Tivo, Inc. discriminates against seniors

[funtoupgrade]

Why is TiVo discriminating against seniors by limiting their TiVo Subscriber Opinion Panel to folks 55 years old or under? It also removes us from the possibility of winning the lifetime S3. It has been suggested I lie about my age to participate which I will not do.

Added 2/10/07: TiVo removed the age restriction, and I was allowed to complete the panel application (and was approved). I do not buy the software glitch explanation. There was no way that error message got there after entering my age except by insertion from the original programmer. I am happy, though somebody came to their senses on this issue.

Time for my nap.

[Mike Farrington]

Age is very important to advertisers. Unfortunately they just don't give a crap about someone your age. However, since they are disallowing certain folks, they should allow for an alternate entry method for the S3 drawing. Another option is for them to just accept everybody and filter the data later (even if they just plan to ignore the data gathered from the 55+ crowd).

[Revolutionary]

Age is very important to advertisers. Unfortunately they just don't give a crap about someone your age.

You've apparently not watched an episode of the evening news lately. ;)

Commercial progression goes something like: RX, Ensure, RX, RX, GM, RX, Aleve ... "and we're back!"

[Bierboy]

Fellow old farts, let's organize and protest!

[rcobourn]

Don't lie, but do go on the "you're only as old as you feel" theory. I think you feel about 43 today. :)

[ZeoTiVo]

You've apparently not watched an episode of the evening news lately. ;)

Commercial progression goes something like: RX, Ensure, RX, RX, GM, RX, Aleve ... "and we're back!"I am thinking there are not many season passes for the evening news and for those notable exceptions* it is so they can watch it that same night.

I have a Keep at Most 1 of the morning news but mainly so it is already tuned in

[jmoak]

A dadgum travesty of justice, I tells ya!

Where's Matlock when you need him?

[ZeoTiVo]

Where's Matlock when you need him?
watching Murder She Wrote :D

[Revolutionary]

I am thinking there are not many season passes for the evening news and for those notable exceptions* it is so they can watch it that same night.

I have a Keep at Most 1 of the morning news but mainly so it is already tuned in

Um, well... I supposed I assumed... you know... that sometimes people... you know, other than me... watch .... live tv? [ducks] Just occasionally! I swear!

:p

[ping]

It also removes us from the possibility of winning the lifetime S3.

No, it doesn't. You'll just have to use the alternate method (which they're required to offer in order to make it "no purchase necessary").

[usnret]

Fellow old farts, let's organize and protest!

I'm 66 and all for it, but can we do it after my nap???

[Bierboy]

I'm 66 and all for it, but can we do it after my nap???Only if I can first get my nap in, too. :D

[infinitespecter]

You've apparently not watched an episode of the evening news lately. ;)

Commercial progression goes something like: RX, Ensure, RX, RX, GM, RX, Aleve ... "and we're back!"

And neither does anyone else. Evening news ratings have been dropping for years, and even Katie Couric can't change that.

[shiffrin]

The age check in the survey was a mistake (they seem to have had a lot of problems getting this survey released). I got a long apologetic email from Tivo about it and took the survey again and was signed up.

Now, back to my nap

[GoHokies!]

The age check in the survey was a mistake (they seem to have had a lot of problems getting this survey released). I got a long apologetic email from Tivo about it and took the survey again and was signed up.

Now, back to my nap

You're coming dangerously close to letting the facts get in the way of a really good rant! ;)

[TiVo Steve]

I guess this leaves most of us Vietnam vets out in the cold (again)... too old...

[hookbill]

I think TiVo said they had made an error and that message had popped up. Try it again. I mean I turn 55 this year and I didn't have any problems.

Oh, and I am NOT a senior - yet!

[jimmymac]

Please, don't you old coots get enough special dispensations?

Be happy with your discounts at the movies and enjoy your early bird specials.




;-)

[RoyK]

Please, don't you old coots get enough special dispensations?

Be happy with your discounts at the movies and enjoy your early bird specials.

;-)


Coots? COOTS?
Watch your language whippersnapper or risk my cane upside the head.

:)

[usnret]

I've had my nap, taken my pills, now what were we talking about???

[aadam101]

Advertisers are the ones that discriinate.

[Bierboy]

Coots? COOTS?
Watch your language whippersnapper or risk my cane upside the head.

:)Could you speak up, sonny, I can't hear you!!

[usnret]

Ah yes, hearing. I found that Miracle Tone is the best.

[Double-Tap]

Shades of Logan's Run. Cue the ominous music. Who are you calling a senior, junior? ;-)

[jmace57]

<looks for Farrah Fawcett>

[usnret]

Have to go now, time for the Milton Berle Show. I'm excited. Just got some green plastic to put on the TV screen. Supposed to make it look like it's in color!!!!!!

[painkiller]

Can you youngsters keep it down, please and thank you very much?

Ya'll woke me up!

:p

[restart88]

You've apparently not watched an episode of the evening news lately. ;)

Commercial progression goes something like: RX, Ensure, RX, RX, GM, RX, Aleve ... "and we're back!"

And now thanks to NASA a lot of free advertising for Depends from the news programs to the late night comics. They can just pocket their ad budget for this year! lol

[entropy]

(Okay, so this is completely off topic. Press "n" now. :-))

Um, well... I supposed I assumed... you know... that sometimes people... you know, other than me... watch .... live tv? [ducks] Just occasionally! I swear! :p

You can't possibly expect anyone on a TiVo forum to believe that!

This reminds me of something an acquaintance of mine pointed out. Old people watch TV, he said. Young people watch shows.

I (at 42) can't understand why anyone would turn on a TV except to watch a specific show, and after less than a day with my first TiVo (of two retired S1s, three S2s still in service, and my first S3) I can't understand why anyone would watch live TV ever.

I also advocate downloading TV shows via the net, despite the legal issues that might raise. (Of course I also buy TV shows when/if they are released on DVD, and urge others to do the same.) The advantage of that is that the goddam commercials are GONE, and the quality is much better than analog broadcasts compressed by the S1/S2.

The infernal NOISE that commercials (and laugh tracks) make is a really big reason I can't imagine turning on a TV that isn't connected to a TiVo. I'd be much more likely to pay for my TV by watching commercials if (a) broadcasters didn't compress and boost the levels of sound, and (b) advertisers persuaded TiVo to allow me to watch only commercials for products I might actually care about and watch any particular commercial once and only once. I'll never buy a Volkswagen but their ads don't suck. :-)

I'm actually surprised that TiVo hasn't offered the option of delivering targeted advertising in return for a small reduction in the monthly fee. IOW, instead of showing the ads the network selected, mostly for products I would never buy and don't care about, automatically delete the ads from the broadcast and run three or four ads for things I actually *would* buy or care about--like movies and boxed sets of TV DVDs--and bill the advertisers directly for eyeballs they are guaranteed to get and which are attached to people who actually care about those products. Of course I'll still never buy a Volkswagen.

If anyone from TiVo is reading this they can have my ideas for free if they implement a free space indicator. Otherwise I guess they'll have to steal 'em. :D

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>