contextual tv ads
Dave points to TiVo's ad announcement, whereby they'll let viewers find ads they are interested in as well as skip over ads they aren't.
I have to say I was hoping TV ads would go in a different direction. I understand that you'll never get rid of ads on TV and I'm fine with that. What I really want is contextually relevant ads. The best example of this is Extreme Makeover Home Edition. While the trips to Sears on that show are a little over the top, the rest of the product placements are done pretty well. Show me those great Closet Maid shelves actually in a closet or how nice those new Pella windows are.
Make the product fit the show I'm watching rather than ads almost always being totally irrelevant to the show.