DailyTech - Philips Responds to Anti-Commercial Skip Uproar

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IT Philips Responds to Anti-Commercial Skip Uproar
Tuan Nguyen (Blog) - April 20, 2006 6:02 PM

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23 comment(s) - last by tygrus.. on Apr 27 at 8:39 PM

Providing technology that prevents viewers from changing channels during commercials has not given Philips positive PR

We reported earlier this week that Philips was in the process or creating PVR technologies that would allow broadcasters to prevent TV viewers from fast forwarding over commercials. The biggest zinger however, was the fact that Philips is also including technology to enable broadcasters to prevent viewers from changing channels altogether when a commercial starts.

Of course, news about this caused an uproar and Philips has responded by saying that the feature can be enabled or disabled by the viewer. A viewer can choose whether or not to watch a program with or without commercials. However, Philips says it has suggested in its patent filing that broadcasters decide whether or not to allow viewers the freedom of choice depending on whether they are paying a fee to watch a program or channel.

More information is available from the AP via Yahoo.

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Are you all freakin' idiots?

By ktlewis02 on 4/20/2006 6:51:13 PM , Rating: 2

Solution: Don't buy the product! If you dislike it so much...STAY AWAY and it will DIE OUT

RE: Are you all freakin' idiots?

By bersl2 on 4/20/2006 6:55:12 PM , Rating: 2

Making a big stink increases the odds that others will hear about this, also alerting them to not buy the product.

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RE: Are you all freakin' idiots?

By rrsurfer1 on 4/20/2006 7:00:58 PM , Rating: 2

Not buying the product is not always an option... for instance, my DVR was provided by my cable company for about 3 bucks a month. The cable companies could easily choose to use this technology for their leased DVRs. In that case I'd be forced to final build that HTPC :)

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RE: Are you all freakin' idiots?

By Alan on 4/20/2006 7:53:20 PM , Rating: 2

If I were Philips, I would have gone the other route.

"We patented this in the interest of the consumer. With this patent, other companies are discouraged from implementing such a feature since it will require a patent license from Philips."

Then they'd turn lemons into lemonade...

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RE: Are you all freakin' idiots?

By PseudoKnight on 4/20/2006 8:06:52 PM , Rating: 2

That's the solution! We should all team up and create every possible DRM and patent them. =)

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RE: Are you all freakin' idiots?

By Scrogneugneu on 4/20/2006 8:35:33 PM , Rating: 2

This is exactly what is happening in the industry, with the exception that they do not team up.

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RE: Are you all freakin' idiots?

By Decaydence on 4/20/2006 8:03:09 PM , Rating: 1

ktlewis02, there are plenty of scenarios in which we will have no choice but to have a technology like this in our pvr's. DVR provided by cable or satellite provider or if legislators try to be cute are just a couple of examples. Just because you haven't thought of those doesn't mean we are "freakin' idiots".

Even if those scenarios don't come to fruition, there is nothing idiotic in discussing the rediculousness of a technology on a TECHNOLOGY DISCUSSION forum.

Thanks for your incredible insight.

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It doesn't sound that bad

By kaoken on 4/20/2006 7:41:06 PM , Rating: 2

If you don't like the commercial, just ignore it. If you want to watch the movie without commercials, then buy it. It's all so simple.

RE: It doesn't sound that bad

By Brainonska511 on 4/20/2006 7:48:05 PM , Rating: 2

It's not about skipping commercials on live tv, it's about changing the channel during the commercials.

Plus, what's wrong with using something like a VCR/DVR to record the program and then advance through the commercials?

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RE: It doesn't sound that bad

By projecteda on 4/20/2006 8:50:36 PM , Rating: 3

i prefer to watch my sporting events live...this creates a problem when there are two games on and I cant switch back and forth during comercials.

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lemme get this straight...

By brystmar on 4/20/2006 7:14:00 PM , Rating: 2

so according to Philips, users can choose whether or not to watch a program with commercials......but only if the broadcasters allow them to ffwd through commercials. so basically you don't have a choice at all?

RE: lemme get this straight...

By InternetGeek on 4/20/2006 7:25:03 PM , Rating: 2

Well, instead of giving you the illusion of a choice they are making a choice for you. At least they're honest, would you not agree?

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RE: lemme get this straight...

By Scrogneugneu on 4/20/2006 8:38:31 PM , Rating: 2

You do have a choice. If they choose so, you may have the choice to watch commercials.

This is all very bad news, as it seems to go to the point where we'll be paying to NOT get ads. Having them isn't so much a bad thing, so long as you can switch channel. Losing that possibility unless we pay more would be awful (and I fear it might be seen as acceptable by too much people and industries for the idea to sink alone).

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you might be able to watch nothing BUT commercials

By Avatar28 on 4/21/2006 2:39:22 AM , Rating: 3

Think about it. If this flag gets implemented by some or most broadcasters then imagine that you're watching the game/movie/whatever and don't have to watch the commercials for whatever reason. So you flip the channel to do a little channel surfing. OR you just want to scan through the channels to see what's on.

So you go up a couple of channels then catch a commercial. Bam! You're forced to sit there and watch ALL of those commercials before you can change the channel. You get up a couple more channels and boom, more commercials you're forced to watch. Repeat ad nauseaum.

Just when I thought it was safe to watch TV agin

By Milliamp on 4/20/2006 6:46:41 PM , Rating: 2

After the "innernet" I found myself watching less and less TV outside of DVD's (Netflix).

After getting a DVR I have finally starting watching TV some TV shows again when I get the time to view them.

Just when I thought I was starting to like TV again they have to go and find a way to mess things up for me.

trash it

By Zebo on 4/21/2006 6:38:15 AM , Rating: 2

I trashed my TV years ago. I don't mean literally I still have a 50" panny to watch movies but I mean network tv. Could'nt stand the contrived shows, seemingly endless and frequent advertisements and I have to pay to watch this crap? No thanks. My life has been better for it. I run every day I get out more and i found the interent which is a more active medium which I can find the information I want instantly vs. waiting around from TV to issue it, if I happen to be on the right channel.

Maybe y'all should give it a try?

Loophole

By Jellodyne on 4/21/2006 9:53:12 AM , Rating: 2

I can still avert my eyes!

...can't I?

Best Wight Loss Program. Ever. (Courtesy of Philips.)

By Houdani on 4/21/2006 10:23:36 AM , Rating: 2

Put the chips down.
Stand up.
Turn the TV off.
Go do something else.
Watch the pounds melt away.

I can think of no other greater motivator for the above. Make TV so unappealing to endure that you throw your hands up in disgust and finally wean yourself from the teat.

"Must See TV?" Naw, I don't think so. Nice try Philips. Buh bye.

Nope

By DigitalFreak on 4/21/2006 4:19:28 PM , Rating: 2

It's all about the rat penis.

Pay monthly to sip adds or pay less and suffer through adds

By tygrus on 4/27/2006 8:39:41 PM , Rating: 2

The idea makes more sense if it will offer providers&users two methods to pay for content.
1) Pay more money per month and get to skip ads; OR
2) Pay less (or free) if you are locked into watching ads (either as per show or adapted to 15mins per hour).

Regarding pay TV: Personally I like to watch a show without 3mins of ads every 9mins. I don't mind the occasional advert for other programs but I'd rather have time between major shows to take a break or additonal content.