IBM adds advert serving to DVD spec – film watching is DEAD as a hobby
In a move that sounds like they’re trying to kill off movie watching on purpose and force everyone to buy new computers to watch everything online, IBM has patented an advert delivery system that can pause movie discs so you have the pleasure of watching an advert.
It’s like IBM examined the strengths of the home movie formats, then created a feature designed specifically to destroy them.
The idea is based on analysing a digital certificate to see if users are allowed to watch a movie without ad interruptions – presumably so DVD sellers and renters can offer ‘premium’ ad-free movies and cheaper ad-supported options. Clearly this would need a web-enabled player, which would query Blockbuster’s server and see how much you paid to rent Spider-Man 3 before deciding if you should get advertised to or not.
So would you put up with Google ads for hair replacement drugs (Bruce Willis movies) and Viagra (Angelina Jolie movies) and Swiss euthanasia clinics (Wes Anderson movies) every ten minutes if it meant a cheaper or even free DVD rental?
(via Ars Technica)
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