If you have some tinfoil handy, now might be a good time to fashion a hat. At the Digital Living Room conference today, 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.
You watch Comcast, Comcast watches you
March 21st, 2008 10:48 am · 16 comments
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| frankomav47 3/21/08 11:18 AM | JUST LEAVE MY CABLE BOX ALONE.......I DON'T WANT ANY CAMERAS WATCHING ME WATCH TELEVISION,, THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!!!|||||||||| Who do these idiots think they're fooling ?? Do the letters USSR strike a familiar note. I don't need monitored !! FM47 |
| Artie See 3/21/08 2:07 PM | Legalized voyeurism? Next, Comcast will be telling people how much "value" the camera adds to their service. Then, Comcast will REQUIRE the camera, or you won't be able to subscribe to anything more than the most basic level of service. |
| supervenusfreak 3/21/08 2:15 PM | QUOTE(Artie See @ Mar 21 2008, 02:07 PM) [snapback]368947[/snapback] Legalized voyeurism? Next, Comcast will be telling people how much "value" the camera adds to their service. Then, Comcast will REQUIRE the camera, or you won't be able to subscribe to anything more than the most basic level of service. That's exactly the reason that I had DirecTV installed last week. Comcast has played too many games with its rates and service tiers. |
| Pericles 3/21/08 4:00 PM | QUOTE(Lancaster Online @ Mar 21 2008, 10:50 AM) [snapback]368834[/snapback] Post your thoughts and comments about this blog post. Everytime you walk into the room, give the cable box the finger. That's what I do whenever I accidently stumble onto Keith Olbermann's show. It's not very Christian, but then Olbermann doesn't really see it. But, I guess God does. So I should stop, but I can't. QUOTE(frankomav47 @ Mar 21 2008, 11:18 AM) [snapback]368849[/snapback] JUST LEAVE MY CABLE BOX ALONE.......I DON'T WANT ANY CAMERAS WATCHING ME WATCH TELEVISION,, THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!!!|||||||||| I might watch a show of you watching TV. It couldn't be any worse than most reality shows.  QUOTE(frankomav47 @ Mar 21 2008, 11:18 AM) [snapback]368849[/snapback] Who do these idiots think they're fooling ?? Other idiots? Or Techno idiots. |
| charlie_crystle 3/21/08 7:51 PM | QUOTE(Pericles @ Mar 21 2008, 04:00 PM) [snapback]368985[/snapback] Everytime you walk into the room, give the cable box the finger. That's what I do whenever I accidently stumble onto Keith Olbermann's show. It's not very Christian, but then Olbermann doesn't really see it. But, I guess God does. So I should stop, but I can't. I might watch a show of you watching TV. It couldn't be any worse than most reality shows. Other idiots? Or Techno idiots. So who is watching you through the surveillance cameras in Lancaster, and what are they doing with it? |
| dragonrider 3/21/08 7:58 PM | I often watch tv naked now that would be a sight for their eyes, A 52 yr old overweight lesbian watching tv naked while they watch me. |
| lee41 3/21/08 8:34 PM | Well, they probably already have record of all the channels you watch and when. Now they just want to know who is actually watching them. Maybe you will actually get to use some of the duct tape Ridge told you to buy. |
| frankomav47 3/21/08 11:23 PM | QUOTE(Pericles @ Mar 21 2008, 04:00 PM) [snapback]368985[/snapback] Everytime you walk into the room, give the cable box the finger. That's what I do whenever I accidently stumble onto Keith Olbermann's show. It's not very Christian, but then Olbermann doesn't really see it. But, I guess God does. So I should stop, but I can't. I might watch a show of you watching TV. It couldn't be any worse than most reality shows. Other idiots? Or Techno idiots. Holy frijoles, Watching a show about me watching T-V would scare the living s#%t out most people. But I suppose it WOULD be rather entertaining.  QUOTE(Artie See @ Mar 21 2008, 02:07 PM) [snapback]368947[/snapback] Legalized voyeurism? Next, Comcast will be telling people how much "value" the camera adds to their service. Then, Comcast will REQUIRE the camera, or you won't be able to subscribe to anything more than the most basic level of service. Then I'll listen to the news on the radio and turn my bigscreen into a movie theater and buy all my movies!!! I'm out  |
| gsmart 3/21/08 11:50 PM | QUOTE(Pericles @ Mar 21 2008, 04:00 PM) [snapback]368985[/snapback] Everytime you walk into the room, give the cable box the finger. That's what I do whenever I accidently stumble onto Keith Olbermann's show. Pericles, I've been doing that with Hannity and O'Reilly for years. |
| Jethro 3/22/08 6:43 AM |  Another good reason not to get a digital cable box!!!!! THAT IS WHY I CALL IT "CRAPCAST" |
| podunk 3/22/08 7:11 AM | or ComCrap! |
| Hephaestus 3/22/08 9:12 AM | QUOTE(lee41 @ Mar 21 2008, 08:34 PM) [snapback]369036[/snapback] Well, they probably already have record of all the channels you watch and when. Now they just want to know who is actually watching them. Maybe you will actually get to use some of the duct tape Ridge told you to buy. That's what I was thinking. A piece of duct tape over any slot or opening that doesn't have a known usuage where one of the tiny cameras could be stashed. A smokey/cloudy pane of glass could be useful too, the real world version of a fire wall. Light and LED instructions go through, but you just can't make a clear picture of the people on the other side of the glass. Translucence is a good thing. QUOTE(gsmart @ Mar 21 2008, 11:50 PM) [snapback]369068[/snapback] Pericles, I've been doing that with Hannity and O'Reilly for years. I block them with parental controls. Wouldn't want children or even myself exposed to such material!! |
| frankomav47 3/22/08 2:23 PM | QUOTE(podunk @ Mar 22 2008, 07:11 AM) [snapback]369091[/snapback] or ComCrap! Hadn't really thought of it till now,,,,,,,,, COMMUNISM BROADCAST (COMCAST) heh, heh, heh, heh !!! Where are my smilies, damn it ?? |
| Hammer 3/22/08 6:28 PM | QUOTE(dragonrider @ Mar 21 2008, 07:58 PM) [snapback]369031[/snapback] I often watch tv naked now that would be a sight for their eyes, A 52 yr old overweight lesbian watching tv naked while they watch me. [attachmentid=1708] You`re not that overweight  |
| philly54 3/22/08 7:04 PM | QUOTE(podunk @ Mar 22 2008, 07:11 AM) [snapback]369091[/snapback] or ComCrap! I'll go with CONcast! |
| Hephaestus 3/23/08 5:37 PM | QUOTE(Hammer @ Mar 22 2008, 06:28 PM) [snapback]369292[/snapback] [attachmentid=1708] You`re not that overweight LOL cute! ever since this thread started, my laptop camera has been acting funny. (seriously, it's freaky). I just finished putting duct tape over the lense. No, I'm not kidding. I really did. |
