I don't know about privacy concerns . . . but I do know that in Staten Island, Verizon FIOS has been cutting into programming with local commercials. Usually, about a minute or so after the regular commercial break ends, the program I'm watching is abruptly cut off and replaced by one or two local commercials followed by a FIOS commercial. As a result, several minutes of programming are lost every hour.
I don't want to pay $100+ a month to see FIOS Guy instead of Rescue Me. Is anyone else having this experience?
@missal wrote: I don't know about privacy concerns . . . but I do know that in Staten Island, Verizon FIOS has been cutting into programming with local commercials. Usually, about a minute or so after the regular commercial break ends, the program I'm watching is abruptly cut off and replaced by one or two local commercials followed by a FIOS commercial. As a result, several minutes of programming are lost every hour.I don't want to pay $100+ a month to see FIOS Guy instead of Rescue Me. Is anyone else having this experience?
Please post your issue here. There is already someone from verizon working on the issue.
John Smith wrote: I heard that FiOS TV has started (or will be starting?) customized commercials for its subscribers (in other words, not just commercials dependent on the subscriber's ZIP code, but rather dependent on his/her viewing history or something like that). Does anybody know anything about this? Any privacy concerns?
Hey Tim,
Yeah I'm back with a new account. Since my original account was disabled they couldnt let me keep the history on the account. But Kathleen was nice enough to let me keep my name
@TheSanchez wrote: Hey Tim,Yeah I'm back with a new account. Since my original account was disabled they couldnt let me keep the history on the account. But Kathleen was nice enough to let me keep my name
Welcome back - you were missed.
Want more details. Read Verizon's Policy Blog posted on 4/8/2009. It sure sounds like targeting individuals families.
"As John described it, Verizon could deliver advertising so one household would see an ad for one product while their neighbors get different product information from the same advertiser – a van to one family and a small compact car to another. Or we might be able to deliver ads to similar audiences even though they might be watching different programs."
http://policyblog.verizon.com/PolicyBlog/Blogs/policyblog/EricRabe9/605/NewTVAdModelfortheDigitalAge.aspx
@prisaz wrote: Want more details. Read Verizon's Policy Blog posted on 4/8/2009. It sure sounds like targeting individuals families. "As John described it, Verizon could deliver advertising so one household would see an ad for one product while their neighbors get different product information from the same advertiser – a van to one family and a small compact car to another. Or we might be able to deliver ads to similar audiences even though they might be watching different programs."http://policyblog.verizon.com/PolicyBlog/Blogs/policyblog/EricRabe9/605/NewTVAdModelfortheDigitalAge.aspx
Don't know how they would do that since they would have to switch from QAM to IP to target a specific box with customized commercials. The QAM signal is common to all users from the VHO and thus all commecials would be common.
Not saying they couldn't, just doesn't sound practical.
@Keyboards wrote: @prisaz wrote: Want more details. Read Verizon's Policy Blog posted on 4/8/2009. It sure sounds like targeting individuals families. "As John described it, Verizon could deliver advertising so one household would see an ad for one product while their neighbors get different product information from the same advertiser – a van to one family and a small compact car to another. Or we might be able to deliver ads to similar audiences even though they might be watching different programs."http://policyblog.verizon.com/PolicyBlog/Blogs/policyblog/EricRabe9/605/NewTVAdModelfortheDigitalAge.aspxDon't know how they would do that since they would have to switch from QAM to IP to target a specific box with customized commercials. The QAM signal is common to all users from the VHO and thus all commecials would be common.Not saying they couldn't, just doesn't sound practical.
They say they are doing it based on readily available 3rd party demographics. The way ad insertions typically work is there are certain 'blocks' available for local advertisers which is why we see the end of a 'national' ad when the local ad runs short or starts early.
Since they know what channel you are watching and when the local ad needs to be inserted, they could blast a demographically unique ad to all of the set top boxes that should be getting that local ad.
Seems feasible w/o IP, though, the boxes are IP addressable and the video signals are QAM, but now I'm venturing way over my head.
@MagicMan wrote: They say they are doing it based on readily available 3rd party demographics. The way ad insertions typically work is there are certain 'blocks' available for local advertisers which is why we see the end of a 'national' ad when the local ad runs short or starts early.Since they know what channel you are watching and when the local ad needs to be inserted, they could blast a demographically unique ad to all of the set top boxes that should be getting that local ad.Seems feasible w/o IP, though, the boxes are IP addressable and the video signals are QAM, but now I'm venturing way over my head.
How do you make unique transmissionson a signal that is the same to all from a given VHO (commercials are inserted at the VHO level)?
The TV signal (not counting VOD) is delivered as RF over fiber and converted from optical to electrical at the users ONT. The fber transimission to your home is done over PON (Passive Optical Network - note the word passive). The only way to address a given box (or sub-group of boxes) is to switch from QAM to IP and back to QAM again when the commercial break is over.
Hope that gets your head above water a bit
