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Cable 'Canoe' Finds Slow Going
Hardware/software issues plague cable's advertising dream
Charter, Cox, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Comcast and Bright House Networks are collaboratively working on a new advertising system they've dubbed "Canoe." The effort will attempt to make TV advertising more interactive and user (or neighborhood) specific, based on range of factors. The Wall Street Journal reports that efforts to work out the kinks between the different companies cable systems has "proved harder than anticipated." Early implementations of this system would only target neighborhood demographics, but later incarnations could use data provided by your set top box to deliver ads specifically tailored to your viewing. That will of course spur renewed privacy debates -- like those surrounding behavioral advertising.
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cableties
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27

cableties

Premium Member

Tip that canoe...

and I don't mean in monetary tip.

I hate STBs. Crappy hardware. Crippled ports. Crummy remotes. Limited DVR capacity.

I own a decent HDTV, that has a tuner. Since I don't do pay-per-view, why am I chained to this box?

I bet the pushed commercials are still in Standard Def

baineschile
2600 ways to live
Premium Member
join:2008-05-10
Sterling Heights, MI

baineschile

Premium Member

Re: Tip that canoe...

TV companies dont decide whats aired, or if its in Hi-Def or not. That is generally up to the network; but if the network ads a product that wasnt shot in HD, the commercial will obviously be 480.

That being said; targeted ads on TV will be the new method of advertisement. The same way google/amazon saves some cookies, and displays ads based on what websites you've visited.
Expand your moderator at work
Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL

Joe12345678 to cableties

Member

to cableties
cable needs more HD and they should not be useing up bandwidth for this. The guide has ad's on each page of it and now you need even more of them?
ashworth7
join:2001-10-06
Pittsburgh, PA

ashworth7

Member

Re: Tip that canoe...

Can you say ad revenue ?? New profit streams for MSO's.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop

Member

So what's the big deal?

So I will get commercials that might interest me more. Good, maybe I won't have to watch 400 tampon commercials a day.

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru

MVM

Re: So what's the big deal?

said by battleop:

So I will get commercials that might interest me more. Good, maybe I won't have to watch 400 tampon commercials a day.
So you rather see 400 ads for Viagra/Extenzze/ED drug?

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop

Member

Re: So what's the big deal?

I guess that would be more appropriate for a male to watch than a tampon commercial. I would rather see no commercials but we know that's not going to happen.

Matt3
All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC

Matt3 to battleop

Premium Member

to battleop
said by battleop:

So I will get commercials that might interest me more. Good, maybe I won't have to watch 400 tampon commercials a day.
I agree with this. I can sympathize with the folks who are worried about privacy, but if the cable companies use my viewing habits to direct advertising to me, I really don't care. It would be an improvement I think.

RARPSL
join:1999-12-08
Suffern, NY

RARPSL to battleop

Member

to battleop
said by battleop:

So I will get commercials that might interest me more. Good, maybe I won't have to watch 400 tampon commercials a day.
Or watch the same commercial twice in the same break. It is bad enough when a commercial airs twice during a show but stuffing the 2nd or 3rd airing into the same break is worse.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop

Member

Re: So what's the big deal?

I feel sorry for anyone who watches Pitchmen on the Discovery Channel with this technology. They will have "BILLY MASE HERE!" for ever burned into their skull.

jazzlady
join:2005-08-04
Tannersville, PA

jazzlady to RARPSL

Member

to RARPSL
said by RARPSL:

Or watch the same commercial twice in the same break. It is bad enough when a commercial airs twice during a show but stuffing the 2nd or 3rd airing into the same break is worse.
That drives me freaking nuts too...
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88 to battleop

Member

to battleop
said by battleop:

So I will get commercials that might interest me more. Good, maybe I won't have to watch 400 tampon commercials a day.
Don't watch MTV then.

mr sean
Professional Infidel

join:2001-04-03
N. Absentia

mr sean

Google on TV?

Why not?
Lets face it:
We get targeted on the net, at the grocery store...and now TV.
Just what the hell is privacy anyway?

pokesph
It Is Almost Fast
Premium Member
join:2001-06-25
Sacramento, CA

pokesph

Premium Member

...without a paddle

so why do we have to suffer through all these locally added commercials.. why are the cable co's even selling space?
Isn't the point of commercials to help 'sponsor' or pay for the show being aired?
The NETWORKS and/or CABLE CHANNELS are the ones who are SUPPOSE TO be selling the ad space.. It's their video stream.. not the Cable CO's.

Think of all those poor Smiling Bob commercials that are going to get trumped, poorly and mistimed I may add, by the local ones .. the horror THE HORROR.

