Stay tuned for the network's latest DVR strategy: acceptance. Armed with the latest Nielsen data, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are rushing to tell advertisers that even with a set-top box and its bevy of pauses, fast forwards and 30 second skips at the ready -- we're guessing this doesn't apply to Media Center users on automated setups -- most viewers simply settle in and watch the commercials anyway. The New York Times breaks down the commercial-plus-three ratings system the networks initially opposed that could end up saving shows like Heroes from cancellation -- though a return to the old way of thinking might be worthwhile if it means an end to that show's now pitiable existence.

For years now, companies have sought to produce the most engaging advertisement on the eve of the Super Bowl here in America. In just a few months, however, they'll be vying for something else -- your clicks. Canadian sportscaster Le Réseau des Sports has confirmed that both SD and HD broadcasts of Super Bowl XLIII will feature commercials that are "enabled with interactive functionality permitting viewers to opt-in and hyperlink directly from the RDS network to long-form video content." Additionally, viewers will be able to bookmark that content for future viewing. Details of how the links and on-demand material will work are still fuzzy, but it's apt to function a lot like the TV-to-Internet ad platform that's already out courtesy of Backchannelmedia. The bar just got raised a few rungs higher, and we're pretty stoked to see what happens next.

Content owners have long since looked down upon the almighty DVR, but a recent survey suggests that they actually have little to worry over. In fact, over 90% of individuals surveyed by Knowledge Networks admitted that they "typically watch TV during the prime-time hours of 8:00PM to midnight," which is a rate similar to that of four years ago. According to the company's David Tice, "increased DVR usage seems to come at the expense of watching purchased video," hinting that the decrease in home video sales could be linked to the ability to watch one's favorite shows at any time of the day. 'Course, this evidence here does clash somewhat with other numbers, but we aren't shocked at all to hear that people would rather watch something instantly on their DVR instead of going to the video store.

Here at Engadget HD, we've been watching TV for a long, long time, and we can't honestly say that we've ever viewed commercial time as content time. Nevertheless, MTV Networks is teaming up with Cadbury and DISH Network in order to launch its "first-ever advertiser-supported interactive television campaign." Available "exclusively" to DISH Network customers (a curse disguised as a blessing?), the campaign will debut during The N's reality series Queen Bees on July 11th at 9:00PM ET / PT. Put simply, it will present viewers with sets of questions to answer during the show (no, that's not distracting at all), and in the next commercial break, the poll results will be shown. According to the outfits involved, this is their attempt to "reinvent commercial time as content time" and "encourage viewer retention throughout the pod." We're curious -- does anyone at MTV / Cadbury / DISH actually believe this stuff, or does it just sound great on a conference call?

Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. Is this report really saying that those obnoxiously loud used car commercials aren't any louder than the programs they accompany? In fact, yes. Tom Feran has taken the time to actually explain how loudness works in television here in the US, and the resulting report is pretty fascinating. In essence, a typical drama will have moments of loudness and moments of quiet, and commercials that follow the show have to respect the same maximum as the show. However, unlike the program, commercials can simply max out the volume from start to finish, causing a "perceived" or "inconsistent" loudness that's just barely lawful. As you well know, British regulators are stepping in to make sure no ad is "excessively noisy or strident," but the situation in America could get worse post-2009. You see, digital broadcasts have a wider dynamic range (or loudness spectrum), leaving more room for annoying salespeople to totally invade your eardrum. Nevertheless, the article linked below is a must-read for anyone who has ever been enraged by a "ridiculously loud commercial."

[Image courtesy of Derrick Logan]

Not like you couldn't piece this one together yourself, but NBC Universal isn't going to let this opportunity pass it by. Just like the run-up to the SuperBowl, it's planning on using the Olympics as a campaign platform for HD. Reportedly, affiliates will be "provided with on-air, direct mail and bill stuffers to promote HDTV content sales, as well as material designed to retain current HDTV subscribers." In other words, expect to see an onslaught of ads coaxing folks into making the jump to high-def if they haven't already. Gotta love those marketing gurus, eh?

Offensively loud television commercials have been a worldwide annoyance for years, and while a number of technologies have emerged in an attempt to hush those loud-mouths, British regulators are taking matters into their own hands. Just last week, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, which sets British TV ad guidelines, reportedly adopted a new rule establishing that TV ads shouldn't be "excessively noisy or strident." It elaborated by stating that "broadcasters must endeavor to minimize the annoyance that perceived imbalances could cause, with the aim that the audience need not adjust the volume of their television sets during program breaks." We're told that stations who choose not to invest in the loudness-level meter (which will ensure compliance) may actually have to "turn down the sound during commercials." Of course, whether anyone chooses to actually follow these guidelines has yet to be seen, er, heard.

[Via WatchingTVOnline, image courtesy of PaxArcana]

Just two short years ago, we were the ones wondering where all the HD ads were, but now it seems that commercials in high-definition are finally getting the attention they deserve. According to a study conducted on Discovery HD Theater, it was found that "the increase in brand recall by HD viewers was triple that of standard-definition viewers, and intent-to-purchase was 55-percent higher when ads were seen in HD." Furthermore, viewers claimed that spots in high-def were "very enjoyable." The research hints that HD commercials may finally be recognized as "premium content" worth premium prices, but it was noted that as these kinds of ads become "more normal, they won't have as big a lift."

[Image courtesy of HiddenWires]

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.

TiVo has announced a new service for advertisers and those interested in tracking commercial viewership, the Top Commercial Rankings reports, which is based on info gleaned using TiVo's StopWatch feature that tracks viewer behavior second-by-second. The feature has TiVo compiling reports for April and May on metrics like the top commercials watched overall (Disturbia and Ford trucks), or the least fast-forwarded campaigns (FedEx and Samsung Jitterbug). The report includes interesting insight into how viewers watch television, even timeshifted programs, and should provide advertisers more information about how to maximize their impact. Now to get this report to studio execs to keep them from blaming DVRs for the downfall of their industry.

Even though its food tastes like crap, you have to give poultry kingpin KFC credit for thinking outside the box when it comes to TV spots, using innovative commercials to lure unsuspecting folks into purchasing its disgusting slop. You probably remember the company's last high-profile ad which forced viewers to watch in slo-mo in order to get the password for a free sandwich, and now it's utilizing that supposedly "kids-only," high-pitched ringtone in an attempt to drum up interest in the new Boneless Variety Bucket. At some point during the ad for this family-friendly meal, the so-called "Mosquito" tone is played in the background, and the first 1,000 kids who correctly guess where the sound was placed get $10 in KFC gift certificates (just enough to cover the $9.99 Variety Bucket, but tax is coming out of their allowances). With such a small number of prizes in play, it would seem that the home of finger-lickin' good chicken learned its lesson from the DVR ad, meaning that all of the coupons will probably be gone by the time the contest answer is leaked onto the internet. Still, no matter how many people win or lose, KFC is getting a whole lot of free advertising out of this promotion, so watch the commercial or not, the Colonel has already won.

Good 'ol Apple commercials. Fanboy or not, got to love 'em. Apple's newest set involves a "PC" and "Mac." What are we doing? You must have seen them by now as they are everywhere during primetime; even on HD stations but for some odd reason, they are not in HD themselves. But Apple has you covered. They have the entire set up on their website in HD. Our favorite around the labs here is the Viruses one.

We are sure you have already seen them live but not in HD so check 'em out.