Innovate, adapt, or be unemployed
Alphie looks at advertising in a DVR world:
This is how the free market operates, adjusting to changes in technology. While Hollywood works with our legislators to stifle technology (like forbidding fast-forwarding through commercials), creative minds are working to come up with ways to deal with the new reality.
There are coupons hidden in the frames that folks with DVRs and TiVos can find. Interesting. I haven’t watched commercials in about three years. The only downside, as far as I can tell, is I never know what movies are playing and I had no idea what a Nintendo Wii was until I saw my friends.
BTW, I must get a Nintendo Wii. For the kids, of course.
December 6th, 2006 at 11:16 am
I use a Linux based DVR system called MythTV. They are never going to stop me from forwarding through commercials 😉 Well, they might. There’s a good chance with the increasing use of ecnrypted digital cable signals that MythTV will be as useful as a brick for digital TV. There’s probably no way a general purpose recording device will ever be approved for CableCARD compatibility.
December 6th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
Japan has started a test with uber product placement. They have segments of shows where it becomes a commercial, with the actors discussing a product or service as if it were just part of the show. They put a “C” in the corner of the screen so that you can tell it’s really a commercial, but otherwise it just looks like the show is going on. Granted, you could hit the button on the DVR to jump ahead, but they are also trying to make it so that it is mingled with the regular show so you would miss part of it if you did that.
Oh, and you do have to get a Wii. Our son convinced us that it should be a family gift instead of just for him, as this sort of thing usually would be. We’ve been having a blast with it.