OT: Philips patents device that forces you to watch commercials

[Scott]

This is terrible. I think I see enough commericials unintentionally. Now you won't even be able to turn the channel. It's one step to far. Even when you turn to another channel they usually have all the commercials timed anyway for the same moment on all the channels.

[ulthar]

On a related note, I've noticed Saturday programming here locally has been completely overwhelmed with infomercials.  I let my daughter watch Animal Atlas on Saturdays (which they move too often, btw) and this past Saturday, afterward I left the TV on waiting for my wife to get home from work.  All four major networks had infomercials at the same time.

I find it aggravating when they all have college sports on at the same time, but 1000% more aggravating when all are showing New Deals at Bob's Used Car Mart or Manage Your Debt with Diet Pills Now.

[Jim H]

"Sooner or later, it will be illegal to not own a TV, on the premise that it will increase national security (gotta have quick alerts in case of terror, you know). Then it will be illegal to turn off your mandatory TV for the same reason."

The day that happens is the day I start stockpiling explosives for "personal use".

[Jim H]

This whole thing reminds me of one of the few times the public outrage really mattered.  Does anyone remember when they started putting adds on the bases in pro ball?  People were so outraged they were gone in like a day.  

It seems like, even though they've gone through babysteps by increasing the amount of ads we see, there are some lines the public won't let them cross.  Not many, but some.  Nice to know, I guess.

Personally, I watch very little TV these days anyway.  Occasional reruns on the Game Show network and the occasional documentary on the History Channel cover most of it, plus the movie channels (which don't have ads I have to watch anyway, outside of in-movie promotion).

[ulthar]

Jim H Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The day that happens is the day I start
> stockpiling explosives for "personal use".

If you wait until that day to START, you've waited too long.  ;)

[ulthar]

We were watching "Numbers" tonight and one of the FBI agents said to the other something like "I will Nextel you with the information when I get it."  (That's not what she said, but the Nextel part was there in that context).

I groaned, looked at my wife and said, "did she REALLY just say that?"  Forget using a brand name as a verb and the blatant, very forced product placement, but it really is getting to where the TV shows themselves are ads and not just vehicles to get you to watch the ads.

I sure hope somebody somewhere gets an earful about that (though I won't hold my breath).  Dis-gusting.

[dean]

Product placement is all over the big shows [well most of them anyways] from a shot lingering a little too long on a certain object, to everyone in a 'family' owning a lexus despite the family themselves not having any money, or just making a big deal out of a certian product, like that Nextel comment, being somehow crucial to the story or some crap.

Reality TV for the most part is just a walking, talking ad, really, and on top of thatt it's all very very annoying.

And yes, whilst there are certain lines that shouldn't be crossed, us as consumers tend to have a lot less power in changing things for the most part [I tend to think we're too complacent when it comes to these things.]

[Jim H]

"If you wait until that day to START, you've waited too long. "

By "That day", I meant "right this second".












;)

[Flangepart]

To quote Burt Gummer..."And they call me paranoid."

[Just Plain Horse]

I always said television exists to sell products. If that goes, so does television... which is fine by me. :)