More Intrusive Advertising Creeping Onto Your TiVo
from the more-and-more dept
For some time, advertisers and makers of DVRs, most notably TiVo, have been trying to figure out a way of delivering advertising to users. So far, not much seems to have stuck. The most promising approach happens to be the most difficult: make really entertaining ads that people will not want to skip over, or perhaps even save. The lazier approach is to cram ads wherever they fit. That's the latest approach from TiVo, which will put an ad on the page that asks a user if they want to delete a recently-watched program. It's not quite post-roll advertising, since the full commercial doesn't actually run unless the user requests it to, but the pitch to watch it is there automatically. Depending on how it is done, it may not be all that annoying, but ideally, advertising shouldn't be annoying at all, and be enjoyable content in its own right. But it seems like Tivo is definitely going down the path of least resistance, putting ads wherever it can, something that may make it some money, but at the expense of damaging the popularity of its platform.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Enjoyable ad
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Enjoyable ad
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Enjoyable ad
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
As it is, their days may be numbered because their features are being offered by cable providers, including hard disk storage.
Annoying their customers is not a good competitive tactic.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Tivo vs. Cable
The DVR's offered by cable companies (the ones I have seen) are so inferior to Tivo that they can hardly be considered competition. Satellite providers are doing the same thing - DirecTV has moved away from Tivo, with their own inferior offerings.
Tivo's only answer? CableCard. A standard that cable companies hate, and satellite providers will never support. A standard that will cost consumers extra money every month just to use the service they pay for. It is laughable, and poorly supported by providers (only experienced with Time Warner on this).
I tried to get a cable card so that I could use the new HD Series 3 Tivo. My cable provider could never get it to work at my house, so I tried their HD DVR. It worked, but lacked even the most basic Tivo features, and was riddled with interface bugs.
I went back to DirecTV, where I have two DirecTivo's. I have been using DirecTivo's since they were released, and never had to reset or reboot the box, with the exception of power outages. They just worked - if it was plugged in, it worked properly. In comparison, the HD DVR from my cable company was to be reset a dozen or so times in the ONE WEEK I had it. Now I have DirecTV's new HD DVR. It is better, featurewise, the the cable companies, but still pales in comparison to my Tivo's. It has frozen and needed to be reset a half dozen times since the last software upgrade on Nov 22.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Tivo vs. Cable
Leave it to greedy corps to screw up a good thing. I know it is all about the mighty dollar in business-land but all this changing systems because they want more money is going to drive customers away.....
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Not all that bad
This latest ad doesn't sound like a problem. If they make me watch a 30 second spot before I can click yes, then they will annoy their customers, but I think the TiVo execs realize that would be crossing the line.
TiVo works and isn't terribly expensive (I priced building an HD myth box and it was going to be the same as a series 3 tivo and transfering my existing lifetime sub).
A few ads here and there aren't going to change that. Most TiVo fans, myself included, want to see the company stay in business to keep providing us with the product we have become so attached to.
If TiVo goes, then we will be stuck with Myth with its media company imposed limitations (no HD cable or satelite), M$ Media Edition, or the garbage the cable companies provide.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Supper Bowl
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
i would probably watch an advertising channel for entertainment as brainwashed as that sounds. ... I actually enjoy it
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
sprite commercials
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Do You Actually Watch the Ads?
Now, do you have TiVo?
Because if you don't then you have no way of understanding whats being discussed because you see an ad as any annoyance that you can't escape. The ads TiVo are now serving up are OPT In and they are targeted.
Every watch a show and see a commercial that you actually like? Kinda like those freaky Burger King Commercials. Thought those were creepy but I watched them because I thought they were funny. TiVo matches ads to things you are ACTUALLY interested i like autos, fashion, cookins and so-on.
These ads will be placed at the end of your recorded show and will be related to something you suggest you'd be interesed in and you won't be foreced to watch it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]