You know those situations where everyone knows something yet no one is courageous enough to just blurt out the obvious? Pardon us, but yes, people do actually use their DVRs to skip commercials. In case our word isn't good enough for you, research firm Oliver Wyman has just completed a study which found that 85% of the 1,000 global participants used their DVR to skip at least three-quarters of all commercials. Furthermore, most viewers stated that they would not be willing to "watch advertising even when it underwrites free content," and they wouldn't want to pay extra (in addition to the DVR cost, we presume) to remove ads. Really though, we ad skippers are simply keeping those lucrative media marketing firms on their toes, and trust us, they have / will continue to find ways to circumvent our circumvention. Full release after the jump.

Let's be honest -- we all understand that the younger set is entirely more likely to dig (i.e. understand) emerging technologies compared to those who've been around for a few more decades, but a new survey commissioned by Hallmark Channel confirms everything you've been assuming. Reportedly, just 31-percent of millennials (primarily in the 18 - 34 media target) found "new television technologies" to be complicated versus 55-percent of baby boomers. Furthermore, nearly half of those in the former category use their DVR regularly while just a quarter of boomers do so. Humorously enough, a staggering 87-percent of the millennials surveyed said that they "regularly fast-forward through commercials," and we can certainly raise our glasses to that. Laugh while you still can, young ones -- one day you'll be calling your kids to get the remote working with your 19-year old BD-UP5000.

[Image courtesy of Chris's Picasa Gallery]

While we've seen a slew of patent applications revolving around DVR-based ad skipping, IBM is apparently looking to get in on the action with DVDs that feature non-skippable advertisements. As David Freeberg noted, we too are pretty surprised that such an idea isn't already patented, but nevertheless, the theory in and of itself is a double-edged sword. At first glance, hearing that we'd be forced to watch plugs -- which could be stored on the DVD itself or retrieved via the internet -- on our flicks doesn't exactly incite fits of jubilation, but as Freeberg points out, this could be used to offset or at least subsidize the actual cost of DVDs. Additionally, we could envision marketers licking their chops at the chance to insert modern, relevant ads into films via the web, but the actual impact on the consumer still seems murky. 'Course, there's no telling whether or not this patent will be granted, but it opens up some interesting avenues, nonetheless.

[Via ZatzNotFunny]

While Time Warner Cable (partly owned by Time Warner, parent company of AOL, which owns Engadget) won't go down as the first cable company to modify the oh-so-lovable fast-forward feature, at least the latest hamstringing won't affect those willing to pay up. Dubbed "Look Back," the newfangled DVR feature will reportedly come "without a monthly fee," and will only allow customers to skip ahead and back in predetermined chunks of time; moreover, it will be limited to programs that are watched back before midnight of the day they air. The firm plans to test it out this October in South Carolina before "gradually introducing it around the country," and it was also noted that this -- along with the "Start Over" feature that functions exactly as it sounds -- would not require viewers to "remember to record programs," but alas, it also eliminates the ability to keep a library of stored content onboard. Ah well, so long as we diehard DVR users can keep on coughing up the dough required for a fully-functional FF button, we've no real qualms with this option joining the fray.

The constant battle between impatient television viewers and disgruntled providers got a shot of adrenaline today, as Walt Disney's two biggest channels have inked a deal with Cox Communications that is sure to simultaneously appease marketers and enrage customers. Reportedly, Cox will now begin to "disable the fast-forward feature that allows viewers to skip ads" in both ABC and ESPN video-on-demand, meaning that users who choose to view older programming via Cox's VOD channels can smash the FF button 'til their heart's content and get nowhere. Of course, users who actually set their DVR to record said content at its normal airing time are still free (for the moment, at least) to blaze right on through those annoying blips commercials, which means that you should probably become a lot more disciplined in your DVR scheduling if you belong to Cox. The worst (or best, depending on perspective) part is the precedent that this sets, as now the door is gaped wide open for more and more providers to grab the reigns of our DVRs and dictate just how far we push the notion of timeshifting. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

[Via TechMeMe]