Please stop the annoying pause ads

[Kerry]

I can only hope others who dislike TiVo's new practice of popping up an ad when a program is paused speak out. I first noticed it in the Superbowl now it's happening more frequently.

It's close to a deal-breaker with me. There's something about it that's irritatingly intrusive.

Kerry

[restart88]

Just hit the up button and it will be gone for the remainder of the show.

[Kerry]

Thanks, I assume you mean the thumbs up button. I'll have to program the one-only remote I use for that button, but that will be better.

I still vote against the cheap subliminal ad, making us remove it trick, the thousands who have to view it all the time because they don't know about the "up" trick. I used to speak highly of TIVO. To think a group of executives at TIVO sat and discussed that it's intrusive, not wanted, and that most of us would not opt for such a trick and still they voted, "Yah, to hell with them." It just doesn't feel good.

I predict that TIVO will rue the day they started such a cheap trick. I'm wondering how many of the companies presently hurting financially started going down hill when they dumped similar questionable practices on their customers. Yesterday's level of integrity won't work any more.

Kerry

[davidlachnicht]

Need an option in Settings to turn them OFF.

[Kerry]

Hi restart88,

Just hit the up button and it will be gone for the remainder of the show. I tried the Thumbs Up button on the TIVO remote and it turns off the ad until the next time I press the pause button. What am I doing wrong? The Channel up or Vol up button doesn't turn it off.


Hi davidlachnicht, Is this something that is already in the Settings menu? Or, is there a already a MOD I could get that does this? Or, are you suggesting to TIVO to provide an opt-out for the intrusive pause ads?

Are you and I the only ones who object to these ads? Given that the ads don't appear all the time for every pause on every station I think TIVO is testing the waters to see if they can get away with it. If we don't speak up it'll soon be as common as the ads on the cable TV Guide channel 4 (with only 4 lines of channel menus showing, the rest promos and ads).

Thanks,

Kerry
AT&T Series II w/added HDD.

[restart88]

Actually I was talking about the big round grey button just below the Tivo button that has up/ down/ left/ right. Not the thumbs up.

[barbeedoll]

Yes, this is being tested on the Series 2, and if there isn't a huge outcry they will also move it to the Series 3 TiVos.

There are other threads on this, too.

I feel that we pay for TiVo so that we can pause, etc. To have this unwelcome "More about" banner appear that we must manually remove is more than irritating---it is unacceptable.

When I pause, it is often to see something on the screen important to the plot point. If this big "More about" banner is there blocking it I am seething before I get back to watching.

TiVo marketing choices should NOT be about making people irate with TiVo. My theory is that some recent marketing graduates who don't really watch TV have convinced TiVo that this is a wonderful revenue stream. Won't they be surprised when people move over to the cable version of a DVR just to avoid these stupid banners.

So far I am able to tape on a Series 2 and move it to my Series 3 to avoid the banners. However, they soon will be moving them to the Series 3 also. We need to be making our voices heard in great, outraged numbers before that happens.

Barbeedoll

[jweaver15]

This is really a bad addition...it would be different if it didn't turn back on after every show, but there is no way to keep it off.

[restart88]

I have seen posts where people called Tivo and requested to opt out of ALL advertising, but it has to be all. So maybe that is at least 1 alternative.

[Kerry]

Hi restart88,

Down turns my Pause ad off for the one show.

I'll try calling TIVO and see what happens. That would be so cool. Actually not cool in that it's like banks; the default is opt-on for giving our info to certain merchants thereby forcing us to have to send them a letter to opt out. TIVO should have the ad default set to opt out, that would truly be service to the customer in favor of the merchants.

I'd love to know the name of the TIVO employee who is the leader behind this sleazy practice. I'm guessing he hides the fact that he suggested the idea from his neighbors who have TIVO. Here in Hawaii we are striving for the Sunshine Law to be extended from the State and County Councils to the business world—more transparency.

Do TIVO staff reads these suggestions?

Thanks, Kerry

[argicida]

Its things like this that make me content to stay with a mix of DirecTivo and DirectTV DVR's - I miss the cutting edge Tivo features but they just really don't seem to get their customers.

[barbeedoll]

I have seen posts where people called Tivo and requested to opt out of ALL advertising, but it has to be all. So maybe that is at least 1 alternative.

No, there is no way to call TiVo and opt out. Believe me, I explored this in great detail and went far toward the top.

The only way we can get this stopped is to get a huge outpouring of anamosity for this feature on the boards. Tell everyone you know.

Barbeedoll

[Kerry]

Hi Barbeedoll,

Thanks for the feedback—saved me the trouble of trying.

Here's a link (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=7097709#post7097709) to another thread with this topic. Are there other threads?

What's the link to the other thread about the Pause ads? "Search" doesn't find it.

Restart88, can you edit your post about calling to opt out of ads, else post a name and number to call.

Anyone know if TiVO staff read these posts?

I elected to not participate in TiVO's recent feedback suggestion program solely because I assume they wouldn't act upon this single irritant. The assumption comes from my experience of them ignoring requests from us about the other ad intrusion in the menu (at the bottom—promoting products and movies etc.) forcing us to read, even peripherally something we don't want in our mind. What TiVO execs know and don't care about is that it upsets many of us so much that we refuse to click it simply because it would reward the sleazy manipulation.

