Morf

http://news.com.com/2100-1024_3-5200...l?tag=nefd.top

An excerpt:

Click the link for the entire article.

Cusm

Will this mean we could see the shake up of standard television time breaks? Maybe more shorter or varied commercial breaks at unpredictable times? Or perhaps more "sponsored" shows like the first episode of the season of 24?

Tsar Chasm

If they would make commercials more interesting, I would watch.

I currently like:

The new Burger King Commercials
The Toyota Siena commercial with the little kid in the shirt and tie
The MSN Butterfly commercials

palebluedot

I think what this will lead to is putting the advertisement on the screen during the show...by way of a banner or some such device. Studios make their money from advertising, if that becomes less they will have to resort to drastic measures.

PixyJunket

You have been added to my ignore list.

Achtung

That will work up until another device comes out that is able to block the banner ads from a tv screen, similar to a pop-up bloakcer for your web browser. I think we all know what they're headed for ultimately--targeted product placement.

Example: You make $35K a year? Fine, sexy character A is shown driving a Chevrolet. You make $150K a year? Sexy character A is shown driving a Lexus in your version of the program. You'll input all your information, for "data collecting purposes only" and get in-program ads based on that info.

That is, as long as they want to keep television (technically) free. After that, they have to demand more money from the cable and satellite companies, who will raise rates (again). It all comes down to whether we're willing to pay up front, or deal with more numerous and sophisticated ads.

MrN

Yeah, I think we are headed for more product placements and ads that pop up during the shows.


As much as I would to see something like this I think its nearly impossible - how would the blocker distinguish between advertisements and legitimate popups? Like the scroll bars on the news networks or the traffic reports/breaking news on broadcast channels?

If broadcast TV is going to remain 'free' I think we'll have to look forward to more insidious forms of advertising.

SunMonkey

This technology will lead to one of two things (or even both).

1. A drastic decrease in funding for shows, leading to more low budget concepts (e.g. reality TV).

2. A drastic increase in what we pay to watch these shows. There will be no broadcast TV anymore, and cable prices will sky rocket. I can even see a pay-per-view schedule coming about.

Giantrobo

I've heard PRODUCT PLACEMENT during shows will increase.

Actually, as long as it's not "too obvious" scenes will just look like real life I suppose.

Phil L.

I've been fast forwarding past the commercials with VHS tapes for years. (and still do) No, perhaps it's not the easiest method but...

wait, I take that back. It's pretty darn easy.

Jackskeleton

Why lie to yourself? Chances are 99.99999% will not watch commercials even if they are funny. Why? Because NEW commercials are not like New programs. If you've seen the product ad once you've seen it one to many times already. You don't want to tune into it again later on.

Making ad's more interesting, funny, etc. doesn't offer much when the main point of what a commercial is trying to do is something you are not interested in. Sell you something. That's the point. If you don't want to be sold something after they finish showing you the ad, they have wasted their time, their money and your time.

What does this mean? It means you can hear actors in shows sprout out lines like:

"Over there! Lets get away with that F-150!"
"Oh, I hear this gets great gas milage"
"Yes, and the sitting in the back is great for a huge family, or a weekend out in the woods"

Fast forwarding through tape is nothing compared to TiVo where you can simply skip it in a blink of an eye opposed to the VHS fast fowarding where you would have to see it (in fast motion) just to make sure you don't skip the start of the program.

I do see funding for shows to go down simply because the amount they will be taking in by ad companies will be lower. Sad day indeed.

Derrich

I know it probaly wont happen soon, but I wouldn't mind for commercial TV to dissapear altogether. Sell shows on DVD each week. New eps of 24 would be $3.00. Old Simpson Eps would be .75 out of a vending machine.

D

tasha99

No way--too bulky (and too expensive). But I could see pay per view or "on demand" at a buck an episode or so.

Venusian

3/episode would make a season of 24 cost $72. i dont think its worth it

Jeremy517

It would be very hard for new shows to catch on that way.

whynotsmile

this is good. take that you quizno rat bastards

Mike

No reason to think that the big budget shows will disappear.

Five years ago the only other market big shows had was syndication. Today, they can clean up on DVD sales.

It'll just mean that money gets distributed differently.

To say that advertisers are "losing out" on television opportunities is to suggest that advertising has not oversaturated the airwaves already. Networks had no problem getting revenue for shows on the air 30 years ago. Today, there are just as many commercial breaks, on top of countless lower 3rds and banner ads. The invention of these overlays was an extra means of advertisement, and will not go away. Less commercial breaks would only mean a balancing out of advertisements, more on par with what we were subjected to in past decades.

Plus, I can't imagine the average public being too sympathetic about this. Try telling my parents that they're going to lose FREE TV and they'll be happy to point out their $60 sattelite bills to prove me otherwise.


Interesting article, thanks for posting it.

al_bundy

I don't understand why advertisers don't like TIvo. If used properly it can give better marketing data of who is watching what shows than nielsen.

mverleg1

I see shows coming with an advertising ticker, just like the Headline News ticker. That actually wouldn't bother me, assuming it's kept at about that size. I can ignore it easily enough, and the upside is that if they get rid on regular commercials, we get longer shows (or we go to an every 20 minute schedule).

mverleg1

Hmm. Somebody is a fan of Alias.

Pistol Pete

More to the point, it can tell them who is not watching their ads.

nemein

I agree with those who think it'll mean more product placement within shows itself. Potentially also like soccer games (which are show w/o commercials) the logo in the corner will become a product logo instead of the channel logo.

DRG

I predict this will lead to even MORE reality shows. They can do stuff like American Idol and Survivor do with the in-show tie-ins to Coke, Ford, etc. Or maybe they could take a cue from sports (or old time tv) and have sponsors in the title.

"Wednesday night, it's an all new Diet Pepsi West Wing!"

But the in-show blatant product placements may happen as well... I've always figured the characters on 24 ate and went to the bathroom during the 'blackouts' for commerical breaks. They could just incorporate this.

INT. CTU

Kim sits at her desk eating a delicious pizza. Tony approaches.

TONY
Kim, what the hell is going on here?

KIM
I haven't eaten in ten hours, Tony. If you want my full concentration on decrypting these socket codes I need to eat something.

TONY
That's not what I'm talking about. We're under a Class 4 security lockdown and you had a pizza delivered here? I thought I made it clear, no non-CTU personnel are to come in the building!

KIM
But Tony, it's not delivery, it's DiGiornos!

Rico Diablo

Jadzia

I have Tivo and I never watch ads the shows that I record. These are usually the network, scripted type series.

However, I find I watch the most commercials when I just have the TV on and am not actively watching a series I follow. For instance, if I don't feel like like watching a show I've recorded (something that takes my full attention), I'll just put on something like CNN or maybe the Game Show Network while I surf the internet, clean the house, or just sit around. As a result, I end up seeing mostly the lower-budget cable ads that run on these stations, and never the big-budget ads that run on the networks.