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Philips patent stops viewers switching off adverts
Philips has patented technology that prevents TV viewers changing channels or fast forwarding through adverts (if watching on a PVR).
According to Techdirt, Philips has developed a system that embeds a flag into a broadcast ad, locking the viewer into them. You then can't change channels until the ad break has finished.
The flags are also recognised by personal video recorders to stop owners of systems such as Sky+ from fast forwarding through the ad break.
If you really want to change channels, Philips has said that it can build in an extra feature that allows you to pay for the privilege of dumping the ads.
Obviously we're less than impressed with Philip's latest patent (click the link to read it). It doesn't fall into the spirit of the growing world of the digital home, where we can consume TV programmes at our leisure, and does beg the question who would buy such a TV?
Surely any half-way savvy consumer will avoid such TVs, and even advertisers must see how much resentment this would fuel.
We'd be really surprised if this patent ever gets used in a TV, but can unfortunately see a version of it being embedded into programmes that are broadcast over the Internet, to ensure viewers have to suffer the ads before they can continue watching a programme or turn it off.
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It is about time that company's like Philips started paying attention to who really pays their wages...
In one action they have destroyed any vestages of respect I had for a once excellent company.
'Greedy' breeds its own downfall.
What a bunch of losers.
Posted by: Dave Peden | April 19, 2006 4:38 PM
Commercial organisations need to realise that they exist for our convenience, not us for their's
Posted by: Ben Clark | April 19, 2006 6:19 PM
What happened to the freedom of choice ovwer what we want to watch.
Posted by: Dennis Chapman | April 19, 2006 7:22 PM
There is always the OFF button!! Lets see Philips get round that!!
What a marketing blunder.
R. Judd
Posted by: Richard Judd | April 19, 2006 7:52 PM
A good reason for steering clear of any Philips product if that's the approach they intend to pursue. If the Big Brother attitude is going to persist the quicker individuals act to bring about Philps economic downfall the better. Shop elsewhere.
Posted by: Jason Bishop | April 19, 2006 8:24 PM
What a waste of Philip's research time. Five minutes after they launch this daft system someone will have a simple get around. I wouldn't mind so much if the adverts weren't so moronic! If the advertisers really want us to watch them make them interesting. If the TV companies want to keep their ratings they'll soon learn not to use this daft proposal!
Posted by: Phil Flannery | April 20, 2006 6:34 PM
Publish this in the mainstream press - let's see how Philips likes it when it's megamaniac ideas are properly publicised. We should all boycott Philips products until they drop this mad idea.
Posted by: KC Jones | April 20, 2006 7:40 PM
How are Phillips going to stop me getting up to make a cup of tea? What was the date of the press release,'April 1st'?
Posted by: Jim Greatorex | April 21, 2006 7:53 AM
All my adult lift I've bought Philips Products: TV's, DVD's, Portable Radio's, Video Recorders etc, etc, TOP of the Range Most of them............NEVER AGAIN!!!
Posted by: Keith | April 21, 2006 12:05 PM
Philips is a dutch company isn't it? They've put one heavily laden clog into the works with this blunder. What a bunch of cloghoppers.
Posted by: Anthony Harvey | April 21, 2006 12:58 PM
Philips should sack whoever thought of this. It will destroy them. It will also destroy any politician who supports/fails to oppose it.
Posted by: TonyStevens | April 21, 2006 4:27 PM
You could look at it another way, by patenting the idea Philips could ensure that it never did get into a product produced by themselves or anyone else.
It might just be that Philips has the consumers interest at heart.
Posted by: Peter S | April 21, 2006 8:56 PM
I've already stopped buying Sony products after the rootkit debacle. Now Phillips can go on the boycott list too.
Posted by: Jim Choux | April 23, 2006 11:14 AM
Well at least my grandson will enjoy the TV now!!!!
he only watches the adverts.
I agree philips my have cut their own throats!!
but I remember a time when you couldn't fast forward or anything. I just got up to make the tea. And so did thousands of others. The national grid had to compensate.!!!! So we are back there again wow. Of course you could day dream???
Posted by: Rosemary Sladden | April 27, 2006 2:07 AM
Philips
they must be the pits of a consumer electrical goods supplier as I have found to my cost.
their LCD TV are ***** and they win NOT assist in repair or refund.
the article above shows their rip off attitude to consumers.
MY STRONG ADVICE IS DO NOT BUY PHILIPS
Posted by: keith | September 27, 2006 10:07 PM
I have a 3 year old $6,000 Philips TV that Philips says they don't have any service manuals on and their authorized service people say they can't service. I will never buy from Philips if they won't enable support for a 3 year old TV.
Posted by: Bill Harrison | March 6, 2007 3:08 AM
I saw your information at http://blog.activehome.co.uk/2006/04/philips_patent_.html. Have you seen http://www.FreePatentsOnline.com ? The site might be a good resource to add. This site allows free patent searching, free PDF downloading, free alerts, and more. It is a good resource for intellectual property attorneys, patent searchers, scientists, and students.
Posted by: james ryley | August 9, 2007 8:58 AM