[npalansky]

Totally understand where you're coming from, we the same concern at the beginning. We read through a bunch of TOSs and found that some prohibit the bars from modifying the stream, but they're allowed to change the channel / input whenever they want. We specifically designed our hardware to comply with this by changing the input on the TV instead of modifying the cable stream.

[AdamJacobMuller]

This was my initial thought as well and this is a very clever way of splitting the baby. I hope you don't get sued out of existence.

[goodside]

What prevents the TOS from changing to prohibit any automated attempt to circumvent the display of ads? The providers would have a huge incentive to do this if you become successful.

[mNovak]

Somehow TiVo made it all these years on the premise of dodging ads. Not 1:1, but it gives hope.

[mortenjorck]

I'd consider this inevitable, but that just makes it a race to strike a revenue-sharing (and integration) deal with the providers.

[quickthrower2]

Thats a loophole. I’ll bet that’ll get closed if this is successful. I think you’d need to work with tv providers not against them.

[babypuncher]

It may be a loophole, but I have a hard time seeing how it could be closed. Telling users they can't change the channel or turn off their TV when an ad is playing will never fly.

[wrkronmiller]

IANAL but I imagine they could throw in words like “automated” to work around that, assuming anyone reads the TOS and cares to begin with

[quickthrower2]

It depends who has the most power and BATNA. The sports network or the bar owner?

Home viewers are a different thing.