How can we generate more conversations about this? It would be so validating in these times to know that TiVO is for the people.

Kerry

[WayneCarter]

Just out of curiosity, are you referring to the "More about xxxxx" that appears when TiVo is paused? The reason I ask is that all I ever see as "xxxxx" is the name of the paused show. Pressing select takes you to swivel search. Do you sometimes get actual ads instead of "More about [the current show]"?

[Kerry]

Hi WayneCarter,

I'll have to pay more attention the next time it appears. The first time I notice it was when I pressed the Pause button during the Superbowl "...Europeen car etc." I don't even want to reward the merchant or the TiVO staff by mentioning the name of the car here. I believe it does prompt one to click "for more." It's a one line clickable image with text. I don't recall mine ever offering more about the current show I'm viewing.* It's always an ad for, or a promotion, for something. Maybe they have different test markets to see which area of the country is the more susceptible to sleaze.

The one line ad does disappear (for how long I'm not sure, I'm still testing it) if I click the down arrow on the gray multi-directional button on the TiVO remote. I have all my components programmed with a Sony remote so I seldom use the TiVo remote.

* I'd probably click it if did offer more about the current show if TiVO staff could be trusted to not slip in an ad.

TiVO Staff: It's not that I'm against ads. I sometimes buy a product just to reward their sponsorship. I often replay a great ad. It's the sneaky Pause ad and the one at the bottom of the menu that bothers me.

Kerry

[WayneCarter]

Thanks.

I would prefer to have the "More about ... " lozenge gone or removable, but really don't find it too objectionable. But I don't think I've ever had it pop-up an ad either, though I must admit I haven't been paying a lot of attention to it either, usually when I pause a show it's to answer the phone, get a beer, etc. I occasionally use it to pause sports (etc) and can't remember ever getting an ad.

[Kerry]

I think you're right on, that it should be an option setting.

Kerry

[restart88]

I have noticed that the info isn't even available if you transferred from another DVR so it's kinda useless in that situation. Just sends you to universal search.

That said, I actually have on occasion found myself use the feature to learn more about cast members and their other work. But I agree you should be able to toggle the feature on and off.

[windfarm]

This is a good thing to know. I was planning on buying a TIVO in a couple of weeks but this gives me pause. (Pardon the pun). If I'm paying for the service I don't want ads on pause. This may be a deal breaker for me. I'd feel better if there was an opt out.

[justen_m]

This is a good thing to know. I was planning on buying a TIVO in a couple of weeks but this gives me pause. (Pardon the pun). If I'm paying for the service I don't want ads on pause. This may be a deal breaker for me. I'd feel better if there was an opt out.

uhm, I don't get it. You are paused, right? So why do you care what is on your screen?

This entire thread sounds like people who hate Tivo for some irrational reason and are trying to recruit other haters. If I am wrong, please explain how this actually affects me?

[nipster00]

I bought the TiVo because of the long term price difference.

if those ads will continue to make it cheap to have, i say go for it. they are not that bad.

[Kerry]

Hi justen_m,
uhm, I don't get it. You are paused, right? So why do you care what is on your screen? I don't know about others but for me I use PIP a lot so when the Pause thingy pops up I PIP to another channel but I am able to see peripherally the Pause ad. BTW: It's getting so that ads take up 50 percent of an hour's program which means I can watch two programs using PIP if I just switch back and forth so as to avoid the ads.

restart88, That said, I actually have on occasion found myself use the feature to learn more about cast members and their other work. But I agree you should be able to toggle the feature on and off. I'm guessing that different parts of the country have different Pause content. I've seen "more about the show that's playing" but 99% of the time it's a blatant product ad prompting one to click for more. My preference would be an option to not have the Pause pop up at all. Same goes for the Ad at the bottom of the TiVO Central menu, I object to it. I simply ignore it no matter how interesting it might be, I don't want to reward that intrusion. I originally subscribed to an ad-free service for $12.95.

Interesting how TiVO provides Thumbs up/down voting for programs but not for these Pause ads.

Kerry

[Kerry]

Hi Windfarm,

This is a good thing to know. I was planning on buying a TIVO in a couple of weeks but this gives me pause. (Pardon the pun). If I'm paying for the service I don't want ads on pause. This may be a deal breaker for me. I'd feel better if there was an opt out. I'm now paying more attention to my PC World's magazine articles about using my PC as a DVR and have skippable ads. It would save me $12.95 per month. My AT&T Series II (w/second 80GB HDD) is about 5-years-old so I'm thinking it's about to die anyway. It's a toss up as to which TiVO, if any to replace it with. I'm thinking there are thousands of early subscribers in the same condition who will have to make a choice. It's possible that if TiVo doesn't listen to us they will lose us. It must be very difficult for them trying to please both the TV networks and we who want ad-free viewing. No doubt in my mind that TiVO could provide us with options to customize the skip times. I'd trim mine so as to eliminate the last few seconds we get of a skipped commercial. Advertisers know this and get in a lot of info in those last seconds.

