Fox Punishes Non-DVR Users With Static Image Instead Of A TV Commercial
from the won't-that-piss-off-everyone-else? dept
It really was just last week that we talked about a guy who got a patent for putting a static image in TV commercials that could be seen as you fast forwarded with your DVR. It seems like the patent holder might want to call on Fox, who apparently is now running commercials that are a single static image for 30 seconds, with the goal of reaching DVR users. Of course, you have to imagine that's only going to bore the regular viewers to tears (though, they do include audio for those folks). Of course, none of this matters if you happen to have a DVR that has a "skip forward" feature anyway. Either way, it seems like the TV execs are still focused on the wrong thing: figuring out how to force DVR users to watch traditional commercials, rather than figuring out ways to deliver advertising that doesn't piss people off so much that they want to skip it.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Again
Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!
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Re: Again
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Get Real
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Re: Get Real
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Re: Re: Get Real
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PVR's in South Africa
All the advert is is a static image of the iPod on the right of the screen with a voice over about the great features for those without PVR's. As a PVR user, it doesn't make that much of an impact.
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What I hate more is the NEWS which is biased by the very commercials I hate. What I would like to see is a 24 hour news channel without commercials - in fact I'd pay $4-$6 a month for it - I'm sure millions of people would.
Imagine an independant news network that doesn't care what the news is, just that it's news. Oh wait, thats what the news channels all say they are.... NOT.
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Re:
Imagine an independant news network that doesn't care what the news is, just that it's news. Oh wait, thats what the news channels all say they are.... NOT."
Here you go, this has been around a while, from what I hear: www.pbs.org/newshour/
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No TV
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Revenue Alternative?
Rather than forcing us to watch commercials between segments of our favorite sit-coms, etc... Why not build in the revenue stream by having paid product placements?
Imagine Chandler, from "Friends", drinking his Diet Coke. Coke would pay for the product placement... As might GE for allowing their refrigerator to be the product that the Coke was taken from... And so on, and so forth...
I can just hear Jerry Seinfelds reply to Kramer as Kramer asks...
Kramer: "Hey, Jerry! Can you give me a ride in your BMW (paid ad) to Starbucks (paid ad)?
Jerry: KraAameeer! Can't you see I'm running my Hoover (paid ad)? You'll just have to hustle your Nike's (paid ad) down there on your own!
/shrug
Idea Patent/Copyright, melosborne
-All Rights Reserved!- LOL
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Re: Revenue Alternative?
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Re: Revenue Alternative?
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Re: Revenue Alternative?
They could CGI over the machine so in one market it might be Coke, in another Pepsi, depending on who's paying. That technology can push down to the locals, so they'd get a syndicated version with the chromakey, and push their own ads. Same could be done on "background" TV screens in shows.
Heck, if Funniest Videos can blur out all of the non-paying product placement on t-shirts, how long before they are adjusting those same images with sponor product.
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Re: Revenue Alternative?
The real problem the networks are having with that model is how to structure reoccuring payments.
Companies a, b and c each pay for a product placement spot on a particular episode of a show. A year (or two or ten) down the road the network wants to rerun the episode, but doesn't want to give out free advertising to the original sponsors
. They ask companies a, b, and c if they'd pay a smaller ammount when the network reruns the episode. Companies a and b agree to the fees, but company c doesn't. So now do they air the episode and give company c free ad time, or not run the episode and lose the revenue from companies a and b? Will they cut out the scene with company c's product and air an altered episode?
What if company c didn't like some aspect of the show and refuse to ever pay for the ad time again, will that episode ever be shown on tv again?
That's the nice thing about the ad model, they can get new sponsors each time they air the show.
I'm sure they'll figure it all out in due time, then we can watch Homer drink Budweiser and eat PizzaHut pizza...
...mmm... product placement...
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Re: Revenue Alternative?
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The internet is to blame...
The problem is, advertisers have other options available to them to reach their target audience. As a result, CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox have to compete not only with 800 other channels piped into your DVR enabled home, but also with Lonely Girl 15 and The Evolution of Dance on You Tube.
Their response to the threat? Obviously abject panic. If a show doesn't take off immediately, it's killed. If a show does take off, hang on for 15 different derivations. (How many Law and Order/CSI clones must we endure?)
Television is seeing the beginnings of the same troubles newspapers are facing... a declining market. They think Tivo is the problem but it's only a symptom.
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Is this down to Fox?
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This is why the BBC kicks ass
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Commercials makers
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What Commercials...
TV fades out to commercial and fades right back into show. Of course this doesn't work on "live" TV but the few shows that I want to see I don't watch when they are "on"...
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Commercial Wraps
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This is great
If you are willing to pay $6 to have a dedicated news station, why not go pay $6 per month for the DVR service and be able to watch all stations with the convenience of skipping commercials if you do not want them?
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I don't know...
m skipping over is a still image or a standard ad, I'm still skipping it. Do the ad agencies think they are clever for finding a way to "make us watch their ads"?
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It's simple
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I'd rather watch static...
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Re: I'd rather watch static...
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