Zapping Blocker

EN: The Multimedia Home Platform is supposed to bring some new features to tv, but not all of them are meant to be good for the consumer (well, what ever usually good means for a tv consumer). This patent by Philips describes a method making it possible to prevent people or recording devices to change channel during advertisement.

I hope this patent will not be applied and if will not be accepted by consumers. Why should anybody buy a tv with this feature. Maybe it could be used for a new marketing strategy where you get the tv for free and have to watch the advertisement. But similar concepts have been applied (as far as I know) unsuccessfully to the computer business.

But be fair sometimes the advertiment seems to be better than the trashy shows. What ever, the easiest way to avoid this brainwashing is not watching tv.

via Spiegel online - Technik soll Umschalten in Werbepausen verhindern