Comcast - watching you watch TV

Sharon

Sharon

* * * * * * * * *
Staff member
PREMO Member
Gerard Kunkel, Comcast’s senior VP of user experience, told me the cable company is experimenting with different camera technologies built into devices so it can know who’s in your living room.

The idea being that if you turn on your cable box, it recognizes you and pulls up shows already in your profile or makes recommendations. If parents are watching TV with their children, for example, parental controls could appear to block certain content from appearing on the screen. Kunkel also said this type of monitoring is the “holy grail” because it could help serve up specifically tailored ads. Yikes.

Kunkel said the system wouldn’t be based on facial recognition, so there wouldn’t be a picture of you on file (we hope). Instead, it would distinguish between different members of your household by recognizing body forms. He stressed that the system is still in the experimental phase, that there hasn’t been consumer testing, and that any rollout “must add value” to the viewing experience beyond serving ads.

Perhaps I’ve seen Enemy of the State too many times, or perhaps I’m just naive about the depths to which Comcast currently tracks my every move. I can’t trust Comcast with BitTorrent, so why should I trust them with my must-be-kept-secret, DVR-clogging addiction to Keeping Up with the Kardashians?
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Comcast Cameras to Start Watching You? « NewTeeVee
 

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MMDad

MMDad

Lem Putt
Larry Gude said:
...they would simply then edit the show to tailor your world. Maybe some Animal Kingdom or National Geographic content for those times...
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I wonder how precisely it could match the moment? Would it have a microphone so it could hear him grunt, then immediately switch to a football game so she wants to leave the room and he doesn't have to snuggle?
 
PJumper

PJumper

New Member
MMDad said:
I wonder how precisely it could match the moment? Would it have a microphone so it could hear him grunt, then immediately switch to a football game so she wants to leave the room and he doesn't have to snuggle?
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I would be the first to sign up for the service if it disables the vacuum cleaner or dishwasher if I'm watching.
 
Dymphna

Dymphna

Loyalty, Friendship, Love
RadioPatrol said:
I would like the flippeing thing to tell Comcast what programs are being watched .... so maybe good TV shows will stick around, and the Trash will get Dumped


time for the Nielson Rating System to go .......... :duel:
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They probably already collect that data from your cable box, but the flaw in that is just because the box is turned on doesn't mean the TV is turned on.
 
R

RadioPatrol

Guest
Dymphna said:
They probably already collect that data from your cable box, but the flaw in that is just because the box is turned on doesn't mean the TV is turned on.
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Hmm true ....... ours sits on Hallmark or BBC America most of the time, everything below 99 we can tune in with the TV ....
 
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