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TV People Meter: Monitoring What You Watch

Posted by michael on from the judge-judy-and-matlock dept.

bj3g2j writes "CNN has an interesting article about the People Meter that is built by Arbitron. It seems that the device is portable and picks up on signals sent from the TV (and/or radio) to determine what people are watching. This is supposed to improve the accuracy of tracking viewer habits. The best quote is that 'it includes a motion detector to verify someone is actually wearing it.' Lots of motion while sitting on the couch? Interesting concept in light of the recent ruling in California."

5 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Are your eyes open? by Raul654 · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's been done.

    It was the next day, Brothers, and I had truly done my best morning and afternoon to play it their way and sit like a horrorshow cooperative malchick in the chair of torture while they flashed nasty bits of ultra-violence on the screen. Though not on the soundtrack, my Brothers, the only sound being music. Then I noticed in my pain and sickness what music it was that like cracked and boomed. It was Ludwig Van's Ninth Symphony, fourth movement. Ahhggggg! No. No. Stop it. Stop it. Please I beg of you. It's a sin! It's a sin! It's a sin!!!

    --


    To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.
    --E.C. Stanton
  2. Re:Look, you've got this whole thing wrong... by interiot · · Score: 3, Informative
    Actually, just search google for Arbitron peoplemeter television, and you'll find plenty of documents that indicate otherwise.

    For instance:

    • Arbitron's patented audio-encoding technology was developed as part of its Portable People Meter (PPM) system, a pager-size audience measurement system that tracks radio listening
    • as well as television, cable and satellite television viewing.
  3. Here's how it works. by Animats · · Score: 5, Informative
    The system works by encoding "inaudible" (or at least noise-like) digital data in audio. Arbitron has a patent on this. At the broadcast station end, there's an encoder, and the people meter has the corresponding decoder. The People Meter listens with a microphone.

    As to the Big-Brother aspects of the thing, Arbitron says this to broadcasters:

    • Measuring Compliance
      Compliance began with undocking the meters each day. We instructed panelists to undock their meters first thing in the morning and dock them in the recharging unit at bedtime. During November, the median undocking time on weekdays was 7:39AM, and the median docking time was just after 11PM. As expected, the undocking time was later on the weekend, around 9:00AM, as people tended to sleep later. The docking time was also later, 11:25PM, as people stayed up later (Figure 2). The PPM detects encoded media even while it is in the recharging unit, which means it picks up the clock radio in the morning and late-night TV viewing by people in bed.
    So they know when you've been sleeping. They know when you're awake. They know if you've been bad or good. So get out there and consume.

    The system covers TV as well as radio. Arbitron is partnering with Neilsen on this. The details are:

    • Encoding Status
      (As of July 18, 2001, in the Wilmington, Delaware test area)

      Of the 71 media outlets invited to participate, 63 are now encoding their audio full time.

      • All 38 radio stations.
      • All 8 local TV stations
      • 17 of 25 cable networks.

    The Arbitron Portable People Meter listens to audio, has a DSP, "extensive storage", and an uplink system via its docking station. So it could potentially be used as a bugging device if reprogrammed. One more small step towards the surveillance society.

    At least the current model doesn't have a GPS.

  4. RTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
    Read the f!ing article people. This is not a big brother device. This is not a micro-chip tag in the base of the skull. This is voluntary market research.

    If you choose to sign up to be a subject, they give you one of these gadgets. They track what you watch, they use it to generate program ratings. End of story. The fancy electronics helps them estimate how attentive you are. I'd imagine that there is some renumeration involved as well.

    I see nothing wrong with this. I wouldn't volunteer, but then no one is making me.

  5. Ummmmm by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 3, Informative

    You DO understand that this sort of thing is VOULANTARY, don't you? It's just like Neilsen TV monitoring. They'll ask you if you'd like to participate. Then they either send you a diary that you fill out on what you watched, or they hook a monitoring box to your TV. It's not like they kick in your door and force you to do this, they ask you to, and I believe you are compensated for your trouble. This is the same thing, if you don't like it, tell them no if and when they ask you if you'd like to participate.