TiVo to Sell Your Fast-Forward Button

Thomas Hawk writes "PVRblog is reporting today that TiVo will begin to place banner advertisements on your screen when you are fast forwarding. As one of the whole points for people getting a TiVo is to remove obtrusive advertising, it seems like a really bad move to force advertising on people at the exact moment that they are using your technology to avoid advertising. This act points to the desperation of TiVo and their management team and although it might help them in the short run it will most certainly backfire in the long run." This is ironic for a company whose slogan used to be "TV Your Way," but not surprising, since its CEO says he wants to move to a largely advertiser-supported revenue stream. I've bought three TiVos in the past four years, but my next PVR will run MythTV -- unless HR2391 passes and makes me a criminal for skipping commercials.

Comments

How to irritate a TiVo owner

[waynegoode]

Two things to say to irritate a TiVo owner.

1. Why are you using the fast-forward button? Why not use the commercial-skipping forward button? What do you mean TiVo don't have one?

2. Okay then, why not use skip-ahead 30 seconds button or random-access? Oh, TiVo doesn't have that either.

This is why I have a ReplayTV. Actually, I have two of them. I can skip commercials with a single button press. This works 90% of the time. Also, I can skip ahead or back any amount or go any point in a program instantly. Plus, a lot more.

Also, check out the ReplayTV forum at AVSForum

people, get a clue

[dAzED1]

You do realize it COSTS MONEY for broadcasters to provide you with that service, right? And that all that is asked in return is that you take a break every once in a while from the show, and rot your brain with a commercial instead?

Just how do you propose broadcast TV be paid for?

Get a clue. If you don't want to watch commericals, then...go running, or read a book. When you eat a traditional cake, you have to deal with the fact that it has fats and sugars in it. If you want a cake with no sugars or fats, then you're going to have to eat a non-traditional cake.

Watching tv while circumventing the commercials *is* theft - you're breaking the obvious social contract. No one is wronging you, you are wronging *them*.

That being said, Tivo is being very counter-productive. If someone is fastforwarding through an ad, that means they don't want to see them... I would be terrified to advertise to such a hostile audience, if I were a company.

"Waaaaah!"

[SamTheButcher]

"Ads on my TiVo? Waaaah!!!"

Look, you idiots, go volunteer your time with the EFF or something, better yet, a soup kitchen.

It takes, what, 3 seconds at the fastest rate to skip over a few minutes of commercials? You're not even on that screen long enough to read an ad. If it keeps TiVo (the service with the best interface) out of the dustbin for a few more years, then shit, go for it.

"But Wwwaaaaaaaahhhh!"

Get a life.

Re:I dont think its such a bad idea

[Kick the Donkey]

That's all well and good. How does TiVO advertising help the networks? IT seems the profit goes to TiVO.

I haven't seen any proof, one way or the other, of who is exactly benifiting from this. I would imagine the Networks are getting a lions share of the revenue. Or maybe the networks will dicate which ads get placed, and Tivo just complies.

New deal - We pay forthe hardware, we pay for a subscription and now they try to sell us stuff. We never agreed to that.

Cry me a friggn river. Oh no! They're going to show me non-invasive ads that in no way impeed my use of the product! Help me! Help me! The sky is falling!