cni-modernization: Re: Ads, free market, nets
Re: Ads, free market, nets
Mike Ellsworth (mellswor@firewall.nielsen.com)
Mon, 15 Nov 93 09:36 CST
Message-Id: <m0oz5yR-0001xkC@firewall.nielsen.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 93 09:36 CST
From: mellswor@firewall.nielsen.com (Mike Ellsworth)
To: cni-modernization@cni.org
Subject: Re: Ads, free market, nets
Peter Graham, Rutgers University Libraries says:
>> I've wished for
years for a TV remote with a 30-second mute timer on it. I'm sure it's
been thought of, but that Zenith or Sony aren't about to market it. In
the net environment the equivalents will be freeware all over the place.<<
Actually, Peter, such timers do exist, although you have to do the muting
yourself. Our RCA TV remote has a button on it labelled CS (which I have
always thought of as the "Commercial Sign!" button). You press it and it
activates a 30 second timer. Press it repeatedly, and the timer is
incremented in 30 second intervals. Then you can switch away to another
channel, and at the end of the selected time, the TV switches back to the
original channel. We often switch to one of the cable channels playing
music.
Although this is not quite the button you are looking for, it does serve
the purpose of allowing us to ignore the ads, and cut to the chase. And
it does show that there really isn't the conspiracy you postulate between
TV mfrs. and advertisers. In fact, in Japan, these same companies sell TVs
(or maybe just add ons, I forget) that will mute the TV at the beginning of
a commercial. The reason such things work is due to an electronic glitch
that occurs on Japanese TV when the broadcast switches to and from
commercials. I forget the actual technical details, but it is said that
the devices identify like 80 percent of commercials.
If you want it, they will build it, even if it is illegal.
Mike Ellsworth
mellswor@firewall.nielsen.com
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