TRP monitoring on analog cable with IoT

Abstract

The digital television infrastructure in Bangladesh remains underdeveloped, limiting the effectiveness of modern broadcast analytics. Traditional Television Rating Point (TRP) systems face critical challenges such as limited accuracy, high operational costs, restricted coverage, and lack of affordability. This paper proposes a low-cost, IoT-based TRP monitoring system designed to operate effectively over analog cable networks. Using the ESP32 microcontroller with an IR (infrared) receiver, the system passively monitors remote control activity to detect power events and channel changes, using real-time clock (RTC) timestamps to log viewing sessions. The collected data is then transmitted to a centralized database server via Wi-Fi in urban areas, or through RS-485 transmission using TV signal cable in rural regions where internet access is limited. This ensures a broad geographic coverage while maintaining data integrity. By offering real-time, duration-based audience measurement without the need for set-top box integration or intrusive hardware, this system bridges the gap between modern analytics and legacy broadcast environments. It has significant potential to inform programming decisions, advertising strategies, and media policies, serving as a practical transitional solution until television transmission is fully digitized.