Commentary

My TV Is Watching Me: It Thinks I Need A New Couch

by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, June 11, 2012

Intel says new TV technology will do what we believe is inevitable: With new facial recognition technology, TV will look at us as we look at it.

Facial recognition will then let TV marketers figure out what we really need. Hmm… I guess that could be a shave or some new clothes. Still, this new TV technology may not be able to tell if I need some nourishment, home insurance, a new car or a new TV.

But hey, privacy issues aside, it’s a start, given that almost every new smartphone, laptop, desktop and tablet has a camera to view its operator, take pictures and videos.

The aim is that if TV advertisers know our current purchase considerations, they can help us out. And if they can help us out, they can charge more to TV content owners and their third party sellers for the opportunity.

No more dog commercials for people who only like cats… or salamanders… or pet rocks.

Does Intel want to get into the advertising business? Right now, it just seems to want to use what it does best – technology -- to be part of a new type of set-top boxes. Intel might believe advertisers will pay more for this kind of access that, in turn, can reduce other TV business revenues such as fees from retransmission, cable network carriage and individual program licenses. That, in theory, could help the TV ecosystem.

This would also mean consumers getting only the channels they really want – say the 9 to 12 networks we typically go to, versus the hundreds or so we have little use for. The theory is that small, niche a-la-carte network packages – or individual programs via video-on-demand-- would be available at a lower cost than today.

Yes. We have heard this before from others selling the concept of interactive or addressable advertising. So far, though beaten down at times (hello, Canoe Ventures!), the promise is still alive.

In the meantime, it’ll be nice to know that while I’m talking out loud or yelling during “The Voice,” “The Mentalist,” or the NBA Playoffs, there will be someone listening -- or at least watching.

2 comments about "My TV Is Watching Me: It Thinks I Need A New Couch".

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Mark Walker from aka Media Mark, June 11, 2012 at 5:13 p.m.
Interesting. As far back as the late 1980s cable operators had the ability to collect every button-push on the remote for an addressable box. I, for one, suggested many times that we collect it and use it in house at least, and even develop a market for leasing the info. But alas, my bosses were always afraid to do anything with it for fear of opening up serious privacy-issue concerns and investigations.
Now, in the 21st century, we are talking about actually watching people watching TV and using that info in a very similar way. What would I tell someone who calls in and says he thinks we are watching him through the cable box (believe me, I fielded more than my fair share of those calls!)... I guess the answer is YES, WE ARE- and wearing a foil hat won't stop it any more!
My how the times they are a changin'
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Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, June 11, 2012 at 5:15 p.m.

"We are begging to be controlled."