So one of the reasons advertisers are trying to adapt to personal video recorders is that owners can skip over commercials. But there's another problem that isn't talked about as much. Many ads are time-sensitive, and if you watch them a few hours, days, or even weeks after they were aired, they may be useless.
For example, a network might want to promote a special guest star on a show tonight, or a new series you might want to watch that premieres tomorrow. A retail store chain might have a sale through the end of this weekend. But if you record a program this afternoon and forget to hit the skip button when the commercials come up as you watch it next week, you'll find none of these ads relevant.
Microsoft's got a solution. The company filed a patent application this week for a system that would maintain a database of advertisements on a PVR. Then when you play back a recording, the PVR will detect when there should be a commercial break in the programming and insert a different commercial. Each time you watch the show, you could see a different commercial.
[Via InformationWeek]
