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TiVo Starts Testing "Pop-up" Ads

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the this-could-get-tricky dept.

mkraft writes "ZDNet is reporting that TiVo has started a testing a new pop-up style ad on a random and limited number of subscriber's TiVo as of this weekend. The ads are designed to be displayed on screen when the user fast forwards through specially tagged commercials. Clicking the thumbsup or select button on the TiVo remote will take the user to a menu containing more information about the advertisement (text and/or video). Unfortunately according to reports on the TiVo Community forums the ads are also showing up during actual programs as well."

4 of 603 comments (clear)

  1. "Our goal..." by grub · · Score: 5, Interesting

    FTA: "Our goal is in no way to interfere with the TiVo experience," TiVo spokesman David Shane said.

    TiVo has gone from a cool company with financial problems to another advertising laden CrapCo that's cutting it's own throat. Even more reason to cancel cable entirely, buy a divx/xvid ready dvd player (well under CA$100) and download what really interests you without ads. Don't worry, the big studios won't starve. They're making buckets on product placement within the shows now.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  2. Well, that seals it. by Ummagumma · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My gf has been egging me to get rid of the TIVO and go with the cable company offering for a while now. She wants the ability to watch one show while recording another, and the ability to use the DVR with Hi-Def programming. This just seals the deal. I'll be cancelling tonight.

    Goodbye Tivo, you'll be out of business soon.

    --
    "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." - Thomas Jefferson
  3. Re:Why does this not seem right? Everywhere... by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I pay for the TiVo device itself, then I pay a monthly service fee. Now I also have to put up with highly invasive advertising?

    Let me see:

    1: I drive to the movie house (have you seen the price of gasoline?)
    2: Pay an insane amount for a theater ticket (not to mention popcorn)
    3: Get 5 minutes of commercials for other products (that's before the 10 minutes of trailer commercials for other movies)
    4: PROFIT! (for someone else).

    Yeah, its happening everywhere because we aren't pushing back hard enough. So far, legislators in one state are pushing the idea that theaters will be requried to post the actual starting time of the movie.

    Just how much more of this do you plan to take?

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  4. Re:So much for TiVo by spoonyfork · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Nothing like watching a great show and having to minimize the link for the latest viagra pill with your kids.

    Outstanding point. My brother is equally if not more concerned about what ads his children are exposed to while watching TV. One solution was to filter all ads with the notion of there never having been a worthwhile ad to watch. The assumption is that all ads are harmful to children. TiVo was a device that could help parents accomplish such as task.

    --
    Speak truth to power.