These are businesses I would be looking at starting, and software I would look at writing ifI were so inclined.
Instead, I decided to throw them out free for all. Maybe someone has already thought of the ideas, maybe someone hasn’t. Doesn’t matter.
If I were a patent terrorist like some, I could probably even patent these ideas. Isn’t it a shame that in this country today, you can have nothing more than an idea, do nothing with it, but still have a chance to make money?
All you have to do isbe the first to file and get approved on a patent for youridea or process. Then send it to the lawyers to steal money from companies that have enough brains to come up with the idea independently of you, with no idea of who you are, or what you did. They are able to do what thepatent terrorists couldn’t turn an idea into a product or service and make a business out of it. That’s a crime in and of itself…but I digress.
Here are the ideas (Patent away):
1. When is the one time we all stare real hard at theTV and give 100pct of our attention? When we are fast forwarding using our TiVo/PVR units. TV never has a greater share of our attention because we all want to stop the fast forward right when the show starts back up. It would be real easy to write software to pull one of the 30 frames per second that are marked for the device, and hold that as a billboard ad for the product being sold until the commercial is over. The viewer won’t see it if they don’t fast forward, and if they do, they see the equivalent of a billboard for the product being sold. Viewers staring hard at your ad. That can’t be a bad thing.
If PVR providers want to get fancy, in a high-def world, they can pull identified frames and bits and reassemble a full ad at lower resolution…again, not difficult at all to do.
2. When I had broadcast.com we were testing software that let the user program their ownTV stations. Just take any of our programs that were available on demand from our site, and plug it into a schedule that you create for your station. You can even insert a live program as part of the schedule and the software just changes the channel to the one you want.
Today, with PVRs and Media Center PCs, this doesn’t have to be about the net. With very simple software, you could pull content from the net, or more importantly Video on Demand sources and program your own personal TV schedule.
Search through your comcast or charter VOD programming guides, and schedule the shows you want, when you want.
Of course, this is not different than an MP3 playlist from any music player, so it would just be days till PersonalTV station playlists would be shared. Want to watch Mark Cuban TV (don’t know why, but if you did), just subscribe to my TV Sched PlayList RSS output from my blog, and you can watch what I watch, when I watch it.
3. Here is the one app that I think could really mess things up. The cable network emulator.
I don’t know if it ever happens, but it could really toss a wrench into things. If you can schedule your own TV network, you can emulate someone elses. So if I wanted to recreate the schedule of Spike TV, USA Networks, etc, etc., it would take minutes to download their upcoming schedule and then run a search through your local cable provider IPG and see what they have on demand. The program will then come back to you with which hours from the emulatedschedule are available VOD and schedule it the same time as Spike, USA, whichever network you are emulating. Voila’ you have created your version without subscribing.
The more programs available on demand and online,the more the power of the program expands.
Where the real trouble starts is as more TV shows and moviesare available via VOD and the net, then the programs will also be able to do a cost comparison. Is itcheaper tobuy programs on your own and emulate your favorite network or buy the network?
Could itbe better to buybasic digital cable, the SVOD package, an external source of content like Netflix or an internet content servicethen it is to buy more expensive packages?
It’s going to be fun to find out and to see if and when these software programs appear.
This site seems to be interesting and please visit my site – http://www.Cygnet-Infotech.com is an offshore software development company. Our well-equipped software development center with dedicated teams for Delphi, .Net, PowerBuilder development, SEO, BPO, Web Designers are based in India.
Comment by Vipal Panchal -
In the future you will be able to view entire programs and movies from around the world, realtime or canned. Want to watch the golf championships in Scotland live? Rather download a half hour of highlights? Or do research on the players? All this will come by way of satellite.
Comment by runescape money -
The commercials are taken out…that beats having Tivo and fast forwarding! Now if Hollywood would embrace file sharing and the ideas listed above then they could make a killing off of advertisements. Because these shows will be shared and passed along for years, and so will the message of each advertisers products!
