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Program Information Bar

 Shows what's on during a commercial.
 
(+2, -2) 		  [vote for,
against]

A small bar is placed at the bottom of the screen during commercials and shows the program that will be on after the commercials. Therefore, a channel surfer can decide whether to stop channel-surfing there. (Trust me, most channel-surfers will skip over a channel during commercials).

[Half-baked. Most satellite and cable box systems superimpose program information when changing channels. However, this proposal would extend this display to the channels themselves.]

—andrewm, Jul 23 2002

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       A great number of TV Channels are doing this upon return from commercial breaks - "ad" nauseum - SciFi Channel, Discovery...
What you propose is *during* the commercials, right? On paper, this might actually be more beneficial to the channel in terms of keeping the viewer than the advertiser, as I'm guessing it might distract from the commercial itself, which the advertsiers don't want. I would imagine it would need to be test marketed. This would help determine if the test viewers were able to retain information, and if it would actually increase viewer share for the commercials as well as the netwoik programming. If it does increase the netwoik share, then the demand is technically up in terms of ad revenue per 30 second spot. However, if the ticker ad for the program detracts from the paid ad, advertisers might balk at that prospect.
—thumbwax, Jul 23 2002
   

       More than Half Baked. My TV does it all the time.
—DrCurry, Jul 23 2002
   

       I don't see why this should be part of the broadcast and not something that's called up by the user.
—bookworm, Jul 23 2002
   

       Legally, it's subliminal without being s u b l i m i n a l.
—thumbwax, Jul 23 2002
   

       UK teletext has 'What's on now and next' page, which is transparent (like the subtitle page) so it overlays the picture.
—angel, Jul 23 2002
   

       In the US, TNN (which used to be "The Nashville Network" but has recently reinvented itself as "The National Network") displays a black bar along the bottom of the screen with the name of the currently playing program. It's constantly there anytime the program is on (not during commercials, however). It's convenient when flipping channels, as you can immediately see what is showing (provided they aren't on commercial break), but it's damned annoying when trying to watch a show.   

       {off-topic rant} It's time for these info scrolls on the all-news networks to go. They were useful when they first appeared, right after 9/11/01, but now they are just nonsense. CNN has recently taken to animating theirs, with goofy little visual effects flashing at the bottom of the screen and distracting/annoying the viewer. Good move, CNN.
—waugsqueke, Jul 23 2002
   

       What the author proposed is *during* the commercials.
—thumbwax, Jul 23 2002
   

       Yes, I know. But thanks just the same.   

       This could be an after hours club that offers software tech support. "I'll have a gin & tonic, and how do I get rid of that paper clip guy in Word?"
—waugsqueke, Jul 23 2002
   

       Easy- don't use Word.
—Mr Burns, Jul 23 2002
   

       If it's like the TNN bar, then gods no. I like my shows in their initial aspect ratios, thank you very much.
—bookworm, Jul 23 2002
   

       Actually, bw, I think they just steal the bottom picture space. Not a hundred percent sure about TNN, but I know the news-scrollies do that.   

       thc: when in Rome...
—waugsqueke, Jul 23 2002
   


 

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