I have no idea how emergency weather alerts and other emergency broadcasts are implemented in places other than USAsia, but in my neck of the woods what they do is interrupt whatever television show you happen to he watching, mute the show's audio, and superimpose the emergency alert message over it. These typically last anywhere from 3-5 minutes, and unless you've got TiVo or some cable service that allows rewinding of TV shows, you've just missed some very important plot points that you can't get back right away. The scrolling banner across the top of the screen is annoying enough, but that AND the audio hijacking in concert is just plain rude. I wouldn't find it AS annoying if I hadn't JUST gotten the same message popping up as a breaking news notification pushed from all the many news apps I have on my smartphone and tablets. And to make it worse, the entire 3-minute hijacking of my scheduled programming is REPEATED 3 times, presumably to make sure the message is received by folks who are just tuning in after each commercial break. Rant over. Deep breath... goooooozfrabba....
My idea is for a button on the TV or TV remote or BOTH which allows you to send a signal BACK to the broadcasting station acknowledging your receipt and understanding of the message, which allows you to resume your show uninterrupted by anything more obnoxious than commercials for the rest of the evening.-- 21 Quest, Oct 16 2013 //mute the shoe's audio//
That's some real Get Smart technology you have going for you there [21Q]. Good idea though.-- AusCan531, Oct 16 2013 Thanks, mate. Corrected.-- 21 Quest, Oct 16 2013 This is a good idea... and goooooozfrabba is going to be my new catch-phrase for a while.Nobody will get it, it'll be great.I'm swiping it.Can't stop me.
Don't even try.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 16 2013 // I have no idea how emergency weather alerts and other emergency broadcasts are implemented in places other than USAsia //
Normally, people are alerted by their house falling on them. It's a very distinctive noise, you can't miss it.
Doesn't work for sinkholes, though; they tend to be quite quiet.-- 8th of 7, Oct 17 2013 // goooooozfrabba //
[marked-for-tagline]-- Alterother, Oct 17 2013 // and unless you've got TiVo //
I always assumed that this system overrode the broadcast signal, so even if you do have a DVR, it would just end up recording the emergency broadcast, not the show. Or is this system more sophisticated than I imagined, so it just takes control of your TV and tells it to display something other than the channel you have selected?
If so, it seems that the TV could be designed to have an acknowledge button that would simply switch back away from the emergency broadcast back to your selected channel.-- scad mientist, Oct 17 2013 Oh, it's very sophisticated indeed. Lately they've been beaming it directly into my fillings.
Goozfrabba.-- Alterother, Oct 17 2013 Scad, your assumption may well be correct. Clearly, I don't have TiVo. If that's the case, then my idea is even more widely marketable.-- 21 Quest, Oct 17 2013 goooooozfrabba is my favourite new word now.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 17 2013 People routinely ignore fire alarms, pull batteries out of smoke detectors and neglect to reinsert them, fail to read signs notifying of impending death, etc. So, I'm sure there are many who would routinely click "acknowledged" without the faintest idea of what they've just done. Are we better off without such people if the asteroid is actually coming this time?-- the porpoise, Oct 17 2013 Maaxwell, It can be remarkably therapeutic during times of stress. Porpoise, yes. My idea actually advances the development of the human race by enabling Darwinian natural selection to run its course less-impeded.-- 21 Quest, Oct 17 2013 Frabba be with you all.-- Alterother, Oct 17 2013 May thy gooooooz overflow.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 17 2013 No TV. No need for Button.
What happens if you press button twice ?-- popbottle, Oct 17 2013 An FCC contact team kicks the door in and drags out your firstborn.-- 21 Quest, Oct 18 2013 //mute the shoe's audio//
Quite a few shoes have audio, especially when new, I was unaware it that muting them is an option. I should read the accompanying instructions.-- not_morrison_rm, Oct 18 2013 Indeed you should, it might save your soles ...-- 8th of 7, Oct 18 2013 random, halfbakery