My Cart - Technology in television viewing has increased at an incredible rate over the past decade or so, from increased definition to the rise in 3D TV sets in the home.
One factor that still remains for the everyday viewer is the issue of advertising. It seems that you cannot escape from it in everyday life; on buses, radio, television, the internet and many other sources in daily life. However, the technology for skipping advertisements on TV has been around for a few years now. From the introduction of technology such as TiVo and Sky+, skipping ad breaks has become the norm for a minority of people.
Whilst this function was never marketed as skipping adverts, merely pausing/fast forwarding television, some companies are now getting into hot water with television networks. Companies are claiming breach of contract because of the ability to skip adverts, whilst broadcasters say they do not violate broadcasting regulations because the advertisements are still broadcast.
As advertising is a big business, it will surely be a contested issue that will hopefully get resolved in a way that helps both sides of the argument. Whilst it is a fairly small issue at the moment, it is gaining momentum and will undoubtedly affect the way services are run in the future.