I've noticed that the networks are getting better at synchronizing their ad times so that it's getting more difficult to surf to a station that's not running an ad during the scheduled commercial breaks.

I'm hoping someone figures out how to sell subscriptions (real cheap) that skips commercials for us?

Kerry

[justen_m]

Kerry
i see your point. hard to typw qirh a beokwn arm.

[justen_m]

broken arm

[TooMuchTime]

I've noticed that the networks are getting better at synchronizing their ad times so that it's getting more difficult to surf to a station that's not running an ad during the scheduled commercial breaks.

You noticed that, too? I do believe the reason for this IS all the channel surfing and DVR recording. At warp speed, it takes about 2-3 seconds to bypass commercials. It's almost as if there's not even an interruption. I don't even like to watch live TV anymore. Record it on Tivo and zip through the commercials.

I understand the need for advertising. That doesn't mean I have to like it. I PAY for the Tivo service. If the service was free then I can understand the need for advertising. But since I'm paying, that means NO annoying adds. That's the point of PAYING for the service. I don't want to hear the "well, the advertising keeps the subscription cost low." BS! I'm already paying. It's kind of like Adware on your computer; why would I bother to patronize a business that uploads software to my computer surreptitiously and steals my bandwidth to force popups to appear on my screen? I would do everything in my power to keep as many people from purchasing their product as possible.

I've always thought that all commercials should be at the beginning and end of all shows. Kind of like National Geographic magazine. Some people will still watch the commercials. This would also force the advertising agencies to come up with commercials worth watching. Instead of the "hold-product-to-face-and-lie-about-how-it-has-improved-your-life-so-everyone-should-buy-it" drivel.

As always, the customer doesn't know what's best for them so we'll tell them what they like.

I know, I'm ranting. But it's the "perfect storm" for a good rant.

[jeepguy_1980]

I have yet to see one of these ads on my TiVo.

[Kerry]

Recently I noticed that TiVO is placing a one line ad in the folder containing one or more TiVO'd programs. For example: I TiVo People's Court daily. I collect several segments which then are automatically placed in a folder. Now that folder contains a list of my recorded shows and a one line ad.

I wish TiVO execs would share with us their financial situation so that we could take part in their decision making process. We could discuss the ethics and possible consequences of unilaterally changing the subscription contract, and submit suggestions on how to grow with integrity. Possibly there is some fine print that justifies their decision, for certain it conflicts with our understanding of the agreement. Breaking an implied agreement has equally undesirable consequences.

My thought is that the CEO and the execs are drawing way to much salary and are trying to survive by make us pay for it. These ads indicate that TiVO is doing poorly in sales which would keep their income growing, instead they are trying to maintain their salaries and incremental pay raise schedules by dumping ads in our space. Experience tells me they can't survive with their present business model; more and more they are compromising their integrity to survive. It's a catch 22. A decrease in income so they sneak in ads. The consequence of the sneaky unethicalness (breaking the existing ad-free subscription agreement) is even more shortfalls. They have enough marketing data to know that we subscribers are a complacent unconscious lot, that other business are doing it, so too will we put up with it.

The tragedy is that there is at least one TiVO employee (a me if you will) who keeps pointing this sneakiness out at their board meetings and he/she is ignored (invalidated). Soon they will drive that person out of TiVO. Eventually their out-integrity will begin to manifest itself in their family life. When one doesn't act upon its own generated supportive feedback (this forum) it has even more negative consequences (ergo today's financial crisis), resulting in breakdowns in communication, goals not being met, broken agreements, sneakiness, and deceit. Can you tell I'm a leadership-relationship communication skills coach?:)

We need a few more winds to add to this "storm."

Kerry

[Kerry]

I have yet to see one of these ads on my TiVo. This supports my sense that the ads are being tested in various cities. If they can get away with it in their test populations then soon it will be nationwide.

Kerry

[Kerry]

Hi restart88,

Based upon Barbeedoll's post No, there is no way to call TiVo and opt out. Believe me, I explored this in great detail and went far toward the top. The only way we can get this stopped is to get a huge outpouring of anamosity for this feature on the boards. Tell everyone you know. Barbeedoll
in response to your post
I have seen posts where people called Tivo and requested to opt out of ALL advertising, but it has to be all. So maybe that is at least 1 alternative. ...would you post a correction else post a name and number to call or provide the links to the "posts"?

Barbeedoll, do have the name of the "far toward the top" person?

Thanks,

Kerry

[ZeoTiVo]

Hi justen_m,
I don't know about others but for me I use PIP a lot so when the Pause thingy pops up I PIP to another channel but I am able to see peripherally the Pause ad. BTW: It's getting so that ads take up 50 percent of an hour's program which means I can watch two programs using PIP if I just switch back and forth so as to avoid the ads.

umm - why not just record the show and then watch it after it has been on for say 20 minutes or more and then just 30 sec skip or FF all the adds and not have to go to some other show when the ads are on??? The TiVo is after all a DVR that has these nifty season passes to make sure it records the shows even if you are not there.

as for making a big stink on forums - these pause ads have been out for 4 or more months and are on all Series 2- there is no city by city test happening. The usual minority did post a stink but it died off.
the one thing that will get TiVo inc's attention - canceling your service or selling the TiVo with lifetime and telling TiVo inc why you stopped using them. Anyone in this thread truly dislike this enough to do something real about it?

