Has The TiVo Interface Become Inundated With Advertisements?
The other day I noticed that the “TiVo Showcase” section is almost entirely made up of ads. Is it just me or does it seem like the TiVo interface has become inundated with advertisements? For example, TiVo now has advertisements throughout the interface including ads incorporated into TiVo Showcase and ads when you delete a program (did I forget any other places?). I remember the days when you would see one or two ads throughout the entire interface! When do the ads take away from the experience and has TiVo already crossed the line?
In TiVo’s defense, they’re definitely not the only company doing this. In fact, it’s almost impossible to visit a website or use a product that hasn’t incorporated some type of advertisement. Hell, this site has its fair share of ads so I guess I shouldn’t say anything. There definetly is a place for advertising I just have a tough time dealing with it when I’m already paying for TiVo service on a monthly basis.
What do you think? Are you happy with the ads or do you want TiVo to stop adding new advertisement “features”?
January 5th, 2007 at 1:14 am |
The “ads after a recording has been played” are the “ads when you delete a program.” You mention them twice when they are, in fact, a single instance of advertising.
January 5th, 2007 at 1:16 am |
You’re right…I think I need to go to bed :).
January 5th, 2007 at 8:16 am |
As long as the ads are in the Showcase where I don’t have to go if I don’t want to, and in banners I can ignore if I wish, I don’t mind advertising. The new banners on the delete-the-program screen are perfect… my interaction with that screen doesn’t have to change at all! I can still click up and hit delete. Though, I’ve been tempted to check out the ad several times.
January 5th, 2007 at 9:58 am |
MHAithaca,
It is nice that TiVo has made it so that the ads aren’t constantly in your face however; aren’t you a little irritated that you are already paying $12.95/month and you have to deal with ads? It would almost be nice if they had a free version that had ads and a pay for version which didn’t. Don’t you think that we are only going to see more ads as time goes on?
January 5th, 2007 at 11:19 am |
I don’t find the ads obtrusive.
Interesting, I’ve only seen the ads on delete come up once since it was rolled out.
January 5th, 2007 at 11:46 am |
It certainly would be great if the choice was ads OR subscription. Unfortunately the model seems to be both these days. I have XM radio in our two cars yet most channels have commercials. And most basic cable channels get $$ per subscriber.
For example, too many non-sports fans are paying for ESPN so the NFL can pay people like Peyton Manning gobs of money. If the NFL’s revenue truly was from only the people interested in the product, then salaries would really reflect what they are “worth”. Forcing non-fans to help pay isn’t fair.
January 5th, 2007 at 2:00 pm |
I’d prefer no ads, but after living with the Xbox 360 for awhile (and the large graphical ads) I think TiVo is doing fine balancing ad revenue without alienating customers.
January 5th, 2007 at 2:12 pm |
I find the ads when you’re done watching a program (in the “delete or keep” dialog) annoying. No, they don’t change how I have to interact with that screen. But they do take up nearly twice as much visual landscape as normal. And I just finished watching a program - I don’t want to have someone else thrusting information in my face until I’m ready to *choose* to watch another show.
January 5th, 2007 at 5:53 pm |
Do you subscribe to any magazines, Alex? If so, does it annoy you that the magazines are full of ads, even though you are a paid subscriber?
I suspect that if TiVo offered an ad-free paid version and an ad-supported free version, the paid version would be prohibitively expensive and the free version would be so plastered with advertising that it would be nigh-unusable.
I’m pretty happy with the way things are now. The bulk of the time I spend using my TiVo is spent actually watching recorded programming anyway. I just want them to fix the way suggestions get recorded and deleted. I know the TiVo is recording a variety of programming, but it ends up keeping every episode of America’s Funniest Home Videos and deleting everything else. The ads don’t bother me, but the suggestion folder full of hours and hours of AFV bothers me.
January 5th, 2007 at 7:45 pm |
I get absolutely NO adds here. I don’t know if it’s because I’m in canada or what, but no ads when I delete a program. Heck, I can’t even find the showcase anymore so I can delete my subscription to rocketboom that I never watch anymore but always downloads.
January 5th, 2007 at 8:40 pm |
I don’t mind the ads the way they are - there are the gold star promos, which basically link to the advertising Showcases, the ThumbsUp ad links that can pop up over commercials, the ‘billboard’ ads that can pop up during FF over an ad, and the ads on the delete screen. I think they’re all unobtrusive and I don’t mind them.
It is just another part of TiVo’s revenue plan, and still a fairly small part revenue-wise. I don’t think they’ll ever make enough off ads to offer the service for free. That was one of the .com pip-dream business plans for many companies. But they may make enough in time to be profitable without raising subscription fees over time.
January 7th, 2007 at 1:28 am |
I have no issue with the ads so long as I can watch them as an option, which I do occasionally. I found the Fruit of the Loom video quite entertaining…
Anything that helps keep Tivo’s head above water and is not intrusive is fine with me. I just wish they would bring back Tivolution Magazine showcase..
January 7th, 2007 at 9:23 pm |
The answer is yes, the Tivo interface is very ad-heavy. But I can ignore it most of the time. Sometimes I even watch some of the featured content on the Tivo main menu. And I’ve signed up for some of the Showcase stuff.
This weekend I saw a Showcase show on Sony HD flat screen TVs that had a few correspondents from The Daily Show acting as infomercial guides. Samantha Bee was the main shill talking up the Sony Bravia line.
Anyway, the content was crappy and boring, but the point is I seek out advertising sometimes.
January 8th, 2007 at 12:23 pm |
Sometimes I miss out of TiVo features and content, since I’m a Canadian customer, but this is one thing I don’t miss. It appears in a new machine when I first register it, but after a couple days/reboots, it disappears.
But, even if there were lots of ads in the menus, I don’t care so long as TiVo is financially healthy and it insures that they stick around.
February 14th, 2008 at 6:14 pm |
Yes, They have gone way too far…They need to have a stop ads completely/opt-out feature. There are many other alternatives like Windows Media Center…and even some providers that will give you free program guides. If they are going to show this many ads then it needs to be free. If I have to pay one damn cent then they are robing me. If they would pay me what i paid for the Tivo boxes I’d ship them back today.
February 19th, 2008 at 6:37 pm |
I *am* irritated by the proliferation of ads throughout the interface. They are now at every level of TiVo central and Now Playing. And they’re more garish these days to make them stand out from the normal menu items. In general, I think they’re hateful, considering the premium I pay for the TiVo hardware and software.