Idea of the Day - A new idea each day. Some Don't Suck!

Our Latest Posts About: Cable TV

A Cat Video Network

Tuesday, May 23, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Since Cat Videos are so popular on the Internet, why not have one on cable TV?

Let's admit it. There's something magical about Cat Videos. They dominate YouTube and social media, so the next logical step is giving them their own 24/7 cable TV network, "The Cat Video Network".

The great thing about cat videos is they're not complicated. Those cute little buggers can put a smile on anyone's face, and they never fail to lift your spirits.

What BUGS Me About... Cable TV

Sunday, December 25, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why are there NO standards for channel numbers on Cable TV?

Before cable TV came along, channels were know primarily by their number. There weren't many channels, so it was pretty simple, and as a rule of thumb although station ownership changed from time to time, but it didn't matter. Channel 5 was still Channel 5 to us.

As cable TV grew, things got a lot more complicated. There are literally thousands of channels right now, and it's nearly impossible to find a specific network, unless you've memorized the number. Making matters worse, every cable or satellite provider uses their own numbering system, making it nearly impossible to even produce a viable TV guide that can tell you what's on each channel.

I rarely watch TV, but as it stands now, I have no idea where to f... [More]

Continue...What BUGS Me About... Cable TV...

Fundraising and Philanthropy Cable TV Channels

Saturday, May 14, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why isn't there at least one network for philanthropy?

Cable TV has hundreds of network in dozen's of categories, such as sports, movies, politics, and children's programming, yet with all that variety, I've never seen a channel devoted to philanthropy.

Anyone who's ever seen the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon knows exactly how powerful TV can be for raising money or awareness for a charity. The MDA Telethon brought attention and much needed funding to an otherwise obscure disease by combining entertainment, information and emotion.

Because of this, I think there should be at least one cable TV channel devoted exclusively to philanthropy. The channel itself would likely need to be a non-profit organization, with an independent board responsible for programming. Larger n... [More]

Continue...Fundraising and Philanthropy Cable TV Channels...

Pay-Per-Show. TV A La Carte

Saturday, September 19, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why is TV so expensive?

According to a recent study, The Average American pays over $90 per month for 172 channels that they don't watch.. Some pay even more, and they still don't watch most of the channels they pay for. What a waste of money.

Thankfully some cable companies are now offering A La Carte plans, allowing you to reduce the number of channels by selecting popular groups of channels. While this is a good start, they don't give you the flexibility to select only the channels you plan on watching.

Wouldn't it be great if you only paid for the shows you actually watch?

This would be the perfect o... [More]

Continue...Pay-Per-Show. TV A La Carte...

What is MTV? Do They Even Have an Identity Anymore?

Saturday, July 18, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Do you remember when MTV played music?

Back in the early 80s, MTV had a clear identity. They played music videos day and night, with real people introducing the songs, just like a radio station. MTV was revolutionary, and it gave the music industry a visual element that changed the way people listened to music.

The original MTV VJ's

As MTV became more popular, every artist made videos for their music, hoping to be featured on the channel. Prior to MTV, many people didn't even know what most musicians looked like. One benefit was that many unknown artists reached a larger audience if they had a cool looking video.

Like any business, it's important that people know who you are, and it's important that you know who your customers are. With MTV,... [More]

Continue...What is MTV? Do They Even Have an Identity Anymore?...

Cat Video Network

Sunday, June 28, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

It's amazing how many people watch cat videos each day.

Let's face it, cat videos are addictive. Although some people won't admit it, millions of people watch them every day.

Cat videos are pretty unique. While some people spend a lot of time and money on high end cameras, lighting, and other effects to create a video that goes viral, anyone with a cat can get millions of views by using their cell phone to record their cat coughing up a hairball. That's incredible.

While it's hard to understand why cats coughing up hairballs would be popular, who can resist a video of a cat, dressed in a shark costume, chasing a small duck, while riding a Roomba vacuum cleaner?

So if cat videos are so popular online, wh... [More]

Continue...Cat Video Network...

A Retro-News Channel

Friday, June 12, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

History has a tendency to be re-written, so why not experience it as it was originally reported?