Comment by wow powerleveling -
Respected sir,
I found your website from Google search engine. Your website is really a those of website listen who serve quality content with useful resources on the web.
So, I will like to introduce my website http://www.tatvasoft.com a Software Outsourcing Development Outsourcing Company from India. We serve Software Development services across the globe.
Please visit our website if you think that our website is really a good one then please link back to us.
In order to put our link on your website I also put your website information on our other Website http://www.mywebspider.com a Webdirectory for business directory.
Our link info:
Link Info:
http://www.tatvasoft.com
Tatvasoft – Offshore Software Development Outsourcing India
TatvaSoft is experienced software outsourcing company with clear focus on quality software development in .NET technology and C++. We help our customers to cut costs and maximize profit through custom offshore software development.
For your convenience, here is the HTML Code:
Tatvasoft – Offshore Software Development Outsourcing IndiaTatvaSoft is experienced software outsourcing company with clear focus on quality software development in .NET technology and C++. We help our customers to cut costs and maximize profit through custom offshore software development.
Thank your for your time.
Waiting for replay,
Jim
Comment by jim -
Thomas Hawke (above commenter) is right. The real fun starts happening not when the net-based content begins emulating the networks but when a convergence happens between the two so that the consumer doesn’t have to care about (or even be aware of) the source or delivery mechanism of their programming.
Envision a set-top box with a collaborative filtering network (ala tivo) that still lists a manageable number of programs based on what it recommends but pulls from a source of hundreds of thousands of programs instead of hundreds from both cable and the net. In essence what you are doing is turning the net into a massive test bed to let the people determine the next hits and not the networks. A cult show begins to pick up popularity and then slowly starts to trickle onto the “recommended” list of more and more mainstream types of people until it becomes the next smash sensation. A major criticism of the networks is they are too impatient to let shows develop a following and axe many diamonds in the rough before the have a chance.
The opportunities of VOD and live programming pale in comparison to the opportunities of content source convergence, even if that means having to wait for your show to download/air. Once your hard-drive is full, I mean who gives a damn, as long as you don’t have to sit through insultingly insipid tv.
I am 100% that this is the end game we will see. And also 100% that it will change society far more than the internet has.
Comment by PuddlyWumpus -
MFFIP, Inc. announces the sale of a US Utility Patent Application designated DVR001. The disclosure includes innovations in the DVR field. Bids are being accepted on eBay, item number 5981167951.
Comment by MFFIP -
How about displaying a commercial when you pause. Most often people pause a DVR/Tivo because they have to answer the phone, get a snack, or for a bio break – often there are other people in the room staring at the frozen picture – what a perfect time to advertise! No one can object because they are have purposefully *stopped* watching their program. It’s Advertisements On Demand.
Comment by Fraser Fulford -
Good thinking Marc, but of course it bears mentioning that this idea has been floated for at least four years, ever since TiVo first began selling a user interface for TV. Here’s a post from 2 years ago:
http://archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?s=eccad0c037e0009a885ac94b8726e614&threadid=90833&perpage=20&pagenumber=1
Comment by Josh -
Good Idea Mark…I just found that they are already working on the TIVO banners
http://www.engadget.com/entry/4721616738437149/
Comment by Steal Below -
Here you go, Mark:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&ncid=2026&e=1&u=/latimests/20041117/ts_latimes/tivowillnolongerskippastadvertisers
Comment by Steve -
Ads while fastforwarding…
LEELA: Didn’t you have ads in the twentieth century?
FRY: Well, sure, but not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio… and in magazines… and movies, and at ballgames, and on buses, and milk cartons, and T-shirts, and bananas, and written in the sky. But not in dreams, no sirree.
Comment by Richard -
“But if we don’t watch the commercials, it’s like we’re stealing TV.”
Comment by Blake -
I hope that someone will read this and will make my life less annoying of TV ads. It is one week after Mark’s log 🙂
A digital TV will have a huge advantage over traditional broadcast TV. It will be possible to personalize commercials, just like on Google. This won’t require to change current TV business model. You can even have the same fixed program schedule as now but commercials right for you. It is such obvious.
