The Next Phase of Intelligent TVs Will Observe You

An anonymous reader writes "Japan based NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories (STRL) is testing an interface which observes TV viewers, determines their interest and provides information related to the TV program in accordance with the way they are watching it. UTAN (user technology assisted navigation) TV viewing interface, as it is called, has a camera mounted on the TV which photographs the viewer and estimates the viewer's degrees of interest, concentration, etc. The information is processed by a tablet PC and recommended information is shown to the viewer. It is possible to show individual interests as well, in case there are multiple viewers."

Comments

Nice, however..

[Anrego]

Would be brilliant if there was anything interesting on!

Seriously.. all TV related technology is kind of meh these days because ultimately you are choosing between 50 different reality TV shows, maybe one or two token sitcoms/dramas and re-runs of real shows you’ve already seen and probably already own the DVD.

It’s not like music where there is enough variety that you can be taken aback by some band you didn’t even know existed. There is a limited amount of TV programming, and if you had any interest in it, you’ve probably already seen it or are at least aware of it.

Re:Nice, however..

[Stormthirst]

Nothing is "innovated" these days for the benefit of mankind, but rather for the benefit of the marketing departments.

FTFY

Re:Nice, however..

[spire3661]

A ton of tech progress is being stifled by the desire to capitalize on digital distribution. Almost EVERY piece of tech is now sold with a built in store. My wife has a Bodybugg. Its a device that measures your daily activity etc. TO be able to USE the device at all, you have to subscribe to their webservice. There is no way to upload the contents to your local machine or use it at all without paying a subscription. They have inserted themselves between the device and the user for no REAL reason other then monetization.

"From Bodybugg support
Posted By: bodybugg Support Team
Posted Date: 6-3-08 1:01PM
We are sorry if you were misled in any way, but bodybugg does require that you maintain an active subscription to the web application. This is comparable to a cell phone company wherein you pay for the phone as well as the calling plan."

Its amazing that they compare operating and maintaining a cellular network to collecting and visualizing personal data on a website. Really?

I mention all this becasue the REASON TV tech is 'meh' is because everyone is jockeying to lock up the digital frontier and ignoring actual technological progress. I would LOVE to have a simple 1 hour TV buffer. No record, no storage, just a 1 hour TV buffer to pause, FF, rewind. It cannot be that hard to make a simple inline buffer like that. But the likelyhood of seeing it in the next decade is slim partly because of patents and partly because there is no ongoing revenue stream from it.

Re:Nice, however..

[BluBrick]

You mean, like when I was watching some show over at my friend's the other day and all of the cans on the table were turned so the labels were facing the camera and they kept mentioning the brand of their cell phone like ten times while sitting on the sofa in front of the camera?

Fortunately, I think content like that is going to be shortly lived, because people are smart enough to know when they're being directly marketed to like that and find it distasteful.

A wise man with no name to speak of once said "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky animals, and you know it!".

It's called "product placement", and it's not at all short lived - it's been happening for decades. The current form in which a character mentions a product ad nauseam is, surprisingly, a little subtler than the original form. Radio plays from as early as the 1920's were sponsored by companies as an advertising vehicle for their product, a strategy first successfully employed a brand of laundry soap (hence the term "soap opera"). You can bet the characters in those shows asked each other how they got their whites so fresh and clean with rather unnatural frequency.

It's not going to go away, because people are dumb enough to fall for it. Advertising works, sad to say.

Re:Nice, however..

[stms]

I would LOVE to have a simple 1 hour TV buffer. No record, no storage, just a 1 hour TV buffer to pause, FF, rewind. It cannot be that hard to make a simple inline buffer like that. But the likelyhood of seeing it in the next decade is slim partly because of patents and partly because there is no ongoing revenue stream from it.

What are you talking about I use one of those it's called ThePiratebay.

1984

[Anonymous Coward]

No thanks.

Re:1984

[amiga3D]

I can see a big market in a totalitarian society for this. You put on programming to extol the virtues and greatness of the ruler/s and watch to see who is interested and who is not. Viewing of propaganda can be made mandatory and this insures that your people will not only view the programming but remain attentive. Potential dissidents would be much easier to spot. Modern technology has many ways to benefit man and also many ways to enslave him.

Re:1984

[cforciea]

Realistically, if the data gets sent upstream, then no one would ever buy this. If it is only used locally, then there will likely be quite a lot of buyers.

Realistically, they will use this the same way they do any other tracking: they will tell you about the benefits and just not bother mentioning that they are storing your data "anonymously" someplace when it retrieves information for you. Then people will buy it without even thinking about the privacy connotations.

Why would any data have to be sent upstream?

"Have to be" and "will be" are not the same thing.

Re:1984

[Dunbal]

you'll see that the intention is to provide information to the viewer, not to the service provider.

Money earned by providing info to the viewer: $0.

Money earned by providing info to advertisers and media companies: $millions if not billions.

Yeah yeah, the information is for the "viewer". Just be sure to read the fine print.

Sounds like a bad idea .....

[DaMattster]

Does this mean now that law enforcement could have a potential window into our own homes and that we could lose any rights to privacy. I can see this thing being co-opted for law enforcement and surveillance.

Really, I'm capable of doing that myself

[holophrastic]

I'm fully capable of determining my own level of interest, thank you very much. I'm also fully capable of choosing what to watch. It's not like I wind up missing out on a series that I would have loved if only it had been recommended to me.

This really isn't a problem for me that need to be solved.

No matter, I'll spend a little more money on electrical tape to cover up the camera.

Re:Great, now there will be a run on

[MightyMartian]

Door: Knock knock knock

AC: Who's there?

FCC TV Repair Patrol Officer #1 [smashing in door]: Comrade AC, we have noticed that your TV no longer functions according to FCC standards. According to Article 7 of the Patriotic Freedom Act of 2016, we are empowered to enter your residence to troubleshoot and repair your TV.

AC: You can't do that! I have constitutional rights!

FCC TV Repair Patrol Officer #2: Is this your signature on this bill of sale?

AC: Yes, why?

FCC TV Repair Patrol Officer #2: According to Hippie v. Walmart, 572 U.S. 144 (2017), the EULA for this TV, which allows the FCC, via the contract you signed with Walmart, to observe you via your TV.

FCC TV Repair Patrol Officer #1 [looking at TV]: Yup, he put electricians tape over the lens.

FCC TV Repair Patrol Officer #2: According to Article Eighteen of the Digital Liberty Copyright Act 2016 you have circumvented security measures of this device. This is now a capital offence. Could you please have the name of your next of kin so your remains, if there are any after we're finished, can be sent properly directed. Now please drop your pants spread your ass cheeks wide...