[MeStinkBAD]

If you don't like advertising to this degree, then why don't you buy something like an AppleTV, where you pay for the content your getting, without any advertising. The ITMS allows you to buy a specific show, or a full season. There are no ads. Period. No subscription fee either. You pay for what you watch. Really why would such an option not appeal to you, since it sounds like exactly what you are asking for.

TiVo offers this thru Amazon Unbox though no HD. No way to play on your iPod or w/e. You could use this... not as elegant as ITMS. TiVo still requires an account in good standing. But no ads.

[Kerry]

Hi ZeoTiVo

umm - why not just record the show and then watch it after it has been on for say 20 minutes or more and then just 30 sec skip or FF all the adds and not have to go to some other show when the ads are on??? What I do is watch two shows at a time. One is being TiVO'd. The other cable show is viewed via a PIP window. In other words, I have two windows displayed at all times. When I'm watching a non TiVO'd show and a commercial comes on I switch to the show being TiVO'd. Then when I see the commercials are finished I Pause the TiVO show and PIP back to the other show. I have via learned via this thread how to turn off the the Pause ad for each new TiVO'd show.

What I have noticed is that not all TiVO Pauses have ads and not all folders have ads....one thing that will get TiVo inc's attention - canceling your service... I agree. For me it would "cutting off my nose...." I am seriously looking to find a way to use my PC as a DVR (I have Road Runner broadband to my PC) and transmit shows wirelessly to my TV in the other room. Still, I'd really miss the excellent TiVO TV guide.

Re: 4 or more months and are on all Series 2- there is no city by city test happening. I was unaware of how long TiVo had been doing this, or, that it was only my Series 2. I understand now that when someone posts that they see no Pause ads or Folder ads that they have another model of TiVO.

Hi MeStinkBad, If you don't like advertising to this degree, I apologize for the confusion. It's not that I object to or don't like ads. I do enjoy many of them. It's the sneaky intrusion by TiVO of ads into places that heretofore did not contain ads. In effect, TiVO is unilaterally changing the conditions of my original subscription, that's what I object to. I'd be a happy camper if TiVO provided an ad-opt-out option for Series 2 owners. In truth I'd probably pay a dollar more per month for an ad-free subscription. The creeping ad intrusions has caused me to begin searching for alternatives. Thanks for the Amazon Unbox tip, Ugh no HD.

Kerry

[argicida]

If you don't like advertising to this degree, then why don't you buy something like an AppleTV, where you pay for the content your getting, without any advertising. The ITMS allows you to buy a specific show, or a full season. There are no ads. Period. No subscription fee either. You pay for what you watch. Really why would such an option not appeal to you, since it sounds like exactly what you are asking for.



I suspect Tivo will lose more customers to other DVRs than Apple TV.

[kc94558]

I just talked to Tivo, they weren't much help. they said they will let their "people" know that I don't like the banners when placing a program on hold. . All he admited to is that they added the feature to the HD models last week. I noticed them on the old boxes months ago. He said I will NOT hear back from anybody, even tho he gave me a case number. After talking to a "supervisor" he sent me to a recorded survey to take. After pressing buttons for responses, I was given the opportunity to leave a voice response. Cant promise anybody will listen, but its worth a chance. Everybody should call the TiVo number and complain. I chose the tech support department, and the answered within 3 minuites.

[MRVH]

kc94558,

I also called earlier today and the tech didn't know what I was talking about (or at least acted like he didn't know). He gave me the same BS about the survey.

This just rubs me the wrong way. Its like buying security software for your PC that blocks all popups except those coming from the security company.

I wonder if there is a Tivo theme for myth tv?

rm

[netringer]

Hi justen_m,
I don't know about others but for me I use PIP a lot so when the Pause thingy pops up I PIP to another channel but I am able to see peripherally the Pause ad. BTW: It's getting so that ads take up 50 percent of an hour's program which means I can watch two programs using PIP if I just switch back and forth so as to avoid the ads.
...

PIP? On my one old SD CRT TV with PIP, PIP is broken. I can watch two channels at once with dual tuners with buffers Just toggle tuners.

Sorry D* DVR dudes. :p

[Kerry]

Hi rm,

Thanks for making that call. I'm torn between knowing I should call and knowing it would be submitting myself to abusive rational. I hold the TiVO staff in such contempt, I'd end up arguing. My intuition tells me it's hopeless. If they were in service they'd be monitoring these posts, if they were in service they wouldn't be pulling such sneaky tricks on us—their supposed friends/clients. Friends just don't treat each other like this. Part of my contempt stems from a natural knowing that there are more subscribers who are willing to put up with more and more intrusions of ads; few are willing to see that breaking the original agreement represents an insidious condescending F--- ----. For example, if, when they first started several years ago they said, "Oh by the way, we will be placing ads whenever and wherever we'd like," they would have had fewer subscriptions.

