No more channel surfing or fast forward during commercials

[fred flintstone]

New York Times:

They will take my remote control away only when they pry it from my cold, dead hands. This thought followed my first reading of a patent application for a new kind of television set and digital video recorder recently filed by a unit of Royal Philips Electronics at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The design appears to threaten the inalienable right to channel-surf during commercials or fast-forward through ads in programs you've taped. A second, calmer reading of the patent application revealed that the proposed design would uphold the right to avoid commercials, but only for those who paid a fee...http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/business/yourmoney/07digi.html

 

[MarcB]

What a load of hooey! If ya believe it then I got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell ya.

 

[Markxxx]

To paraphrase Homer Simpson"Shh, I'm trying to watch the commercial. Hey if we don't watch these it's like we're stealing television"

 

[DJKraze]

I read this article several weeks ago, possibly from a different source. This is the growing trend, now that they can develop technolgies to control what you can do or see, they will implement it, just look at japan, they made it illegal to skip commercials and there is legislation to do the same being mulled over IN THIS COUNTRY! Can you say Big Brother?I know I'm sounding like a tin foil hat type, but had I not known seen the article about japan and also knowing about the laws the industry is trying to get the gov't to enact, then maybe I wouldn't think this. This is abuse of the system for greed, plain and simple. What's next? being strapped down and having eyelids forcibly held open and being forced to watch only certain programming (crap! I think I just let an idea slip).

 

[KML0224]

[qoute]I know I'm sounding like a tin foil hat type, but had I not known seen the article about japan and also knowing about the laws the industry is trying to get the gov't to enact, then maybe I wouldn't think this. This is abuse of the system for greed, plain and simple. What's next? being strapped down and having eyelids forcibly held open and being forced to watch only certain programming (crap! I think I just let an idea slip).[/quote]Have you been watching "A Clockwork Orange" (1971) again?

 

[fred flintstone]

TV manufacturers can install this gizmo but unless ALL of them do so, anybody in their right mind will buy the set without it.If the FCC forces ALL manufacturers to include this gizmo, then people will hold onto their current receivers (sort of like how people avoid installing the new style toilets with the smaller tanks). This is bad for ALL set manufacturers. It also thwarts the FCC's attempts to get people to upgrade to HDTV (which means buying new equipment).

 

[Markxxx]

But most DVDs I rent already have some sort of device to prevent you from FF past the FBI warning. I've seen a couple, AND I HATE THIS, that will not let you FF past the coming attractions. That is stupid, because in like 4 years, people may still want to rent that DVD but the coming attractions will be old.That was Nielsen's original reason why they didn't want to include taped shows in ratings. As most people would FF thru the commericals anyway. I believe they do this now.With digital TV we'll be lucky if we can even record TV show anymore

 

[jal41]

But most DVDs I rent already have some sort of device to prevent you from FF past the FBI warning. I've seen a couple, AND I HATE THIS, that will not let you FF past the coming attractions. That is stupid, because in like 4 years, people may still want to rent that DVD but the coming attractions will be old.That was Nielsen's original reason why they didn't want to include taped shows in ratings. As most people would FF thru the commericals anyway. I believe they do this now.With digital TV we'll be lucky if we can even record TV show anymore

The FCC, broadcasters, and other people are in a legal dispute over "broadcast flags" that would lock you out from recording a program. The FCC wants them, but a federal judge put the brakes on that.It is a problem that has been around since 1975 with the introduction iof the VCR. If a situation occurs where consumers are forced to watch a commercial, there will be a huge backlash. Hopefully, the work "lawsuit" will come to mind if and when they think about doing this.BTW, on DVD's you can sometimes skip the previews by pressing the "Menu" button on the remote. But I have a feeling those days are going away as well (You can thank the DVD Forum back in 1996 for that).

 

[nuzguy]

IF there's anything to all this and IF certain people and agencies are aroogant and ignorant enough to even propose it, there ARE people in high places equally as ignorant and arrogant (and who have had their price met) to turn thoughts and concepts into plans. Further, it's indicative that there are those who would further erode individual rights and freedoms, in this case caving in to the sound of thousand dollar bills shoveled out by big business. Given the willingness of the FCC to listen to such garbage, the plan isn't all that far fetched.

 

[4dude]

they made it illegal to skip commercials and there is legislation to do the same being mulled over IN THIS COUNTRY!

How are they gonna enforce that????? (hehehehehehe)

 

[DJKraze]

Enforcement will be done by the equipment, they already have plans on it as already mentioned in this thread, this does mean older equipment will still be capable of bypassing these new rules, but as crappy as much equipment has been made for a while now, who's to say how long a device purchased in the last 5 years will last? At some point new equipment will have to be purchased, and that means compliance... at least until people figure out codes to fix these problems. Some comapnies still have "test" modes hidden in new gear, I know specifically of someone who got a dvd/vcr combo that would not play VCD's he made of a wedding, he found a code online by typing the model number and "hack" into google, and found a quick code set to change it to allow it to play VCD's, so the programming was in the machine, just not set to be used, I think it also made the unit region free, but I don't have any discs to bring to him that are other than region 1.

 

[4dude]

Im sure someone will figure something out........(Either that or keep your OLD equip.)

 

[KML0224]

What a ridiculous idea! What's next? Once you're at the beginning of a network show, a sensor will not permit you to change the channel?

 

[nuzguy]

No, restraints will automatically pop out of your recliner and immobilize your hands so you can't reach the remote.

 

[4dude]

Hehehehe