Google watching you watch Dish Network

[TheKrell]

I must agree with everything you said.

However, it may not be right to call it "being milked" as we both are getting a free ride on the advertisers dollar.

This is true. Those of us who ignore or skip commercials, or who buy alternate products, are indeed getting a (mostly) free ride. I say "mostly" because a part of our subscriber fees goes to those carriage agreements, and (bringing this discussion back on topic) our viewing habits (down to every button-press?) are also being sold. Now I hope digiblur and others are right saying that the only data being shopped around are statistical, and my own personal viewing habits aren't being divulged. But nevertheless the technology exists for Dish to sell a shocking amount of personal data (second by second?) to third parties, and that would IMHO be a big fat violation of my 4th amendment rights.



I also find it rather amusing that, according to this thread (or was it other threads linked by Scott?) these data are only accumulated for Dish's DVR receivers. In other words, the only receivers capable of skipping commercials are the only receivers being monitored for this widespread behavior. At least I imagine it's widespread behavior. You might suppose Dish would not want to provide statistics like that to advertisers, who must get very upset when they discover nobody is actually watching their pitchmen. Probably the assumption is that those without DVR receivers are all watching the commercials within a monitored program. With lousy assumptions like those, and Big Bucks hanging in the balance, the real cash cows are advertisers who keep on paying for phantom eyeballs.

[Jhon69]

I wonder if they can tell when I watch Skinamax I'm in slow motion?.

[Grandpa J]

Krell

I'm in complete agreement with your second post.

I believe everyone should be on guard about personal data going out third parties. Way too many scams out there that use personal data. While nothing today is really private, we need to insure companies we do business with, don't pass on our personal data without our separate (i.e. not general contract small print provisions) written approval to release same.

[jacmyoung]

The Google ad model is different than the conventional ones. It actually brags about its ability to take into account people's ad skipping habits using DVRs. Which is why they mine the viewing data from the DVR users, not from the non-DVR users.

An example of such smart ads is the latest TiVo/Coors Light alliance during the NFL games. When you hit pause to skip the ads, the Coors Light ad will pop up during your pause, same with when you skip foreward and back. It is only on the TiVo standalones.

But this can be on other DVRs too in the future. When Jhon69 hits slow mode during his Skinamax show, he could be looking at an ad telling him what he has been missing from PPV porn, all he has to do is press OK, the DVR will go right to the real show and he will later be hit with a $12.99 charge

[DishSubLA]

This is the new model with so many people skipping commercials. In a way, I don't mind because I am interested in advertising of products that I am in need of or desire. I just can't stand sitting though commercials that have noting to do with my needs such as new car commercials etc.

[TNGTony]

The thing that always gets overlooked by these media morons who buy and sell add time is that those of us who skip commercials actually pay MORE attention to the commercials as we zip by them to get back to our shows! When I am pressing the skip button I am seeing flashes of the commercial and I can probably recall what each commercial was selling BETTER than if I just let it play in the background as I go off to the john, or to the kitchen or surf on my laptop while its blaring unwatched and unheard.

Rather than fighting this paradigm shift, the advertisers need to embrace the change and create ads that 1) viewers may actually want to watch or 2) can convey brand or product recognition in a flash as the viewer is zipping past the boring or annoying ad.

But what do I know...

See ya
Tony

[wolfjc]

I think that the remote control has been bad news for the commercial because it lets viewers skip to another show when a commercial comes on I know I do so if I am not skipping over commercials then I am changing the channel.
Now the DVR just makes it easier to skip of course.

[Bob Haller]

well remember the DVR allows tracking of shows that otherwise wouldnt be watched. like seeing a friday nite show recorded while your out on a date.

plus some recorded shows are watched while recording, in real time.

wonder how long till theres a detector to see how many people are in the room?

[mikethedishguy]

Dish" The phone line is used to download important information to your reciever"
How is Micky Mouse spelled "M-A-K-I-N-G M-O-N-E-Y"

Dish is about making money any way it can, just like Disney. Do we enjoy it, YES, so it should come of no suprise that a reciever is giving all this information to Dish, enabling it to manage your viewing and maximize there profits so they can continue to exist in a very competitive market.