I'm disappointed because TiVO could be among the leaders this decade in doing business with impeccable integrity. The "everybody does it" reasoning just isn't going to work any more. As it is I predict TiVo will fail—this from my experiences of 30 years as a Manager Training Coach.

I'm continually shopping now for another system in preparation for when my AT&T Series 2 dies. I know many others are doing the same.

Kerry

[dswallow]

I was thinking next time I have to make a change on my programmable remote, I might make the pause key into a pause + down-arrow macro. I don't really pause a lot, so no big deal. Just thought it might work.

[Kerry]

Hi dswallow,

Good idea, I'll try it.

Kerry

[aaronwt]

I have yet to see an advertisement. All I see is an option to see info about the show I'm watching. I still fail to see what the big deal is. If I am pausing a show, it's because i'm doing something else. Then I unpause it and continue watching the show. As long as it doesn't interfere with me watching the show, it doesn't matter to me. And something popping up while i have a show on pause, does nothing to affect my viewing of that program.

[Kerry]

Hi aaronwt.

Re: "I have yet to see an advertisement." I believe the ads don't appear for some models.

Please read the entire thread so that you can understand the "big deal" for some of us.

Kerry

[aaronwt]

Hi aaronwt.

Re: "I have yet to see an advertisement." I believe the ads don't appear for some models.

Please read the entire thread so that you can understand the "big deal" for some of us.

Kerry

I have read the entire thread. It still doesn't explain how an extra pop up causes a problem when a screen is paused. As long as it doesn't interfere with the viewing of a program(which it doesn't) it isn't a problem.

Or am I making a bad assumption that people use their TiVos to watch TV programming? If not then I can see where there would be a problem. if people do actually use their TiVos to watch Tv programming then the extra pop up when paused does nothing to stop the viewing of that programming.

[outpost]

I find them annoying, too. It's like constantly tripping. TiVo used to make user friendliness a selling point. This is user unfriendly.

[Kerry]

I find them annoying, too. Got it.

The ad at the bottom of TiVO Central is also sneaky. They know that peripherally it enters the mind even though one doesn't click on it.

Kerry

[jmoores]

I guess that I'll just add my voice in requesting TIVO adding an opt out to ads ANYWHERE... This is a paid service, and I don't want to pay twice, once in $ (not cheap) and once in annoying TIVO Spam. I also would like to turn off the "more" option that appears when I pause. Probably 90% of the time I pause, it is only to truly pause the program to visit another room in the house... Why make the default to do a swivel search anyway?!? My guess is that the vast majority of the people who use pause, don't want to do a swivel search. I would love to see a configuration option to at least turn off the swivel search during a pause.

[jmoores]

Thank you for expressing my feelings better than I did in a previous post on this topic. I do have one thing to add to those who say that the DVRs from the cable/DSL/Sat providers have ads too... They usually are free or extremely cheap (a couple of bucks a month). I would expect that I would get ads for that price, but I do not expect to get ads for the price I paid for my TIVO DVR and the price I pay for service! TIVO was worth it for the convenience of the interface and the great service. Now the ads impact both the convenience and the service. :mad: :mad:

Hi rm,

Thanks for making that call. I'm torn between knowing I should call and knowing it would be submitting myself to abusive rational. I hold the TiVO staff in such contempt, I'd end up arguing. My intuition tells me it's hopeless. If they were in service they'd be monitoring these posts, if they were in service they wouldn't be pulling such sneaky tricks on us—their supposed friends/clients. Friends just don't treat each other like this. Part of my contempt stems from a natural knowing that there are more subscribers who are willing to put up with more and more intrusions of ads; few are willing to see that breaking the original agreement represents an insidious condescending F--- ----. For example, if, when they first started several years ago they said, "Oh by the way, we will be placing ads whenever and wherever we'd like," they would have had fewer subscriptions.

I'm disappointed because TiVO could be among the leaders this decade in doing business with impeccable integrity. The "everybody does it" reasoning just isn't going to work any more. As it is I predict TiVo will fail—this from my experiences of 30 years as a Manager Training Coach.

I'm continually shopping now for another system in preparation for when my AT&T Series 2 dies. I know many others are doing the same.

Kerry

[aaronwt]

Thank you for expressing my feelings better than I did in a previous post on this topic. I do have one thing to add to those who say that the DVRs from the cable/DSL/Sat providers have ads too... They usually are free or extremely cheap (a couple of bucks a month). I would expect that I would get ads for that price, but I do not expect to get ads for the price I paid for my TIVO DVR and the price I pay for service! TIVO was worth it for the convenience of the interface and the great service. Now the ads impact both the convenience and the service. :mad: :mad:

Where can you get a cable company DVR for $2 a month? Around here they are $15 to $20 a month for the cable companies DVRs.

Even the HD set top boxes are $10 a month and you can only watch TV in realtime with those.
The cable comapny SD set top boxes are around $5 a month.

I've never heard of being able to get a DVR for so little a month. Although my monthly TiVo boxes only cost me $6.95 a month to TiVo.

