Recently, both Gizmodo and The Verge posted about the possibility of being able to incorporate smells into TVs to enhance the viewing experience to include more senses. (No, the post was not on April Fools Day, or following Google's "Google Nose" April Fools joke) Here is link to a fairly thorough description of how it works: http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/31/4166884/japanese-smelling-screen-might-be-the-next-big-thing-in-advertising
In short, scents are bound up in pre-made gels which are heated at the proper time. Then, four fans along the sides of the TV blow air carrying the scent, towards each other, parallel with the screen. Based on fan speeds, the air currents from each side of the TV hit at a controllable location and begin to disperse. Supposedly, controlling where the currents hit can give the illusion that the smell is coming from a particular part of the screen. It seems though, that scent cartridges would have to be bought and replaced.
Can anyone see this becoming big someday? Do you find the implications of it for advertising pleasing or scary?
Personally I think it would be well suited to a movie theater experience, and maybe for homes too if it's not expensive. Already, foods get "advertised" by their natural scents that waft around where they are made. I know I really want Subway every time I pass by Foster hall and smell the fresh bread. I am worried though that if it were to become popular that it would increase the bombardment of advertisers, both in the home and in public places. Successively run commercials could both release their own scents which would mix in the room and have unintended results. If this technology were to get underway, I think it would be best used in a movie theater experience. This way, consumers wouldn't have to worry about getting more hardware or being bombarded in their own homes. The movie producers could create a well-tested, controlled, and continuous experience that could make a movie more interesting.