Greetings for everyone from Poland!
Comment by Greg Daniluk -
What if, just for a moment, we forget about this metaphorical concept of the TV station? What if we were able to watch what we want, when we want (i.e. PVR boxes like TiVo or Myth) but we also only pay for the content we actually watch? In this way we get a better signal to noise ratio for our dollar and time investment. Perhaps this won’t be a very attractive pricing strategy for people that watch 6+ hours of TV a day, but you could entice subscribers by reducing the advertising footprint. 10 minutes of commercials for 20 minutes of content is excessive and should be provided to consumers for free (or at a reduced rate).
Comment by Brian Suomela -
They idea that TV should become interactive is somewhat contrary because TV’s success is largely related to it being such a passive medium. I don’t think people want to “manage” content, contrary to what Microsoft believes. Being able to personalize television in the least demanding way pssible is a more worthwhile goal and presents a much greater opportunity for profit than creating an “interactive” television experience. People play games for interactivity and watch TV for nice, relatively brainless entertainment.
The most important thing to me when it comes to TV is a crystal-clear picture, great audio, and compelling content brought TO me. Make it EASY for people to get the content they want WITHOUT EXCESSIVE CRAPPY GUIs, MENUS, OR OTHER RELATED NONSENSE and you’ll have a winner.
Comment by James King -
Mark as usual you bring up some great points. However, the biggest idea for the future of television after HDTV, which you are doing a phenomenal job with, is that broadband content delivery will become extremely important… not just for television and hit movies but by turning 500 channels into 500,000 channels… and you might be just the guy to do it.
The opportunity in the fragmented content world that includes everything beneath the current 500 cable/satellite channels (the tail, as it has become the recent catch phrase) is a huge collective market. Both Microsoft and TiVo would be wise to address this market and be the first to offer this content via their living room devices.
A print ad you might see in the future would look something like this, “Sure you can get 500 channels on your cable television box… but after you’ve finished watching the Yale interview with author Kurt Vonnegut, can you get the 2004 rock climbing championship from Joshua Tree California?” TiVo… your tv. Who you want, What you want, When you want, How you want it (did we mention without the commercials?)… Why would you want anything else?
There will be a huge market in organizing, monitoring and broadcasting this new media. Tools will be needed to filter content and create a truly unique experience. Guides will need to be written and monitored along with these search tools.
This new content will become a stepping stone for the most creative to be picked up by the traditional mainstream content distribution channels — to be discovered so to speak.
As the hand held video content becomes avaialable to every creative college kid, new shows like MTV’s jackass will be developed without the constraint of media censorship. This new content will be promoted both by word of mouth but as well as by tracking services like today’s Technorati ranks blogs and their popularity. Every college kid in America wants their 15 minutes of fame. Reality television will REALLY take off in all of this.
It is going to be a very exciting time for television over the next 10 years.
Although as fantastic as the TiVo service is, it’s numbers are still tiny comparred to the potential. Two million subscribers is just tiny. Microsoft even smaller. But Bill Gates is putting $20 billion into this living room initiative and that may change some things.
The biggest barrier to adoption of a living room PC, either Microsoft’s MCE or TiVo’s Linux based system (really it’s a computer and not a set top box), is the initial cost and that consumers NEED A REASON to upgrade and adopt the technology. The problem is the chicken vs. the egg and herein lies the rub. Those that truly understand how great TiVo is already have TiVo. You hear over and over again… “I wish I had just bought it earlier… it’s so fantastic.”
HDTV is one reason to buy it and upgrade, especially as the sale of HDTVs are exploding. Unfortunately Microsoft or TiVo still haven’t gotten this one right yet. TiVo is ahead of Microsoft with a satellite HDTV unit but Microsoft’s MCE 2005 and it’s limited OTA capability is not enough to drive the consumer to buy the machine for HDTV.
