1. You brainwash consumers with repetition. If someone sees a commercial 100 times, they are likely to remember it and buy your product.

2. Commercials are expensive to make so you can only make a few good ones.

3. You need a snappy jingle that people will remember.

I don't know about you, but I think most of today's commercials are borrrrrrring and ineffective.

The New Paradigms:

1. Consumers can easily turn off commercials so you have to make people 'want' to watch them... sort of like the Super Bowl commercials on an ongoing basis.

2. Show a commercial only a few times, and never more than once a show.

3. Commercials don't have to be expensive to make. Many clever, effective commercials can be cheap to make.

It's just going to make vintage Tivo's and DVR's increase in value because you'll be able to skip the commercials on them still.

I think it'd be neat to come up with an add-on DVR product that would automatically detect and skip commercials. :D

It's just going to make vintage Tivo's and DVR's increase in valueFor about 5 minutes, until the commercial-skip hack is online.

Maybe broadcasters should find another method of financing than filling their product with unwanted junk.

"We developed a system where the viewer can choose, at the beginning of a movie, to either watch the movie without ads, or watch the ovie with ads," the company stated.

This is one of those great marketing tricks. You can have choice if you pay extra for it. If you don't pay then you get rubbish. I'll certainly be looking forward to that choice!

Philips acknowledged, however, that the anti-channel changing technology might not sit well with consumers...

No kidding!

and suggested in its patent filing that consumers be allowed to avoid the feature if they paid broadcasters a fee.

And there's the catch. "Pay to be able to change your channels!"

Really though, I doubt they'd be stupid enough to go ahead with something like this. Channel surfing is practically a national pasttime. This would creat a lot of backlash. Of course, it doesn't surprise me in the least that they're looking into stuff like this. With the advent of remote controls, Tivos, etc. it's getting harder and harder to get people to watch commercials. My theory is we're going to see a lot more ads start popping up during shows where they can't be so easily avoided.

The actors in the drama your watching will spontaneously break out into an advertisement. I can just see "Lost" when Hurley starts to promote Delphi Candy bars or Jack starts to talk about statins or the latest impotence drug.

I don't know if any of you all listen to talk radio (other than NPR) but I get so seriously annoyed when the hosts do commercials.

...
The New Paradigms:

1. Consumers can easily turn off commercials so you have to make people 'want' to watch them... sort of like the Super Bowl commercials on an ongoing basis.

2. Show a commercial only a few times, and never more than once a show.

3. Commercials don't have to be expensive to make. Many clever, effective commercials can be cheap to make.Clever and effective... hm.... I remember when they started the ads that barely let you know what they were about.. I think it was Calvin Kline that started them... How FUN to sit through not just a BORING ad, but one you were still confused about after seeing. :rolleyes:
Really though, I doubt they'd be stupid enough to go ahead with something like this. Channel surfing is practically a national pasttime. This would creat a lot of backlash. Of course, it doesn't surprise me in the least that they're looking into stuff like this. With the advent of remote controls, Tivos, etc. it's getting harder and harder to get people to watch commercials. My theory is we're going to see a lot more ads start popping up during shows where they can't be so easily avoided.OMIGOD can you just IMAGINE!?! Channel surfing and the second channel locks you into an ad, then the third channel does the same... and the 4th and 5th.... If the networks sync'd their ad times they could sabotage channel surfing by never letting you get out of the "commercial loop"!

The actors in the drama your watching will spontaneously break out into an advertisement. I can just see "Lost" when Hurley starts to promote Delphi Candy bars or Jack starts to talk about statins or the latest impotence drug.

I imagine it'll be a lot more like product placement with the ability to purchase the item from your TV. Maybe you'll see shoes that Hurley is wearing in a flashback that you want. Click and your done!

It's sort of interesting to note that not long ago, television and movie production had to pay companies for the right to use their product in a show. That's why you'll regularly see generic things on older shows that look like actual products. Nowadays, it's the revserse. Companies pay big bucks to have Terry Hatcher wear their dress on the show or for Jack Bauer to own their car.

I don't know if any of you all listen to talk radio (other than NPR) but I get so seriously annoyed when the hosts do commercials.

That's the way they did it on TV long ago. The actor would step out of the scene to talk about their sponsor.

I don't know if any of you all listen to talk radio (other than NPR) but I get so seriously annoyed when the hosts do commercials.

Product placements also can get annoying. (Blade III & Apple being a good example)

HOWEVER

These things cost money, consumers have no "right" to get these services, and they must be paid for some way.

I personally hope that product placement (or something else I can't think of) becomes more popular, because I like watching TV shows, but I dont watch many commercials, however I know that unless they get funding somehow, I wont beable to enjoy the TV shows in the first place.

I know, I know! Rather than sitting through the commercials they'll download your address from the cable box and send you junk mail... or your email address and send you Spam. Ugh!

Channel surfing and the second channel locks you into an ad, then the third channel does the same... and the 4th and 5th....

Iagoe and I do this on purpose sometimes, but we do it with the tv muted, then we make up our own lines to the commercials.

There used to be a Chevy truck ad that showed a 4 door Chevy truck pull up right next to a burning (looked like a Safeway) building and 4 firefighters would get out in their full turnouts. We used to say "Ever since we burnt the fire truck to a crisp, all we can afford is the cheap-a** truck".

That, or the onstar commercial where the guy is out on a family picnic and he locks his keys in his car, then calls onstar. We'd voice-over the onstar reply with "Sucks to be YOU! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Maybe we're just freaks, but I always find it entertaining.

Iagoe and I do this on purpose sometimes, but we do it with the tv muted, then we make up our own lines to the commercials.
You guys should be in peak form for making an entry for Chevy's 'Make Your Own Tahoe Commercial (http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/31/chevys-make-your-own-tahoe-commercial-not-exactly-going-as-pl/)' promotion.

You'll have a bit of competition (http://www.youtube.com/results?search=tahoe%20suv&search_type=search_videos&search=Search)though. :)

I don't think we can do those, most of those make a statement, we're usually just snarking on people.

I think this is my favorite!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oNedC3j0e4

I would not be surprised if TV companies give a discount if you watch commercials and jump your bill if you do not.