Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show • Hacker News Board

Re: Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show

#31

Post by blhack » Wed, Dec 16, 2015, 8:39 PM UTC

cwt wrote: post #22

Most of the people I know who watch Netflix at night want it to keep playing after they fall asleep.

I'm one of those people. Falling asleep on the couch under a big blanket, and waking up every hour or so to catch a few seconds of some Star Trek TNG is a pretty profound sort of comfort for me.

It reminds me of watching old James Bond marathons with my dad when I was a little kid, and falling asleep during them.

Re: Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show

#32

Post by rogerbinns » Wed, Dec 16, 2015, 8:41 PM UTC

josh64 wrote: post #30

rogerbinns wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The auto-pausing also happens if you are using Chromecast, so they must have more than one approach.

It happens on Apple TV (previous generation) as well, but it seems to be consistent and it will do it after about 2 hours.

It has been way less than 2 hours on Chromecast, but that isn't a scientific test. My anecdata is that they seem to do it when you least want them too, yet keep playing episode after episode when you turn things off and Netflix didn't get paused for whatever reason (see this on Roku as well which doesn't seem to detect that the HDMI receiver is switched to standby/off).

Re: Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show

#33

Post by chrismbarr » Wed, Dec 16, 2015, 8:43 PM UTC

rogerbinns wrote: post #21

Someone1234 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What interests me is how inconsistent it is. For example, I can go a whole afternoon some days without it auto-pausing, while others as you said, you can go two episodes and it will pause on you. I suspect Netflix tracks window focus via JavaScript at minimal, and maybe other metrics too to try and guesstimate user idle-ness. Interestingly when I am in a full screen game (and Netflix on another screen) it "never" pau…

The auto-pausing also happens if you are using Chromecast, so they must have more than one approach.

The same thing happens on the Sony Blu-Ray player I watch Netflix through (via "apps" or whatever). Usually after more than 3 episodes maybe, with no interaction from the remote.

Re: Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show

#34

Post by CaseyM » Wed, Dec 16, 2015, 8:43 PM UTC

What about socks for truck drivers to detect if they are dozing? Have them set off a phone alarm, etc. Better yet, can FitBit, etc. detect dozing and use the vibrating alarm to alert?

Re: Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show

#35

Post by carlisle_ » Wed, Dec 16, 2015, 8:45 PM UTC

JeffreyKaine wrote: post #24

But let's be serious here... WHO WEARS SOCKS TO BED?!

I do so when I inevitably rip them off in the night with no lucidity whatsoever I have a fun little scavenger hunt in the morning.

Re: Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show

#36

Post by knicholes » Wed, Dec 16, 2015, 8:45 PM UTC

Someone1234 wrote: post #15

bpicolo wrote: post #8

I'm mostly sad that Netflix detects nothing and pauses my show anyway after a couple episodes. : (

What interests me is how inconsistent it is. For example, I can go a whole afternoon some days without it auto-pausing, while others as you said, you can go two episodes and it will pause on you. I suspect Netflix tracks window focus via JavaScript at minimal, and maybe other metrics too to try and guesstimate user idle-ness. Interestingly when I am in a full screen game (and Netflix on another screen) it "never" pau…

My theory (based on 0 facts) is that they will ask you if you're still streaming on shows that experience a high load and want to save the servers streaming that particular episode.

Re: Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show

#37

Post by Sephr » Wed, Dec 16, 2015, 8:46 PM UTC

pingou wrote: post #13

It's cute, but is it a joke or something more serious ? I don't see any use for it, except perhaps saving bandwidth. Surely it must takes some time for the device to find out that you're actually sleeping, then you anyway have to rewind back to the point you stopped watching, so I don't think it makes a big difference to go 10 minutes or 1 hour back.

You only sleep for one hour? It's more like the difference between 10 minutes and 9 hours for me.

If you leave Netflix running for 9 hours straight it will be pretty difficult to find what time, let alone what episode you fell asleep on.

Re: Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show

#38

Post by mesozoic » Wed, Dec 16, 2015, 9:01 PM UTC

Great invention for narcoleptics.

Re: Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show

#39

Post by cafard » Wed, Dec 16, 2015, 9:04 PM UTC

In Thomas Pynchon's novel V, there is a fellow who has a switch on his skin that detects whether or not he is awake (by the resistance? I forget), and so controls the TV. Judging by the Wikipedia article, this is Fergus Mizolydian; I don't have a copy lying around the office.

Re: Netflix socks detect when you've dozed off and pause your TV show

#40

Post by emeraldd » Wed, Dec 16, 2015, 9:06 PM UTC

samstave wrote: post #25

emeraldd wrote: post #11

Ok ... so how do you wash them without blowing the electronics?

You don't, you just knit new ones, download the pattern, do a little programming, solder some electronics and configure your remote and VOILA! New SOCKS!

Engineered obsolescence at work!