[bschuler2007]

I'm continually shopping now for another system in preparation for when my AT&T Series 2 dies. I know many others are doing the same

Continually shopping? More like frantically searching. Sorry.. but f Tivo.

*When I bought mine, the brochure didn't show any ads in any menus and infact, the service at the time had no ads except the showcase. Now it's annoying to the point of me avoiding using Tivo infront of people out of embarrassment. They are raping the customers with ads in every nook and cranny. AVOID this product...

* posted on Amazon.com and other user review sites this morning. Fight back.

[Kerry]

Here's my wish list:

1) An option for no ads anywhere (per our original implied agreement).
2) An option to completely turn off the "more" option that appears when I pause.
3) An option to completely remove all stations I never ever watch from the Channels list. Scrolling through hundreds, Music, Home shopping, Filipino, etc. so as to unselect a newly added channel to the lineup has become irritating.
4) An option to not have a new or reassigned channel automatically added to my channel list. I'd rather receive a message that there has been a new channel added or reassigned and have the option of adding it to my watched channels. I'm of the opinion that they way they do it, by automatically adding new channels (at least one per week here in Hawaii), is a sneaky way of trying to get people to watch shows with ads.
5) An option to turn off the auto record of any programs.

I'm absolutely clear that TiVO would both retain and increase its subscriber base if they implemented these 5 wishes, say, via a, "Serving subscribers is what we do" campaign.

The choice to implement or ignore our wish list will be a significant communication that will turn out to be a measurable turning point for the CEO of TiVO.

Kerry

[orangeboy]

1) An option for no ads anywhere (per our original implied agreement).
Which agreement was that? What exactly was implied?

2) An option to completely turn off the "more" option that appears when I pause.
Agreed.

3) An option to completely remove all stations I never ever watch from the Channels list. Scrolling through hundreds, Music, Home shopping, Filipino, etc. so as to unselect a newly added channel to the lineup has become irritating.
Alternative: Don't scroll. Use the numeric pad to go directly to the channel you want to add/remove in the Channels list.

4) An option to not have a new or reassigned channel automatically added to my channel list. I'd rather receive a message that there has been a new channel added or reassigned and have the option of adding it to my watched channels. I'm of the opinion that they way they do it, by automatically adding new channels (at least one per week here in Hawaii), is a sneaky way of trying to get people to watch shows with ads.
I actually think it's a way to save me time to NOT go through the effort of adding a channel. As more channels switch to HD, I'm happy they just show up without me specifically adding them. I still go through the effort of removing the SD counterpart and changing Season Passes, however. Perhaps having the ability to add/remove channels from the Guide would be of greater benefit. Adding would require entering the desired channel directly through the numeric keypad since the up/down scroll buttons would not work. It seems Tivo can record channels I specify as not having. I found this when a Season Pass was not changed when a HD channel was added and I removed the SD counterpart.

5) An option to turn off the auto record of any programs.
Do you mean Tivo Suggestions? Do this: Go to Tivo Central > Messages & Settings > Settings > Recording > Tivo Suggestions > No, don't record Tivo Suggestions.

I'm absolutely clear that TiVO would both retain and increase its subscriber base if they implemented these 5 wishes, say, via a, "Serving subscribers is what we do" campaign.
I'm not convinced of your certainty about the retention and increase of subscription based on this wishlist.

[Kerry]

Hi Orangeboy,

Which agreement was that? What exactly was implied? When I first subscribed there were no ads. That was the implied agreement.

Don't scroll. Use the numeric pad When I'm in TiVo mode with my aftermarket remote the numeric key pad doesn't work, so I need to scroll.

I actually think it's a way to save me time to NOT go through the effort of adding a channel. I do not recall a single instance in five years (we're talking hundreds of changes/additions) in which I wanted what was selected for me in my channels. It's this customizing of the Guide that I like, compared with cables DVR, which require one to scroll through all the channels.

Do you mean TiVo Suggestions? ... I don't know what it's called I just know that it looks to be like a Infomercial and that it prompts me to record now or later. I'll check your suggestion and let you know what happens.

Kerry

[aaronwt]

Where are these ads people keep talking about? I have seven TiVos used several hours a day and the only thing I see is when I pause it. An extra line or two which has no effect on the program I'm watching. I've yet to see any advertisements that have been forced on me. I have always had the option of viewing or not viewing any advertisements.

[bschuler2007]

aaronwt,
Hit your TIVO button.. see the last menu item? Now, you can say these ads are not forced on people.. cuz you gotta click on them to actually view the ad. BUT.. the supporters of these ads are the same people who didn't see a need for the DO NOT CALL list.. umm.. idiot, you have to answer the phone.. nothing is forced on you.

Fact is.. MOST PEOPLE.. view annoyances as annoyances... and thus.. we have the DO NOT CALL LIST.. if you like annoyances.. GREAT.. but the majority HAVE spoken.. we got our DO NOT CALL LIST and if it takes an act of congress.. we will get our NO AD SPAMMING ON DVRs as well.

In the meantime.. answer your constantly ringing phone that you enjoy so much.. You can extend your cars warranty!

