This would only make sense if it were a currently Free model like Hulu, ...<snip[> ... it damn well better be a very cheap fee. Anything major and I would want non interrupted shows.
What if Hulu isn't offered on the iPad due to Flash? Then Apple doesn't have competition for iPad users.
Ads tailor-served
To me, it makes more sense for ads to be targeted to my likes not just throwing ad after ad and nothing sticking. I think that in order to use the service, in this manner, you would have to do a fairly brief survey with the Usual Suspects: age; sex; race; interests (entertainment; business; etc). Finally, you would have to choose a predetermined numbered type of products in order to finish the survey. Then Ads would be choosen for you based on that information. If you don't fill out the survey (YOUR CHOICE) you simply get the generic ads about tampons (although you're a dude) and automobiles (although you just BOUGHT a car last year) -- Frankly, and I know this flies in the face of people and their precious "privacy" -- I don't care that Apple knows that I'm a 44-55 white male that likes technology; fast food; restaurants; cars, etc. Who cares? This describes a whole lot of middle-aged white MFers. It is no big deal.
I would rather Apple ask if I were likely to buy certain products or watch certain types of movies or tv shows then suffer through crap I have no interest in. Now, I typically just turn the volume down to intentionally miss the commercial. I also use the Universal Access Zoom feature to zoom way any to obliterate any video.
The only way I would ever get this information to Apple is if there was a major disclaimer at the beginning that said in plain English that Apple would only use this information to tailor ads to me and not sell or give the information to anyone else and especially not give them my email address in order to send me junk email.
Otherwise I wouldn't even consider this idea.
But that is fersure Charlie from Lost in that pic
Yeah -- so that must be Claire with the fugly teeth. These patent artists suck.
My only suggestion if Apple does this: put the commercial breaks in where the actual commercial breaks are!
I would imagine that by design, there are places that the commercials will go and you only screw yourself up with the syncing of the those spaces when you try to jump to certain scenes in order to miss the ads. I wouldn't worry to much.
TV / iTunes between paid or free (with ads) would be a good thing. I, myself, have never paid for any movie or TV show on iTunes. Probably never will. But, of the free episodes or short specials that I have grabbed, I liked the convenience. I would be willing to put up with commercials for TV shows, presuming they are placed at the network's commercial breakpoints. Hopefully you could also set up the season pass for free content, too.