Offering viewers alternative television programming at the smallest level is a reason to upgrade. We all are fanatics of something, hobbyists, enthusiasts — fractured in our pursuits, but even more enthusiastic about them than television. This is the power that is eBay. They tapped the commercial market of the fractured hobbyist. You got this right with broadcast.com
Initially research should be done to find the most profitable niches below mainstream television for maximum penetration. However it will not stop there.
As crazy as it sounds, you may be able to TiVo your kids’ Little League game and watch it later as someone on the team picked up the responsibility of videotaping it… or perhaps the Little League organization itself subsidises these tapings to promote their organization and bills the teams through the standard fees and dues.
Television is kind of important to a lot of people, but if your son plays Little League then this is much much more important than television could ever be to you. To be able to watch a Little League game afterwards with your son when you were out of town on business and missed the actual game or to let grandpa back in Maine get a season pass to the games, now THIS will drive box sales and TiVo subscriptions. And with such personalized athletics it won’t even matter that it’s not real time.
High school football, missed class reunions, church services, obscure sports, anything and everything will be recorded and offered through guides, rankings, searches, etc. from the comfort of your living room. Whether Microsoft or TiVo taps it first remains to be seen.
This idea is not original. The movie Dodgeball did a wonderful job of prediciting it with Dodgeball championship coverage from Las Vegas via ESPN8… which will, in the future, I’m sure be broadcast over broadband.
Comment by Thomas Hawk -
While the ideas are interesting I’m particularly vexed by the comments preceding them. I’ve been struggling for years to get my concepts into the market and I’ve watched many of my more compelling concepts (tablet PC, e-reader, media center PC) languish in the market because someone had the money to throw at them but not the vision to implement them properly. For Mark Cuban to insinuate that people who patent ideas but do not produce products based on them are opportunists or unethical is an insult. Businesses are created from opportunity and not everyone has access to the same resources that another may have; should they be penalized for that? Should I not profit from my ideas just because someone else had richer friends? I read that the guys at Google raised over $25,000 dollars from family and friends … I come from a lower middle-class family and I wouldn’t be able to raise even the legal fees for patenting my ideas.
There’s a saying … “It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know.” That’s so true in business it hurts. I’ve busted my ass trying to establish the necessary relationships and gain the capital necessary to get my ideas off the ground, all the while watching rich individuals and companies beat me to the market just because they had or were able to make “friends” and get money. Hell, I’ve contacted Mark Cuban twice just to get 30 minutes of his time and he hasn’t given me the time of day. But, if he were to come to the market with one of my concepts, I guess that would make him better or smarter than me. Very hypocritical.
It’s easy to preach about “patent terrorists” when you’ve reached the top of the mountain. The thing that upsets me most about people who build their own fortunes is they seem to forget they used to be the guys humping, trying to get others excited about their ventures for partnerships and capital. Hell, I WISH I could afford to be a patent terrorist … at least I wouldn’t have to bust my ass trying to get someone to pay attention to my ideas. Must be good to forget where you came from … or the folks who are still on the road.
Comment by James King -
The little info button that gives you a summation of the program should be updated more frequently so you can pick out little bits of trivia that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to find out. Each show should have a small databank, with the full, readable credits, so you can figure out exactly which actor is in it, who directed it, and other nitpicky trivia. Like webTV, but with people more ready for it, and not as invasive, keep it all in the little info bar on the bottom.
I liked the ideas about making TV like a cd collection, or a mp3 playlist, but expand that so that not just whats on TV lately is available. There should be an on-demand video archive of past shows, discontinued series’ that aren’t syndicated, all payable through microroyalties a la paypal. It should also be possible to share video you have on your own box in a peer to peer fashion in the area you live. The cable connection is very fast, using it to stream one show down to someone else could free up other bandwidth and enable people to see shows they wouldnt otherwise.
Comment by Derek Tumolo -
Hi Mark,
My site at webjay.org has already implemented personal TV station playlists, with RSS for each playlist. See http://webjay.org/by/webjaybs/newsvideo-daily for just one example.
