Another scary proposition

trekgeezer · March 21, 2008, 01:31:36 PM

Are you a Comcast customer? How do you know they're not watching you already?

http://newteevee.com/2008/03/18/comcast-cameras-to-start-watching-you/

Ed, Ego and Superego · March 21, 2008, 04:52:11 PM

Duct tape... To hell with targeted programming.

Patient7 · March 21, 2008, 05:01:06 PM

This is just comcast's way of saying, "We're all a bunch of peeping toms who are hiding cameras in your cable box so we can hope to see you doing stuff."

AndyC · March 21, 2008, 05:01:47 PM

Kind of reminds me of the two-way TVs in Max Headroom. Next we'll be getting commercials that make people explode

Allhallowsday · March 21, 2008, 06:40:59 PM

Nauseating.

Trevor · March 22, 2008, 05:50:04 AM

This reminds me of the "FreeVee" concept in "The Running Man" book by Stephen King.

Frightening, very frightening.

Dennis · March 22, 2008, 10:57:18 AM

I doubt that the general public will tolerate this sort of thing, I know I don't want strangers watching me in my house, I'd get rid of cable before I'd allow this, and if it was done without informing the public and was found out later there would be one huge class action lawsuit, that I can just about guarantee.

AndyC · March 22, 2008, 11:59:14 AM

It didn't really sound like the intention was to transmit images back to the company. More that the equipment could sense who was watching and adjust to the viewer. The spy camera idea seems pretty impractical anyway.

Allhallowsday · March 22, 2008, 07:17:31 PM

Quote from: AndyC on March 22, 2008, 11:59:14 AM
It didn't really sound like the intention was to transmit images back to the company. More that the equipment could sense who was watching and adjust to the viewer. The spy camera idea seems pretty impractical anyway.

Of course..., the article mentions "body forms." Nonetheless, that information would be compared against a household profile to determine if that large person is Pop or the shrunken one is Grandma, and most importantly, who are the wee folk? Boy or Girl? And then ZAP!!! Commercials tailored to the viewer!!

"Get me a bucket..."

AndyC · March 22, 2008, 10:12:42 PM

Yes, I see what you mean. As if advertising hasn't gone too far already.

Killer Bees · March 25, 2008, 08:54:13 PM

What's the point of it all though? Is it simply to make money? Surely the idea can't be that base?

And how lazy and self serving do we have to become as a culture to accept the idea of commericals tailored to the individual? It also doesn't take into account the idea that people might do a 180 and change their tastes because they want variety of goods and services instead of the same old types of ads targeting them.

If we ever get to the Minority Report type society where an ad wall at a bus stop addresses you by name, I'm going to live in the Canadian Rockies in a log cabin.