We'll NEVER see another ShamWow or Billy Mays here for.. ! spot again..

Might as well turn off the TV
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88

Member

Re: ...without a paddle

said by pokesph:

Think of all those poor Smiling Bob commercials that are going to get trumped, poorly and mistimed I may add, by the local ones .. the horror THE HORROR.

We'll NEVER see another ShamWow or Billy Mays here for.. ! spot again..

Might as well turn off the TV
Check the addresses on the end of the direct response ads, some of the "as seen on tv" products are sold by ad franchisers, not by the company that made the product. »amntv.com/
33358088 (banned)
join:2008-09-23

33358088 (banned)

Member

sign sign everywhere a sign barking up the scenary breaking

my mind , do this don't do that can't ya read the sign....

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

2 edits

FFH5

Premium Member

STB would need to collect data; that can be checked on

could use data provided by your set top box to deliver ads specifically tailored to your viewing. That will of course spur renewed privacy debates
If you want to know if your system (at least on Comcast Motorola STBs) is collecting data you can see if that is the case.

Go to Setup; Cable Box Setup; Select to display "configuration"; Press Fav button on remote. The following screen will display:


the line "Clickstream Logging" will show enabled or disabled. If it shows disabled, they are not tracking your viewing habits.

braynes
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Waterville, ME

braynes

Premium Member

Re: STB would need to collect data; that can be checked on

Thanks that works great in Maine on TWC.
Bruce

Guy Incognito
@teksavvy.com

Guy Incognito

Anon

Dump your Cable TV

you'll thank me later
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: Dump your Cable TV

for what crappy Telco products and Dish? Where you're charged for boxes that you don't need with Cable?

jazzlady
join:2005-08-04
Tannersville, PA

jazzlady

Member

Re: Dump your Cable TV

said by hottboiinnc4:

for what crappy Telco products and Dish? Where you're charged for boxes that you don't need with Cable?
Oh really? No boxes with cable?

No boxes with ANALOG cable. Digital cable requires boxes.

So when the DTV switchover comes, many cableco's will be shutting off the analog feed and forcing customers to upgrade to digital, which requires a rented STB for every tv.

If they want to target me with ads, they better give me something back in return- like lower prices, or no rental fees on those boxes.

upo
@port-orange.org

upo

Anon

Keep looking for a viable

business ad model-charge the customers who opt-in a lower price than the ones who don't-I'll trade a little info for a lower price and let the 'non-opts' pay for theirs-SOMEBODY has to pay.

mr sean
Professional Infidel

join:2001-04-03
N. Absentia

mr sean

Re: Keep looking for a viable

said by upo :

SOMEBODY has to pay.
Soooo...TV is like electronic Karma

Jason213
@airband.net

Jason213

Anon

Cablevision finds more ways to put one over on customers

I take their "innovations" with a grain of salt. I have no doubt they can find a way to wrestle control of commercials from networks using their monopoly. Watch out for them to make a killing in ad fees, and pass along none of the cost savings to the consumer. In fact, I bet I'll witness a few more of my channels disappear and monthly rates rise

Cablevision is addicted to making money. Its contagious in their corporate headquarters. Once everyone sees the Dolan's making more cash with these commercials, the department heads will think "hey, maybe if I took away more channels and charged more money, then we could make even more cash"

What a business model!

james16
join:2001-02-26

james16

Member

Bleh

Oh great, so people who happen to live near a poor area can expect a bunch of KFC commercials, nike shoe ads, ads for rap music and a bunch of other crap that keeps poor people ignorant and retarded.
People who happen to live near a rich area can expect ads for diamond plated toilets and other luxuries that only the douchebags who want to "keep up with the jones's" would get.

No one wants that crap.
chelpt
join:2008-05-24
La Crosse, WI

chelpt

Member

Nebu Ad II

Really? So you are going to cap data use, and then you'll break wiretap laws to watch what we are watching? It didn't work for NebuAd, and it, hopefully, won't work for this.

NSA_CIA
@charter.com

NSA_CIA

Anon

Ad-Insertion is NOTHING NEW, better targeting is.

How misinformed so many people are about the ad insertion done and ad revenue collected by EVERY video provider already, DirecTV, Dish, and FIOS included.

Just follow some links:

»www.comcastspotlight.com
»www.cablemediasales.com
»www.coxmedia.com
»www.chartermedia.com
»www.rainbow-media.com
»www.adlink.com
»www.viamediatv.com
»www.directvadsales.com
»www.dishmediasales.com