Comment by Lucas Gonze -
A guide to show you great programming plus a recording service to put in on your iPod. http://www.radiotime.com
Comment by Bill Moore -
These are 3 good ideas. I especially like #1 as it could keep advertising from penetrating further into programming. I love pvrs as much as anybody who has owned one but I fear the increase of advertainment as traditional ad’s get skipped more and more.
Keep the ideas coming.
(I help good ideas get funding at: http:www.ideacradle.com)
Comment by Brad Sears -
TV ads are annoying. Most people will agree with this. It hard to guess when it will go mainstream, but at some time TiVo and similar devices will gain possibility to cut off ads. Whatever method it will be, it is no important. Content providers will have to protect against this. So I would suggest then to use Apple iPod business model, which is obvious here. The small thing: it might take off earlier if people will have a choice between free, with ads content and paid, free of ads. For Hollywood all money is green.
Comment by Greg Daniluk -
Hey Mark. Your ideas sounds good. I thought I’d throw a friend of mine’s into the ring. Children with cancer and their families have to spend a lot of time in hospitals. They have to spend a lot of money for accomodations around hospitals. Staying within these environments can cause more pain and suffering for all involved. Why not have a place where children and families can go for minimal cost? A place that has all the aminities of a regular house. So they can feel like a family when it’s needed most? I have a friend, Dan Olsen, a 3-time cancer survivor who invisioned this while receiving treatment for his own cancer. The name of the idea is Christopher’s Haven. He’s in Boston, working with Mass General. There’s a website, http://www.christophershaven.org
Check it out if it strikes your fancy. Thanks for the great forum for passing around ideas.
Comment by Daniel Jacob -
Static advertising not a bad idea! Though I think a better way to create value for advertisers would be to…
1. Place one or two non intrusive pop ads within each program, like NBC does now advertising its programming within its programs.
2. At the end and beginning of each show say this program was brought to you by X(a real quick annoucement).
3. Intergrate products into each program! Character A drinking a Coke or talking about Coke.
If you ever downloaded a TV show via the net, fast forwarding is null and void! The commercials are taken out…that beats having Tivo and fast forwarding! Now if Hollywood would embrace file sharing and the ideas listed above then they could make a killing off of advertisements. Because these shows will be shared and passed along for years, and so will the message of each advertisers products! Hollywood could even after a month or two or whenever take the same show, remove the adverts that were orginally inserted and replace them with new ones! Just flood file sharing sites with the same program with the newly added adverts! These are just one of my ideas, that no doubt will happen in the future!
Whats hot now for me is RSS + Bit Torrent! Tivo is old news! Hollywood change YOUR business model and stop the valuation of online piracy! If you dont some maverick will do this and force you to change!
Comment by Ryan S -
and what I meant by ink cartridge – was the one in your printer, pen, etc.
both, not just one.. but they both contain ink cartridges.. just clearing that up..
espescially with some of the advances in biotechnology.. things can be altered.. they could be setup to ‘show’ different colors.. and they would all just die on your paper, one purpose – creating art.
beautiful even in death.
Comment by David McKendrick -
and what I meant by ink cartridge – was the one in your printer, pen, etc.
both, not just one.. but they both contain ink cartridges.. just clearing that up..
espescially with some of the advances in biotechnology.. things can be altered.. they could be setup to ‘show’ different colors.. and they would all just die on your paper, one purpose – creating art.
beautiful even in death.
Comment by David McKendrick -
Well – I noticed on news.com that you’ve posted a few ideas that are ‘patentable’..
so I’ve got one for you
Infinite ink.. I’m pretty sure its almost 100% plausible as well.. not exactly a biology major.. but the idea behind it – is living ink, micro-organisms that multiply so fast – that they never run out, and of course they live within your ink cartridge in your regular pen.
Now most people would say “hey, I lose my pen all the time – it just won’t work”..
yeah – but how often do you lose your ink cartridge.
– David McKendrick
shoutlast media
Comment by David McKendrick -
Its easy for a billionaire to say all this. But a little guy like me I need some way to protect my idea. I also need someone to help execute the idea. Coming up with the idea is easy but executing is the hard part. We all have million dollars ideas. But how much of us will actually execute them? Its frustrating not being able to execute. How do I learn this?
