NPR’s All Things Considered ran a piece Monday on the kind of interactive TV that awaits us in the fully digital age. We’ll someday be able to use our remotes to:
• cast votes for reality shows
• request recipes from cooking shows be emailed to us
• place an order with the Home Shopping Network
That all sounds great (particularly the recipes, which might actually get me to make something), but then there’s this: New technology will also allow advertisers with access to demographics and viewing habits to run targeted ads on our TVs. It’s not so much my privacy that I’m worried about at the moment — it’s that I think advertisers will see that I live in New Jersey and watched both Flashdance and the Indy 500 last weekend and somehow decide that makes me the perfect audience for White Castle’s pulled pork commercial when, in actuality, that sexy dancing pig freaks me the f— out.
What do you think your TV viewing habits and demographic will tell advertisers about you? Let’s pretend our privacy still isn’t an issue: What else would you like to be able to do with your remote?
As it gets more interactive, I hope they know what comercials to push to me, as long as I have the ability to say no to some.
If I find some comercial anoying, and they keep playing it over and over and OVER, I want the ability to say “no more!” I have no problem with them thinking I might be in the mood to buy a new car, but when it comes Christmas time, I want to be able to say “I do NOT want to see people giving Lexuses (Lexi?) to each other! I just bought a car, try pushing beer or SOMETHING else!”
I want access to IMDb on my television. No longer will I have to walk across the room to find out who “that guy” is on whatever it is I’m watching.
I think the idea of targeted or personalized adverts is just great. I’m a gay male with a higher than average disposable income who watches insane amounts of TV and practically almost nothing on TV commercials is targeted towards me. I believe there are many different sections of the consumer public that the advertisers are failing to serve. It will also provide a much healtier ratings data. I think this is the only way to go if TV really wants to stay alive.
If this means they will use this new technology to measure how many people are actually watching a TV show, and finally get rid of the out-of-date, out-of-touch neilsons, I’m all for it.
Maybe it will keep some good shows on the air a little bit longer.
I would love to have WIKIPEDIA and IMDB on my TV. Also maybe a way to view trailers on the new shows.
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/05/26/buffy-movie-in-the-works-but-theres-a-huge-catch/
What’d I’d like is that when there is breaking news of any kind and they keep the program running, I have the option to not watch the breaking news and don’t miss my tv show or movie. that annoys the hell out of me
I don’t like that dancing pig either – and it is so NOT sexy! Seeing the pig splashed with BBQ sauce does not inspire me to want to eat at White Castle (not that I eat there anyway!).
Something is seriously wrong with that commmercial!!
I’d love to be able to play along on gameshows! Buzz in on Jeopardy, guess the prices on TPIR, etc…
I’d love to be able to interact with game shows. Frequently, I’ll know the answers at Jeopardy and want to see if I’d make it. Even if there’s no prize won, I’d love for a score kept of the top “at home players”.
The Bozo show used to do this using postcards, so it can’t be THAT hard to get more audience participation and advertiser prize hook ups.
Forget the “thumbs down” with Tivo, I want a “your show sucks and I’ll never watch anything you make as long as Hollywood still hires your hack azz” button.
Finally, I’d love a service that allows me to order custom made products from my favorite shows. Replica props, promotional posters, etc. Imagine, if a show’s about to get canceled and the fans buy a few million $$$ worth of DVDs and such, it could help keep lower rated shows on the air.