Product: Television: Set Top Box
Auto-taping   (+6)  [vote for, against]
Sleep activated program taper

We've all fallen asleep before the end of a film late at night. My add-on for a video or new-fangled HDD recording whatsit simply sits atop the TV and bathes the room in it's own frequency of IR (so as not to interfere with remotes). It has a simple camera scans the scene for the tell-tale reflection from the TV-watcher's retinas. As soon as it detects that these two dots of light are extinguised it starts up the recording. When you wake again you can re-wind and watch the ending you missed. Or if you have a HDD gizmo then the "EyeWatch" simply pauses the program and re-starts it when you wake up.
-- Karnuvap, Aug 01 2007

Get a Tivo.
-- DrCurry, Aug 01 2007


Actually, the author builds on top of Tivo-like devices, suggesting a trigger for their "record" functionality.
-- jutta, Aug 01 2007


"Hello, customer service? Yes, every time I put my glasses on to see the TV, my NapWatch box starts recording."
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 01 2007


Frank's glass eye collection included a special one for watching movies.
-- normzone, Aug 01 2007


I admit that with the advent of the "Watch Again" and the BBC iPlayer service the demand for this has probably been and gone. On the other hand, the generation that is likely to need it (older folk) are likely to be the ones without TiVos or interwebs and so something to trigger the good ol' fashioned VHS might still have a market. I'll contact Saga and see what their readers think. Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not sure that glasses block IR and, of course there will be a "I've only got one eye" button for the occularyly deficient.
-- Karnuvap, Aug 02 2007


Does bring up the interesting questions of glasses' reflectivity confusing the TivoMate 2000 with flase reflection, thus inhibiting a recording scenario.
-- k_sra, Aug 02 2007


But my cat keeps watching all my shows after I fall asleep.
-- jhomrighaus, Aug 02 2007


It's either this or my Slap-Hat. I'm going for this. [+]
-- theleopard, Aug 02 2007



random, halfbakery