Do DTH companies monitor customer behaviour & viewing habits using STB?

[NinadG]

I am narrating my peculiar experience about Dishtv STB. This is the problem I faced only once but this may be something to do with monitoring customer behaviour & viewing habits.

1. I use favourites & reminders regularly. Few months back I found all my favourites removed except Zee & DD channels. I had to add it again.

This happened again few weeks later with my reminders. Reminders were not triggering so I checked & found that all reminders except Zee/DD channels are removed.
I wonder whats the reason behind this & how Dishtv is reading all data on the STB.
This may be to influence viewing habits & affect channel viewership.


2. We use Mute button on the remote to mute the volume whenever we wish.

Normally ad breaks happen every 10-12 mins. Whenever there are ad breaks,I use Dishtv remote to mute the volume. But Mute button dosen't work for the first time. I have to press the button atleast twice to mute volume.

But if I use Mute button anytime in between, it works perfectly. Only Mute button doesnt work for the first time if I have not pressed any other button on the remote for around 10 mins. All other buttons work perfectly anytime.

So I think only remote Mute feature is not allowed to work by STB after approx 10 min. Its like only mute button is put on sleep mode after 10 mins.

I am facing this problem right from the beginning. My Dishtv STB was replaced for some s/w upgradation problem. But still I am facing the same problem with new STB.

I think this is to put off viewer from using mute function & force viewer listen to ads.

There seems to be no problem with my remote as Mute & all other buttons work perfectly any other time.

This may be a way to influence viewer experience & increase ad exposure by implanting certain technical features in the STB.

As such it is interesting to know the reach of DTH companies to monitor & influence customer behaviour & viewing habits in current scenario.

Please share your knowledge,thoughts about current trends in monitoring customer behavour & viewing habits by all DTH companies & experience about this problem.

 

[NinadG]

Here is an excerpt about future trends in monitoring customer behaviour & viewing habits.

Future trends in monitoring customer behaviour & viewing habits

There are reports that companies like Google,Intel,Microsoft,Verizone,Comcast are developing a set-top box with a video camera & motion sensor.

Microsoft currently provides voice and gesture based controls with the Xbox’s Kinect attachment.Intel has described a set-top box with a camera for its forthcoming over-the-top TV service that would perform facial recognition to determine who’s watching TV & what viewer is doing while watching TV.

The front facing camera on Intel's set-top box will come equipped with facial-recognition software that will allow users to receive TV show recommendations based on individual viewing patterns and history. This will actually recognise who is there and to offer personal experience, rather than having viewer to log in or put your fingerprint.

Using this feature TV provider will be able to watch your movements through a camera in the set-top box & also able to listen to your responses to a perticular ad or serial.

Ad providers could use these “spy” set-tops to serve targeted ads or program recommendations to users. TV service providers will use this feature as new business opportunity for knowing customer viewership behaviour.This new technology will be of special interest to advertisers who will have the ability to target ads using the age and gender of the individual watching TV. This feature will alllow them to serve targeted ads as well as program recommendations to the viewer.

There are smart TV sets available now that can be connected to internet with in-built camera that is used for gesture control & presence detection. Television having cameras and sensors that will be able to identify who is in the room and which TV shows they are watching & monitor their responses.

TS has parterned with a company for capturing viewing data all the ways in which selected TS customers will be monitored for TV viewing including live, time shift, on demand and interactive TV. All this data will be analyed using TV analysis software.

All this has sparked a conversation among technology enthusiasts about the fine line between innovation and privacy.The ability of TV providers to track the movements of their users has triggered privacy concerns among some users.

Media & ad companies say that users are already used to being watched while they're web surfing. Personalized advertisements happen all on time on the Web. When Google sees your cookies and noticed that you’ve visited particular websites, you will often see ads of that same site wherever there are Google ad placements. The idea is meant to tailor ads to your interests but the process is a tad invasive.

Some experts warned that the comfort of revealing private information that has become second nature on the web will be commonplace for users watching TV in their home.


Ref: Web Reports

 

[NinadG]

If DTH providers can actively change STB settings then it may be possible to disable STB / create any problem in the STB so as to force user to replace his STB & earn extra money as customer doesn't have any knowledge of tech things & can be fooled anytime.

 

[Vadirocks]

Ridiculous Experience Bro!

 

[jayanji]

Is your smart TV watching you? LG investigates claims

The investigation comes after Jason Huntley, a 45-year-old IT consultant in Britain, detailed in his blog how his LG smart TV logged the channels he was watching and sent the data to LG.