So I guess you don’t have any patents Mark?
Comment by Dominic Hackett -
Hey Mark…
Where can I find more info on “Iraqis Uncensored?”
Comment by brett -
It’s not your tv that will turn into a computer. It’s your computer that will turn into a tv.
In the future you will be able to view entire programs and movies from around the world, realtime or canned. Want to watch the golf championships in Scotland live? Rather download a half hour of highlights? Or do research on the players? All this will come by way of satellite.
You will choose which stations you want to receive on a purely customized basis. The same with ads; either chosen by lifestyle biography, your regional location, or based on the demographics of that particular program; much like cookies on your computer or the regional ads currently in many magazines.
Not such a large jump really. Just 1 + 1 = 3.
Comment by Sallie -
Well what can I say. I am a salesman at the Honda store here in Chattanooga. I am a high school drop out who finally got his GED two years ago. I am originally from Texas but I have been here for three years now. I know one thing though for certain is that I can win this game. I am smarter, sneakier and more willing to do whatever needs to be done to win. From reading my comments here you would think that I am some kind of moron for even sending them. I can tell you that even though I am a high school drop out I am more intelligent than 90% of the college grads out there today. I am sure as hell not proud of being a drop out but I work with the hand I was dealt (or at the one I dealt myself). Give me a shot it’ll at least make for good TV.
Comment by Jon Gullette -
I’m not sure if this is exactly what you meant, but many of these ideas remind of this neat little application called MythTV (http://www.mythtv.org, which at the time of this post is down, so here is the google cache http://www.google.ie/search?q=cache:7fsfYNKK0SwJ:www.mythtv.org/+MythTv&hl=en)
Comment by Clinton Shafto -
there’s a program called eTiVo that does two of the ideas already. it has been around for about 9 months or so. might want to give it a look. i dont think a patent will hold with something thats already breathing and living.
http://www.prish.com/etivo
Comment by Josh -
I would not worry about the cost. Give it a few years and the prices will not be a factor.
Comment by tnfz -
Good idea for the advertisers if you was to show the ad as a billboard while fast forwarding. Not so good for the consumer though as you would only know the ads were over when the programme started and you would miss the very first few seconds and have to rewind and grrrrrr damn adverts
Comment by Steve -
Basically your tv becomes your connection to the internet. A cable box would be replaced by a hard drive. Your remote now becomes your keyboard. Your tv screen now becomes a LCD monitor. At the same time you can:
1. Watch your television viewing sized to fit any aspect ratio.
2. You can download instant tv listings and “tivo” the selected listing, or d’l a movie for later viewing and store in on your system.
3. Check e-mail or join a chat room while watching a current television broadcast, or have interactive live tv shows.
4. All commercials would have weblinks which can be clicked on and instantly accessed on the web.
Of course most of this already exists in one form or another. Its just putting it in the right system, at the right cost. TV4U lol 😛
Comment by dan -
mark-
these are great ideas. i am going to refer everyone to an article of interest.
From Westchester/Fairfield The Weekly, Nov 27, 2003.
Through their book and website (www.whynot.net) Nalebuff (Barry of the Yale School of Management) and Ayres(Ian of the Yale Law School) are tapping into a movement filled with people – from academicians to untrained dreamers – who imagine a better way of doing things. By providing a meeting place, the Web site, the authors believe that some of the ideas will gestate, evolve and ultimately take hold.” One day, he believes, some of the ideas in the book and on the Web site will also blossom. Maybe you’ll be able to get a mortgage that automatically refinances when rates go down. Or maybe your cell phone plan will automatically adjust to give you the best rate for your calling habits.”…””It’s the entrepreneurial equivalent of the Open Source movement.” ” ‘ Companies don’t know what to do with ideas’ Nalebuff argues, . ‘ Middle management kills them. IF companies would adopt technology inside to allow people to get their ideas heard throughout the organization, it’s a no- Brainer.'”
