[Infowarrior] - Comcast Wants You to Watch Commercials

[Richard Forno]

Comcast Wants You to Watch Commercials
By Swanni 
http://www.tvpredictions.com/comcast051512.htm

Washington, D.C. (May 15, 2012) -- Comcast has filed for a patent for a new technology that would force viewers to watch ads even when they try to skip them on their Digital Video Recorders.

That's according to an article by FierceCable.

The cable operator's move is in sharp contrast to Dish Network's new Auto Hop DVR feature that allows viewers to watch recorded shows on the four major broadcast networks without ever seeing a commercial. Network executives blasted Dish's new feature yesterday, but the satcaster said it wants to "champion" the interests of subscribers, not advertisers or networks.

Comcast, of course, has subscribers, too -- more than 22 million of them, in fact -- but the company now also owns NBC which needs advertising revenue to exist. According to FierceCable, Comcast's new technology would force viewers to see an alternate ad when they hit the Fast Forward button to skip a commercial. The ad would be partially visible.

FierceCable writes that Comcast is also pursuing a strategy that would target alternative ads to subscribers based on viewing habits and demographics.


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