Playmute, the Dongle that Bypasses TV Commercials

Commercials and adverts help fund content creation. It’s a practical business model, one that has endured since the advent of television – unless your name is the BBC – with the traditional, ever-present ad breaks. But we, as an audience, can choose not to watch commercials. While previously we’d have to resort to reading a magazine or even, God forbid, converse with family members in the same room, a new piece of hardware called Playmute is here to satiate your ravenous senses with more desirable content.

Playmute is a HDMI dongle, powered by Android, that plugs directly into your TV. When an ad break begins, all it takes is a clap, a click of the fingers, or a tap on the smartphone app – for either iPhone or Android – for Playmute to direct the user to more entertaining content, such as a YouTube video, listen to a song, or maybe your favourite social network to browse while you wait. So that you don’t miss anything when it returns after commercials, Playmute operates as PIP (picture-in-picture) so you monitor your show. Another clap, click, or snap later, and your programming resumes. The dongle also acts as a digital media player, beyond prescribed TV advertisements.

The project is currently running a Kickstarter. If it reaches its $100,000 target, Playmute units will start shipping in June next year, and then be available retail for $150.

Source: TNW