Distributing television advertisements over the internet
A client processor-based system may receive software from a web site server as well as information about when commercial advertisements will be distributed over video distribution systems. This information may be used by the client processor-based system to automatically record commercial broadcast from a video distribution system. The recorded commercial broadcast may then be automatically replayed in the course of using content or services received in return for playing the commercial advertisement.
1. A method comprising:
detecting an event;
in response to the detection of an event, automatically accessing an advertisement distributed over a first medium;
accessing content from a second medium;
displaying said advertisement in association with the content from said second medium; and
interrupting said content and displaying said advertisement.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically accessing the advertisement includes accessing over the second medium, information about when the advertisement is to be distributed over the first medium.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein detecting the event includes comparing the current time with the time when the advertisement is to be distributed over the first medium.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically accessing the advertisement includes automatically accessing the advertisement in response to an elapsed period of time.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing said advertisement further includes automatically accessing the advertisement over a television distribution system.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing content further includes accessing content over the Internet.
7. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to:
detect an event;
access an advertisement distributed over a first medium in response to the event;
provide access to content from a second medium;
display the advertisement in association with the content from the second medium; and
interrupt the content and display the advertisement.
8. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to access information over a second medium about when the advertisement is to be distributed over the first medium.
9. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to access the content over the Internet.
10. A system comprising:
a first interface that automatically accesses an advertisement distributed over a first medium;
a second interface that accesses content over a second medium; and
a processor coupled to said interfaces to provide access to said content with said advertisement.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first interface includes an interface to a television distribution system.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the second interface includes an interface to the Internet.