Oz inventor aims to ICE TV advertising

net1

Australian inventor Peter Vogel has unveiled new technology which removes advertising from programmes received by digital set-top boxes, and displayed by personal video recorders (PVRs).

The technology - known as the Intelligent Content Engine (ICE) - will enable viewers to skip ads when playing back recorded programmes on PVRs. It also controls the amount of ads viewers want to see while watching non-recorded programming. Ads can be muted, or the set-top box programmed to switch to another channel once a commercial break is detected.

Other services include parental control functions, and an electronic programme guide (EPG). Vogel's technology will only work with free-to-view digital broadcasting. Vogel said he needed to raise funding of A$6m (£2.3m) to get his ICE venture off the ground.

Vogel plans to charge subscribers A$2 (77p) per week to use the service.