He said the company continued to collect which channel he was watching even after he disabled the information collection feature.

"The (LG) server acknowledges the successful receipt of this information back to the TV," he said in an email. The information appeared to be sent to LG unencrypted, he said.

Also collected were the names of files saved in an external USB hard drive plugged into the TV as well as the TV's unique identification information.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/scitech/2013/11/21/is-your-smart-tv-watching-you-lg-investigates-claims

 

[NinadG]

LG Electronics said it is investigating a claim that some of its smart TVs send information on home viewing habits back to the company without consent.

The investigation comes after Jason Huntley, a 45-year-old IT consultant in Britain, detailed in his blog how his LG smart TV logged the channels he was watching and sent the data to LG.

He said the company continued to collect which channel he was watching even after he disabled the information collection feature.

"The (LG) server acknowledges the successful receipt of this information back to the TV," he said in an email. The information appeared to be sent to LG unencrypted, he said.

Also collected were the names of files saved in an external USB hard drive plugged into the TV as well as the TV's unique identification information.

The world's second-largest TV maker said Thursday that customer privacy is its top priority and takes the issue very seriously.

However, when Huntley asked LG about the data collection last week, the company blamed a TV retailer for not disclosing the company's terms and conditions when he made the purchase.

"As you accepted the Terms and Conditions on your TV, your concerns would be best directed to the retailer," LG said in an email to Huntley that outlined the response from the company's U.K. head office.

LG introduced an ad platform to target its smart TV users in 2012. The LG Smart AD lets advertisers reach target audiences by utilizing device information, location and details such as age and gender, LG says on its website.

However it was not immediately clear which features in LG's smart TVs were triggering the data monitoring.

"All we can be sure of is that the information is being sent," Huntley said.

He said was "very surprised" at the amount of attention he received with the blog post.

"This indicates that privacy issues are becoming increasingly important to people everywhere, as we are so dependent on technology in our everyday lives."

Separately, Samsung Electronics Co. said it does not collect information on files in USB hard drives connected to its smart TVs. But it did not respond to a question about whether it logs users' viewing habits. Samsung is the world's largest TV maker.


Is your smart TV watching you? LG investigates claims

 

[NinadG]

LG Smart TVs logging USB filenames and viewing info to LG servers

LG Smart Ad analyses users favourite programs, online behaviour, search keywords and other information to offer relevant ads to target audiences. For example, LG Smart Ad can feature sharp suits to men, or alluring cosmetics and fragrances to women.

It seems its better not to connect your smart tv to internet to avoid such things.

Read more at : LG Smart TVs logging USB filenames and viewing info to LG servers

 

[NinadG]

LG promises update for 'spying' smart TV

LG has admitted it continued collecting data on viewing habits even after users had activated a privacy setting designed to prevent it.

The television maker has apologised to its customers and told the BBC it would issue an update to correct the problem.

UK-based IT consultant Jason Huntley, who raised the issue in a blog, welcomed the "positive step".

Viewing information helps manufacturers deliver relevant advertising and programme recommendations.

"I hope that their future products will reflect this decision and keep customers clearly informed as to their data collection practices before they take place," he said.

LG launched an investigation in the wake of his blog, which was reported widely in the media.

'Not personal data'

"We have verified that even when this function is turned off by the viewers, it continues to transmit viewing information, although the data is not retained by the server," LG said in a statement.

"A firmware update is being prepared for immediate rollout that will correct this problem on all affected LG Smart TVs so when this feature is disabled, no data will be transmitted."

It later added: "LG does not, or has ever, engaged in targeted advertisement using information collected from LG Smart TV owners."

Since the issue became public it has emerged that Sony's PlayStation also collects data from every Blu-ray disc that is played.

Samsung, the world's largest TV maker, is yet to respond to questions about its operations.

LG stressed that the information gathered was not personal but viewing information.

"This information is collected to offer recommendations to viewers based on what other LG Smart TV owners are watching," the firm said.


BBC News - LG promises update for 'spying' smart TV

 

[NinadG]

Why companies are monitoring web traffic & other personal details when user actually pays for the product? :wall
May be there is a need for law to stop this as people buy the product for personal use.

It seems ad networks are collecting hugh private info & data about every individual from all possible ways with the help of pvt companies something like what govt is collecting data using CMS.
Atleast govt is collecting data in the pretext of national security but pvt companies & ad networks are collecting data for commercial purpose & seems anyone can buy data from any corner of the world.

 

[balu]

That's a very good info NinadG. With all the electronic gadgets snooping the data , there is no privacy for us.