“‘There might be things you want to keep proprietary,’he says, especially ideas that are actually in commercial development.'” “‘But many ideas are- like the colored salt- are of no use to the idea generator. Unless you are a salt producer, you can’t possibly benefit. The idea is not patentable, and Morton, for example, could simply borrow the idea and put you out of business.”
The author, Joshua Mamis, is referring to colored salt that allows you to know exactly how much you are putting on your food.
A very interesting article.
Good luck everybody.
I Other idea sites that run the gamut, are:
halfbakery.com, thinkcycle.org, yet2.com, shouldexist.org, globalideasbank.org, totallyabsurd.com, ericzorn.com/ideaoven. All of this is culled from the author’s article.
Hope it helps.
Comment by cheri/benebe -
Entertainment we all know today is decided based on the distribution channels and advertisers. The big deal is when your TV can get “organized” entertainment features and “long form” entertainment from the web not just cute clips. We are a entertainment development company that is creating entertainment for delivery for a time when the distribution channel will no longer make the decision, but the consumer will. Question is how long will it take for TV’s to provide this capability. The technology exists. I know, I use to work at Cirrus Logic and we were building the semiconductors to do the job. Its coming, no doubt about it, its just a matter of when.
Michael Smith
CEO, Entertaincom
http://www.EntertainCom.com
Comment by Michael Smith -
as an avid watcher of television, I don’t find any of your ideas interesting… but I do see how they may be interesting to you, as a broadcaster.
Here are some of my interesting ideas, from a viewers perspective.
http://objective.mine.nu/archive/2004/10/18.aspx
Comment by Chris Hollander -
Andrew Grumet has an RSS-powered personal TV network. You can put shows into his network here: http://www.grumet.net/ptv/add . He also has an aggregator that automatically tells his Tivo what to record. Tivo could probably do this themselves rather easily, but they always seem to be wary of offending Big Media.
Comment by Shimon Rura -
These are pretty good ideas. Sharing what you watch would be a very powerful feature/application. It boggles the mind that netflix still has zero notion of community. I understand some of the privacy issues but within circles of friends the best way to find movies to watch would be to see what others are watching…
Comment by Narendra Rocherolle -
Thanks for the business info. I never knew that occured in patent industries. Interesting.
Comment by Jason Stalos -
Your first idea would NOT be my preference. I fast forward becasue I don’t want to view ANY advertising. If I could get a blank screen while I was fast forwarding, I’d do it in a minute! Mark, don’t give those ad people any ideas! : )
Comment by Kelley -
In most countries, the one who files first wins.
In the US, theoretically, the one who can prove he/she invented first wins. In any case, the lawyers win~
By posting these ideas on a website, you probably would have some legal claim in the US. This is assuming that these are your orginal ideas and no one else has documented the ideas prior to you posting.
Comment by Mountain Dew -
Hey mark,
I’m a Mav’s fan from way back, and its good to have found ur blog. Man, I was reading through ur Blog, and looked through the ideas that u’ve had. I must admit, those are ideas that would’ve never crossed my mind, but it would all make sense. U have a fine way of looking for money. Good job Mark.
I’m putting money on the mav’s this year… we’ll still rock, even if we lost Nash. (that was my fav player too)
Comment by Ricardo Torres -
The growing use of TiVo/PVR units will undoubtedly have a great effect on network advertising strategies for companies. For networks to continue to show value in these services they must adapt to this new veiwing style. Your idea for a freeze-frame advertisement is definitely a step in the right direction. It’s refreshing to find a weblog that actually has some food for thought.
Comment by Scott Weaver -
interesting ideas Mark..
You know we (or I) I guess I should say tend to “have tunnel vison” thinking of solutions with evolving technology trends that are already selling in the marketplace (such as RFID for example)…
Its nice to hear some fresh thoughts in different areas.. It will be interesting to see if anyone picks up on it.
Comment by Mike Verinder -
iPods are for more than music…
http://secrets.scripting.com/whatIsPodcasting
Comment by Dave Winer -