Trimming Television to Sell More Ads

gambit3 writes: "Tech TV has an article about a device called a "Digital Time Machine", that does something called "Time Trimming", which is basically a way to cut single frames from different scenes in TV programs, which, over the course of a 30 minute program, can add up to 30 seconds, which is, incidentally, the perfect length to add ANOTHER commercial."

Yea!

[soupforare]

Let's degrade the already not-that-great video quality from broadcast television!
Though, I suppose it won't matter in a few years when we all have HDTV over DSL and a free DMCA Skullfucker 4000 Market-Reaving Device free in the box
::sigh::

::hugs his LDs and shortwave::

They should collaborate with....

[mt404]

...ZeoSync and eventually we'll all be able to watch a 30 minute TV program in 30 seconds without missing a thing.

Devil's Advocate here...

[bethorphil]

Maybe this technology could be used for GOOD! Instead of adding 30 seconds of commercials, they could squeeze one or two more jokes in the the Drew Cary show? Or one more idiotic plot twist into the X-Files?

You guys are always naysaying! Why don't you come up with an invention like inward sing--- oh wait, wrong rant....

I already do this . . .

[Ezubaric]

If only I had a patent.

Each year, I prepare for the Super Bowl. Not that I like the Super Bowl, but apart from knowing the score at each quarter, the only knowledge you need to prove that you watched the game is what commercials were shown.

After programming my VCR to record the game, I watch the amusing commercials and fast forward through the game itself. This new-fangled "Time Machine" just gives you the illusion of actually watching the show between ads.

bah

[nomadic]

What kind of soulless, greed-driven monster came up with this? I mean, what kind of person do you have to be to work in television? This isn't rhetoric, or hyperbole; I seriously just can't fathom the mental processes of the people who spend their lives doing this kind of stuff.

You folks are looking at it wrong...

[wowbagger]

Don't look at this as being "another commercial" - look at it as "overclocking your TV" - just think, that's thirty seconds less time per show you have to watch, just by skipping over it with your Tivo.

Heck, I've often wanted the ability to do just this - compress a TV show I want to see so as to be better able to fit it into my time.

Now, if we could just compress the time wasted by laugh tracks....

do ads really have an effect anymore ??

[Anonymous Coward]

personally, advertising has become background noise ... i mentally "tune out" when commercials come on and close pop-up windows when they get in the way. now if you excuse me i have a craving for fabric softner

better idea

[verbatim_verbose]

Just shorten the commercials instead. Duh. :)

Re:So what's wrong with this?

[Cheetah86]

From one of the thinkgeek demotivator posters:
Pessimism: Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining, but Lightning Kills Hundreds of People Each Year Who Are Trying to Find It.

wait till the next step....

[kireK]

My DVD player lets me watch movies at twice the normal speed... wait for the next generation of tv shows and commercials. 10 minutes of super speed show, and 20 minutes of ssllooww speed commercials.

Re:Where to get addl time

[Cardhore]

Good idea! They could even go so far as to divide the screen up into four pieces, and play four simultaneous ads. The top two frames would get left and right audio, while the bottom two would get closed caption and rear surround.

Re:Sounds like "Cash" on radio

[Waffle Iron]

Rush Limbaugh among others have blasted it for ruining the listener's experience.

<audio style="rush-limbaugh-voice">

Rush Limbaugh doesn't like it. Folks, I can't believe the... the... the.. gall this guy has. People, I can't emphasize this enough: The radio stations are there to make money for Clear Channel stockholders, not as some charity to provide the best possible experience for Rush's listeners.

Look, folks, if Rush doesn't want this technology applied to his show, he's free to negotiate a contract with the radio stations that enforces his wishes. Anybody in this great country of ours can negotiate any contract they want. I hope that he's not going to try to get the government weenies at the FCC to meddle with the radio stations' livelyhoods.

Sheesh. Sometimes, I just don't know. We'll be back after this...

<riff genre="80's rock">

</audio>

Re:And it has already gotten in trouble...

[PurpleBob]

This quote is priceless.

"Officials at CBS' station in Pittsburgh, KDKA, said they accidentally created the delay when they used the machine during halftime to squeeze in extra advertising worth thousands of dollars." (my emphasis)

Re:Sounds like "Cash" on radio

[Saeger]

Here's a fun idea for Rush: While on-air, call up the greedy suit responsible for squeezing the show, and say, "I'm going to ask you one question. After I ask you this question, you MUST pause 10 seconds before giving your answer - no exceptions. If you fail to remain silent for 10 seconds before giving your answer, you are an nimwit and an asshole. It's VERY important that you follow this simple rule. Got it? Good. Now here's the question: What's 5+5"

Of course, 10 seconds gets trimmed to 500ms and the suit makes an ass of himself. :)

This new answer-delay tactic could also be extended to station contests when people call-in, and they would ALL be disqualified because of the stations cash squeezer. Heh.

Too bad Rush doesn't have a subversive bone his body -- it would take a Howard Stern to pull this stunt.

--

Great for Warhol Films

[torklugnutz]

Since the technology dumps the duplicate frames, this would make those infinitely long art films in which nothing happens much shorter. Real-Time Warhol films would all of a sudden become time-lapse. Sweet.

If they cut...

[marvin tph]

...all the duplicate frames does this mean that South Park episodes will take one minute to air?

Re:bah

[Our Man In Redmond]

"Television is called a 'medium' because when it's well done, it's rare." -- Ernie Kovacs (famous television personality)

Also attributed to Fred Allen (famous anti-television personality)

Re:Reminds of good old days in Hong Kong

[Our Man In Redmond]

Reminds me of the theater owner in Seoul who thought "The Sound Of Music" ran too long, so he shortened it by cutting all the songs. :)

Re:Sounds like "Cash" on radio

[poot_rootbeer]

Let's apply the Cashbox time-shrinking algorithms and see what we end up with here...

<audio style="rush-limbaugh-voice" mime-type="cashbox-audio-compressed>
RushLimbaughdoesn'tlikeit.Folks,Ican'tbelievethe .t he.thegallthisguyhas.People,Ican'temphasizethiseno ugh:TheradiostationsaretheretomakemoneyforClearCha nnelstockholders,notassomecharitytoprovidethebestp ossibleexperienceforRush'slisteners.Look,folks,ifR ushdoesn'twantthistechnologyappliedtohisshow,he'sf reetonegotiateacontractwiththeradiostationsthatenf orceshiswishes.Anybodyinthisgreatcountryofourscann egotiateanycontracttheywant.Ihopethathe'snotgoingt otrytogetthegovernmentweeniesattheFCCtomeddlewitht heradiostations'livelyhoods.Sheesh.Sometimes,Ijust don'tknow.We'llbebackafterthis.

<riff genre="80's rock" rpm="45">

</audio>

Well Geez...

[Anonymous Coward]

Can't get first post if you read the article first!