Many television programs appeal to a wide range of democraphics. Unfortunately, many products and services appeal to a much narrower range. If HDTV stations have the ability to dynamically switch between showing multiple medium-quality streams and one high-quality stream, I would suggest that they could use a high quality stream to show programming and split into multiple lower-quality streams to show ads. If the channel was split three ways (e.g. one channel for ads targeted toward a family audience, one for bachelors, and one for women) a television station or network would be able to sell three times as much ad time as otherwise. While each ad would only get a third the viewership as in an unsplit channel, the viewership would contain a high concentration of the ad's target audience.

I don't know if the broadcast specs and the user interface on existing HDTV sets would make this concept practical, but if it would work it would seem like a win for broadcasters and viewers alike.
-- supercat, Feb 03 2004

This is done now, with cable, to target customers in certain viewing areas (though admittedly the customer doens't get to choose the commercial they view - the cable company does).
-- phoenix, Feb 03 2004


Not a fan of ad streams of any sort.
-- Letsbuildafort, Feb 03 2004


By "stream" I mean subchannels or whatever the term is. And I'm aware that network ads are targeted GEOGRAPHICALLY. But my idea would be to allow people to target ads DEMOGRAPHICALLY. I'm sure there are women that find feminine hygene ads interesting and informative, but most men would respond better to beer ads, truck ads, etc. So allowing broadcasters to show different ads to different target audiences would be good for broadcasters, advertisers, and viewers alike.
-- supercat, Feb 03 2004


Personally, I would only watch television if you paid me. And I'd only watch an advertisement if my life depended on it. But for those who do, a bit of choice of what type of tinned mince they succumb to can't be a bad thing.
-- saker, Feb 03 2004


"I'm sure there are women that find feminine hygene ads interesting and informative..."
Any takers?
-- phoenix, Feb 03 2004


I think ads are targetted demographically to some extent, in the UK at least. Between cartoons on Saturday morning you get ads for the latest toy the kids must have, during the football it's all razors and sports cars and during Meg Ryan films it's tampons and Diet Coke.
-- hazel, Feb 03 2004


Certainly ads are placed with television programs that will draw the target demographic. But if a television program will draw people from a variety of demographics, ads which are effective on some audience members will be ineffective or even bothersome to others.
-- supercat, Feb 03 2004



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