Sky's Branding

The AdSmart stuff is very interesting - it used to be the case that which content steam an EPG number pointed at couldn't be changed on the fly.

This could mean that BBC1 HD can go on 101 switching to a regional programme during opt outs in the same way as these targeted ads. Although you would probably need a red button app to let people chose another region.

Two new Sky Living idents. I haven't seen either used on TV. I wonder if an upcoming Europe wide re-brand of the Sky channels could be the reason why no new idents have been appearing recently.

Or sky.co.uk, sky.it etc?

Both the BBC and ITV have rejected any form of 'stream' switching for opt outs, because there's too much 'dead air' while the switch is taking place, otherwise we could have been using such a system yonks ago (as the Germans do).

If this system is seamless, then it sounds a good idea ?

Isn't adsmart done on Sky+ recordings rather than live? Much easier to do that switching seamlessly.

Nope, only on live broadcast.

That would be a bit silly considering most people skip the adverts on their recordings! The FAQs here do a good job explaining how it works.

http://www.skymedia.co.uk/sky-adsmart/sky-adsmart-faqs.aspx

Also I believe someone here said that if you are watching live TV and rewind the adverts, it shows you the original stream and therefore different, not as relevant adverts.

Virgin Media, mainly during the ntl:Telewest transitional period, used to do something similar a few years back by replacing usually the last advert in a break with an advert for, bizarrely, their own services (I guess for people who have the TV service but not broadband or phone). However it was a lot less smart and more sloppy, as it would usually cut in a few seconds after or before the original advert, and of course noticeable on channels that had the DOG on during the ads.

That was just a very basic 'opt out' though wasn't it? Some broadcasters like Sky and UKTV used to (maybe they still do) have special versions of channels for cable viewers, and I think they had opt out points for the cable companies, hence you'd get promos for Front Row etc on UK Gold and Sky one.

Although I assume they could just blanket any promo they wanted

I suspect it's not feasible for most programme opt outs which are live programmes. AdSmart caches them to the Sky+ hardrive and plays them out from there

Relevant to side discussion,

I understand that PC delivered Channel 4 on-demand content will use PC stored browsing history tracking cookies and related signposts from next year to tailor some of the pre-roll and during programme adverts served to individual users.

Ummm, a pity, mind you, you could have the live opt as a live internet delivered stream, and switch to that, though it would require the stream decoder to be separate (i.e not shared ) to the DVB decoder (could work for any platform ?)

Ah that's a shame, I thought they were being played out live on a different feed rather than from the box itself.