As Walter Cronkite used to say, "And that's the way it is."... or shall I say "was".

Newscasts have one thing in common, they're only aired once. After all, they're supposed to be as current as possible, so who would want to hear about yesterday's news? Probably nobody, but if you fast forward a few years, and those newscasts are now called "History", or Primary Source History to be more precise.

A Retro-News Channel would be different from a traditional news channel in that it would present history as it actually unfolded.

To me, being able to re-live the space race of the 1960s, leading up to Walter Cronkite's em... [More]

Continue...A Retro-News Channel...

Cable TV Remotes With Keyboards (on the back)

Thursday, April 9, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Quick... What number is the Ovation Channel?

I've never tuned of it before, so if somebody said there was something playing right now on it, there's virtually no chance I could find the channel, much less the show.

The trouble is, most cable boxes still use remotes that were designed back when even 57 channels was considered excessive. I remember a scene from Toy Story where Rex was flipping through the channels and one of the toys said, "you missed it", and Rex kept going and said it was quicker to just keep going and find it when it comes around again. Today's modern cable boxes can have thousands of channels, so you can't just hit the plus and minus keys to find the channel you are looking for.

Wouldn't it be easier if you just typed in the name of the network, inste

... [More]

Continue...Cable TV Remotes With Keyboards (on the back)...

Commercial TV Should Be FREE

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

How did we get to the point where we pay for commercial TV?

This one boggles my mind. Back in the old days, TV was free. It was pretty simple. The networks made millions off the commercials, so there was no reason to charge people to watch. The only exception was a small percentage of people in remote areas who paid a small fee for cable TV, because they were too far to get regular over the air reception.

It also made sense when HBO introduced the first premium subscription commercial free channel. Without commercials, it was perfectly clear why they charged for the service. Very simple to understand.

Somehow we've reached a point where the typical cable TV bill is over $100, and nearly every channel has commercials.

Every few years, at least one of the major... [More]

Continue...Commercial TV Should Be FREE...

Cat Video Network

Ketchonnaise - Pre-Mixed Ketchup and Mayonnaise

A Guaranteed Spam-Free, Pre-Encrypted Email Service

iPhone and iPad Keyboards Should Show Numbers Too

Sleeveless Snuggies!

Don't Bother With SEO. Use Real People Optimization Instead.

3 Ways Smoke Alarms Can Be More Pet Friendly

Emergency Contact Info Needs to Bypass Locked Phone

Autocorrect Should Translate Text Slang into English... Because Kids Actually Think It's Correct Grammar

Lookalike Finder Site

Out of Ideas? Fusion of Two or More Ideas Could Change Everything.

How Camera Makers Can Simplify On-Camera White Balance

Darth Vader is Retuning to Star Wars?

A Bedside Book Projector - Read Books on the Ceiling!

Reinvent The Wheel? YES. There's Always Room For Improvement.

Amazon Echo as an Intercom. Room to Room Communication, Even Across the World.

TV Needs More Shows Like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood... The Seinfeld of Children's TV

Stop using default Security Questions... here's why.

A Car Periscope? Why Not?

Digital String on Your Finger... To Remind You You Left Something Behind...

Use Social Media to Listen To Your Customers, or They'll find Somebody Who Does.

Why Doesn't Apple Offer a FULL SIZED Wireless Keyboard?

How Banks Can Make Checking Accounts More Secure

4 Cell Phone Parental Control Ideas Your Kids are Guaranteed to Hate.

.Podcast Domain TLDs. A Direct Domain For Podcasters.

* Note: The ideas on "Idea of the Day" were posted without any formal research into existing inventions.

In some cases, patents may already exist for these ideas, in other cases, there may not be any existing patents and you are free to develop and explore the viability of developing and patenting the ideas.

The authors make no claim that any of the ideas are safe, practical, or suitable for any particular purpose. You are responsible for the results of trying, developing, patenting or using any of the ideas on this site.

For some people, our ideas are just an interesting read, but our goal is to encourage you to take action. If you see an idea that you like, do something with it... Take action.

- Joe

Idea Of The Day. A new Idea Each Day. Some Don't Suck.