If you don't like watching TV commercials, you're not going to like the future. In spite of all the techniques and technology to zap, block and strip out TV commercials, advertising producers always find a way to beam their message through. But it is fitting that they should because it is the paid commercials that are key to the world of free television as we know it. And even though there may be more TV spots to overwhelm our senses in the future, the good news is they will be more meaningful. And the really good news is they will help make TV watching and web surfing much more user friendly.

"More meaningful" TV viewing - while a highly subjective phrase - may come via what the experts are calling "smarter television." According to Forrester Research "smarter television" will enable 21 million U.S. households to interact with TV programs and advertising in the next few years. By 2005, "smarter television" will create a new $25 billion revenue stream, including $17 billion from advertisers and $7.4 billion in subscription fees. TV-based commerce will add another $23 billion in five years.

To bring this technology to our homes, two companies - ACTV and Open TV have joined forces to develop a technology called "Spot On." In contrast to other new technologies that allow viewers to zap out television commercials, the SpotOn service claims to focus on making TV advertising more meaningful and useful for viewers. SpotOn is designed to deliver targeted commercials based on viewers' interests, allowing them to see ads that are relevant while providing access to value-added information and special offers from the advertisers.

Jan Steenkamp, OpenTV's CEO, said, "SpotOn enhances the commercial appeal of iTV (interactive TV) to viewers, allowing them to receive advertisements that address their individual interests. This also better enables advertisers to target and measure the effectiveness of commercials; and it encourages television network operators worldwide to generate t-commerce revenues through interactive television."

The venture is expected to bring SpotOn's one-to-one TV advertising capabilities to networks, advertisers and consumers worldwide. SpotOn is compatible with all of the leading digital interactive platforms and set-top terminals, including those currently deployed. OpenTV's operating system currently has an installed base of more than 9.3 million digital set-top terminals worldwide.

In a PSA environment this new technology will provide some interesting implications. Similar to Internet banner ads which you can click on to take you to the non-profit's website, the smart television concept could deliver PSAs based on viewers' favorite causes. That, in turn, would take the viewer to the non-profit's website where they would make a donation, purchase a product, or volunteer for an upcoming special event. So stay tuned. The world of television watching is about to get much more interesting and hopefully more meaningful as well.