[bschuler2007]

Also an update.. looks like the complaining is working. Today I have NO ads on my Tivo besides TIVO's own advertising or TV related ads(wich I can live with). Either Tivo came to their senses or the ad placement companies realized you cannot sell product by pissing off people.

It's a good day to be alive.

P.s. After 7 days of no ads (cooling period).. I will remove or update every one of my now horrible reviews for Tivo on every major online retailer to reflect the positive changes and disband my Facebook group, Tivo - Enough with the ads. I will disarm completely and go back to promoting Tivo on the net.

[aaronwt]

aaronwt,
Hit your TIVO button.. see the last menu item? Now, you can say these ads are not forced on people.. cuz you gotta click on them to actually view the ad. BUT.. the supporters of these ads are the same people who didn't see a need for the DO NOT CALL list.. umm.. idiot, you have to answer the phone.. nothing is forced on you.

Fact is.. MOST PEOPLE.. view annoyances as annoyances... and thus.. we have the DO NOT CALL LIST.. if you like annoyances.. GREAT.. but the majority HAVE spoken.. we got our DO NOT CALL LIST and if it takes an act of congress.. we will get our NO AD SPAMMING ON DVRs as well.

In the meantime.. answer your constantly ringing phone that you enjoy so much.. You can extend your cars warranty!

I guess like someone else mentioned, 90% of the time i go straight to the now playing list, I'm not hitting the TiVo button, I hit one button and the Now Playing list pops up.
And if I do use the TiVo remote and I do hit the TiVo button, the Now Playing List is at the top. I'm not looking at the bottom of the list. And even if I was, I'm not going to click on the advertising, no big deal.

And the Do Not Call list has never worked since you still get political calls, fund raising calls etc. But that is what voicemail is for. Let them leave a message and I can call them back at my leisure if I want.

[nipster00]

they still dont bother me.. :)

[daveak]

I have the same problem on the internet. I paid large dollars recently for a top of the line XPS laptop from Dell, with their fastest laptop chip, HD video and sound, even with a blu-ray R/W disc player. And I pay well over $30 a month just for my internet connection.

Considering the cost of the laptop and the monthly charges I need to pay to access the internet - It will cost me at least $3700 over the next 5 years to just surf the internet (and yes I also use it for things other than being on the internet). What makes this so very maddening, I am paying all this money and I get tons of advertising. Nearly every web page I visit has advertising - even this one. They even email it to me (though also get all these great offers of money from Nigeria).

Because I am paying so much money, I demand the advertising be removed or I may just quit using the internet. My ISP should at least stop all the ads, considering all the money they are getting from me - and not just for internet (to the tune of just over $100 a month, muhaa over $6000 over 5 years - just for their services and I get bombarded with all this advertising). Someone make it stop!

You know, come to think of it, my Series 3 is a bargain. I get so little advertising and it will cost me less than $1000 for the box and a sub to get me five years. No one is making me click on the ads either. Though I think I will miss those offers from Nigeria, one of them is bound to work out one day...

I can see how some of you are rather annoyed if you bought a lifetime sub before there were any ads, maybe you think you are entitled to no ads from TiVo. You might even be right, I sure do not know what any older subscription agreements may have said about this matter. So maybe on your particular lifetime box you should not see any ads. Maybe so.

Point is, I bought into it after the ads started. At some point I will likely buy another box and another sub. My (maybe naive) hope is that ads will defray the upfront cost of the box and subs, I have no problem with ads as long as I know it is keeping my costs down.

Assuming the ads catch on with those paying for them, I would really like to see two sub prices - one premium sub with no ads, and one with ads for a smaller cost or free (or maybe a free box up front with a paid sub that includes ads - now that I would really support!).

I am more then willing to put up with ads as long as there is a benefit to me. Maybe TiVo should better explain the benefits of advertising on their boxes to their users, I am willing to accept the ads if it benefits me.

[Onions2009]

Yeah i agree that this is annoying but its not taht bad!

[SkeeterTV]

They don't bother me a bit. Its keeping the cost of the subscription down, they are put in places where they do not interfere with the Tivo GUI, and there are no extra key strokes I need to make to work around them to accomplish my Tivo tasks. (BTW a subscription wouldn't go up by a dollar if Tivo needed to increase revenue, it would go up way more than that, so the ads are doing ME a favor.) I've become immune to them unless I catch a keyword that looks interesting, and sometimes they do, and I watch them. So either I'm not seeing the big deal or I have more important things in life to worry about.

[nipster00]

some people just need things to complain about

[bschuler2007]

Yep complaining over nothing.... LOL! R U real? You defenders are ridiculous.. you cannot defend annoyance.. it never wins.

So let me get the suggestions correct, we should get a FAQ going (will ad to my Facebook group).. we got..

1) Don't look at the bottom portion of your screen..
2) Skip by some menu's very fast so you don't see them.
Any more? These are funny as hell..lol.. I think I pissed my pants.

