But wait, there's more! Imagine ABC & NBC with their clever counterprogramming strategies=20 against PVR's and competitors where they run their popular shows over=20 the hour by a few minutes. Now they can make that part non skippable. In fact, all networks could extend each hour show with a trailing 15=20 minutes of nonskip ads. And think of the clever things infomercial and televangelist channels=20 could do turning their channels into an advertising fly-trap for unwary=20 channels surfers. Just touch on the channel and you are stuck there for = the rest of the hour. And imagine when consumers figure out that, Tivo bedamned, the only way=20 to avoid being stuck in commercials is to download the pirated versions=20 of the shows from the net. But as you said, maybe it was a joke and we just didn't get it. ;-) - Tom Albert Manfredi wrote: > Tom Barry wrote: >=20 >=20 >>How clever! >> >>I suggest they do this with all their TV's and PVR's, but >>use their patent to ensure nobody else does. And of >>course advertise this wildly. >> >>It will be interesting to see how well that works. ;-) >=20 >=20 > I practically fell off my chair laughing after reading about this cleve= r=20 > patent idea. I'd check and make sure the date of filing isn't April 1. >=20 > Next thing you know, Good Year will go for a patent on tires that skid = > easily. If the customers were body shops or insurance companies rather = than=20 > car owners, I suppose there would be some logic behind such an idea. >=20 > So who would Philips be looking to sell to? If it's TV consumers, why w= ould=20 > Philips make the job so much easier for all their CE vendor competitors= ?=20 > Inquiring minds would love to know! >=20 > And where is the FCC with their "more control in the hands of consumers= "=20 > mantra? >=20 > Incroyable! >=20 > Bert >=20 > _________________________________________________________________ > FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar =96 get it now!=20 > http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ >=20 > =20 > =20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways: >=20 > - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at = FreeLists.org=20 >=20 > - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word = unsubscribe in the subject line. >=20 >=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways: - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at FreeLists.org - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.