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OpenTV Like TiVo on Steroids
Davis Freeberg writes "Davis Freeberg and Thomas Hawk recently interviewed OpenTV about some of the more progressive programming that they are offering to viewers outside of North America. Specifically, they have created a PVR that allows users to not only choose from 4 - 8 video angles, but even more importantly consumers can choose what audio feed they would prefer. Recently they miked up some drunk hooligans during a rugby match in Austrailia and cable customers could choose which commentator they prefered.
Of course this functionality doesn't come without a cost. In exchange for interactive games, karaoke and multiple HDTV streams, they collect data on the viewing habits of their users and then digitally insert 30 second ads based upon the demographics of their customers. While I'm not sure if this is good or bad, I do believe that this will be the future of television advertising. While we haven't seen this type of a privacy policy introduced in the U.S. yet, I'm sure that the PVR industry has taken notice of the willingness of Aussies to give up privacy rights for the ability to time shift televison.
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Something is definitely going to have to be done with television advertising as PVR's continue to gain popularity. I've had my PVR now for about a year and I almost never watch commercials since I rarely watch live television. Since PVR's have not yet reached critical mass, I don't know that it is a current issue but it soon will be.
I think we've already started to see a lot more product placement than we used to in current programs. If you watch a single episode of American Idol (if you do, I'm sorry) you will have seen the Coke glasses prominently displayed in front of each judge, and carefully sat back down so that the logo is always perfect aligned to the camera. It's one small example, but I think we'll see it taken to extremes soon.
I think the best example of cramming advertising down user's throats and avoiding the PVR problems is with sporting events. By nature, they're not susceptible to the problems of PVR since most viewers would prefer to watch them live instead of delayed, although the product placement in the stadiums is fantastic. With all of the billboards and the camera panning around during downtime, a lot of local businesses get their name out there. It will be interesting to see if a shift to product placement ousts these local businesses and we see more national companies bidding the price up on stadium billboards.
Just my $0.02.
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It would probably sell here in the U.S. too, So many mindless sheep have to buy the latest and greatest equipment.
As for PVR innovation, US is ion the dead end. Tell me ONE single innovative thing that has been innovated in the DVR business in the last 2 years. MPAA has scared the DVR companies into turning their DVRs into nothing but fancy digital VCRs.
What are my justifications for this comment of mine, you say? Alright. Remember Replay TV? They introduced the Commercial Advance; This technology was one which would AUTOMATICALLY detect commercial breaks for you & skip them, AUTOMATICALLY!! No more lame 30-second skip 'easter egg' of TiVo. They had Internet Video Sharing. They had absolutely best home networking for DVRs. These were the innovations which were really revolutionary in the DVR biz. Then MPAA sued the pants off Replay TV & forced them into bankuruptcy.
For all the TiVo fans out there, compare the features of Replay TV & TiVo. See. MPAA has killed innovation in the industry. Nobody wants to innovate something new in the DVR industry. Thats the reason all the DVR offerings from cable/sat providers as well as pioneers Replay & TiVo have basically stopped doing any substantial innovation.
Sad.
TiVo on steriods would be gobs of hours, enhanced sorting and archiving functions, multiple tuners, and lots of stuff the end users want.
Thisis more like TiVo after an experiment went wrong and it was mutated by gamma radiation before it killed all the scientists and escaped from the lab. I mean, look at the focus - straight from the source,
our real customers, in most cases are network operators, in the context of deals between network operators and programmers or advertisers we can certainly provide services, but we're clear who the primary customer is.
They admit they don't really give a rats ass about the people with the remote, except how they can serve their eyeballs up as a product for their "real customers". That said, in a perfect world, the multiple audio options would be nice for certain programming like football. Being able to choose your commentators would be a welcome change. Anyone who has suffered through a national College FB feed where the commentators are clearly against your team (Brent Mussberger calling any Virginia Tech game, for example) or any game where the commentator just annoys the hell out of you (John Madden for football, Dick Vitale for basketball) would realize the value in this feature. Multiple camera angles would be minimally useful, unless I could get multiple feeds of the same game, and had enough screen to watch them all.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
DVB is Digital Video Broadcasting.
If you have cable your provider might know what you're watching, but satellite is strictly unidirectional (until you add a backchannel like a phone line).
End users don't "subscribe" to OpenTV. OpenTV provides middleware and interactive apps to cable and satellite providers.
-Peter
Um, have you ever viewed a Disney DVD? Commercial free, my ass!
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
I complained to Yahoo! when I saw Playboy (ie porn) banner ads while reading Yahoo! Mail. Maybe they assumed since I was a male that it would be acceptable. Anyway, after sending them an email, the banner ads for adult materials stopped. If a company as big as Yahoo! can accomodate their customers in such a way, I would expect no less from anyone else.
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Most people posting here don't seem to realise why broadcasting select ads based on your viewing habits is an invasion of privacy.
The ads that are shown on your TV will reflect who you are, and what you watch when you are alone in the privacy of your own home. That might not be the image you want your friends or family to see when they come over to see a football match.
Taking it to the extreme; If you watch a lot of porn when you are alone, having the TV show you ads for the newest adult movies when your girfriend uses your TV might *not* be desirable.
(The above is of course a hyperbole - advertising adult movies is probably illegal almost everywhere)
"I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots." -George H.W. Bush
You cannot give up a right. That's what makes it a right. Rights are inherent, innate, inborn, and inseperable. They can be suppressed, ignored, and trampled on, but not given up. Only priviledges can be given up or traded away.
The Aussies are not giving up their privacy rights. They are giving up their privacy. They can reclaim their rights any time they have the courage to do so (I speak for my fellow Americans, as well). Unfortunately, privacy like virginity is not so easily reclaimed.
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Also, I REALLY hope you weren't serious about them having a right to make money. They have absolutely no such right, and if someone comes along that does it better than them (most likely by being less invasive), they DESERVE to be crushed.
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I think the idea is that if they show you enough "erectile dysfunction" ads, you might just start to worry about it. And once you start worrying, you might need their products.