As for the Dell XPS/Internet thing.. umm.. yeah.. that's why POP UP BLOCKERS were invented. Do we need someone to code a TIVO AD blocker.. I did hear you can alter the guide data and upload it to Tivo.. so I could see this possibly working. Great suggestion afterall. Also, when Dell sold you your XPS, they didn't show you a brochure of an advertisment free internet and computer. Had you got your XPS home and a pop up window selling STOMACH-BANDS kept coming up.. or you couldn't change the STOMACH-BANDS wallpaper.. you would be complaining too. It's called BAIT AND SWITCH.. wich is EXACTLY what Tivo did to me and the rest of us complaining (SEE marketing material wich does not show ads).

Seems some TIVO fanboy fools and stock owners seem to be able to close their eyes to this annoyance.. the rest of us "customers" must just be complaining fools. Sorry.. but annoyances lose all the time and I will not cover up the bottom half of my TV with paper just to enjoy TV.

The Tivo smear campaign works, cuz after all, we complain about ads.. your defense is.. don't look at them.. what do you think the average person thinks reading that? They think MOXI or cable company DVR and Tivo loses sales. Just a few more days of no ads.. and the war is officially over.. and Tivo gets back it's reputation and sales. More ads.. and Tivo's reputation is that it is an ad machine.

As for the ads supplementing the Tivo service... GREAT! Offer refunds then for those who didn't realize they were buying an ad service. No complaints then.. cuz we will all be on other hardware.

[Kerry]

HI Bschuler207,

For certain it's difficult to voice an objection without it sounding like a complaint. Part of the problem I see is that there's no one at TiVo getting our communications so we have to keep repeating ourselves, raising our voices so to speak. Another poster said he called TiVO but I don't get that he got gotten. What we keep getting is, "Yes we know about your objections, we know if offends you, we know you don't like the ads, and, there's absolutely nothing you can say that will change our minds, in short your opinion does not count. We know you like the interface so much that you will put up with our unilateral decisions. Face it, we've got you over a barrel, you don't get to vote except to leave and we're betting you won't"

Kerry

[aaronwt]

I don't need to close my eyes because I rarely notice it. First of all I mainly use my TiVo to watch recordings of TV programs. So when I pause a program, I'm pausing becasue I'm in the middle of something else. I couldn't care less what is on the screen because I'm not looking at it.
And then on the main screen menus, I'm rarely on those since I usually go straight to the Now Playing list. But even when I am on the main menu screen, the advertisement is one line at the bottom. I need to click on that to see the actual advertisement..

Yep complaining over nothing.... LOL! R U real? You defenders are ridiculous.. you cannot defend annoyance.. it never wins.

So let me get the suggestions correct, we should get a FAQ going (will ad to my Facebook group).. we got..

1) Don't look at the bottom portion of your screen..
2) Skip by some menu's very fast so you don't see them.
Any more? These are funny as hell..lol.. I think I pissed my pants.

As for the Dell XPS/Internet thing.. umm.. yeah.. that's why POP UP BLOCKERS were invented. Do we need someone to code a TIVO AD blocker.. I did hear you can alter the guide data and upload it to Tivo.. so I could see this possibly working. Great suggestion afterall. Also, when Dell sold you your XPS, they didn't show you a brochure of an advertisment free internet and computer. Had you got your XPS home and a pop up window selling STOMACH-BANDS kept coming up.. or you couldn't change the STOMACH-BANDS wallpaper.. you would be complaining too. It's called BAIT AND SWITCH.. wich is EXACTLY what Tivo did to me and the rest of us complaining (SEE marketing material wich does not show ads).

Seems some TIVO fanboy fools and stock owners seem to be able to close their eyes to this annoyance.. the rest of us "customers" must just be complaining fools. Sorry.. but annoyances lose all the time and I will not cover up the bottom half of my TV with paper just to enjoy TV.

The Tivo smear campaign works, cuz after all, we complain about ads.. your defense is.. don't look at them.. what do you think the average person thinks reading that? They think MOXI or cable company DVR and Tivo loses sales. Just a few more days of no ads.. and the war is officially over.. and Tivo gets back it's reputation and sales. More ads.. and Tivo's reputation is that it is an ad machine.

As for the ads supplementing the Tivo service... GREAT! Offer refunds then for those who didn't realize they were buying an ad service. No complaints then.. cuz we will all be on other hardware.

[daveak]

If the ads are so offensive, then cancel your service. If the level of offense is less than your need for the Tivo, then keep it. Almost simple math. If you really feel TiVo lied to you and a majority of their customers, report them to the correct authority in your state and/ or file a class action lawsuit.

As for the comments about defeating pop-up ads... duh. What have you done to defeat the imbeded advertising on the web page (aside from being a able to pay a fee to the web page owner to get rid of the ads for you?). Maybe the owners of this web page will read the posts in this thread and get smart and pull the ads. ;)

I never said that an early adopter was certainly wrong to complain about the ads, I only said maybe, but I don't really know. As I said before, if you are using a box that had lifetime purchased before there were any ads - maybe you have a reason to complain about ads on that particular box.

I only signed on with TiVo at the end of last year, ads and all. And I am happy with what I have, this is the least ad intrusive platform (and easiest) I use for pulling TV programs (and movies) and more cost effective for watching and recording programs than a computer.

Why do do some of you continue to use a product and service that seems to make you so upset? Vote with your $$$, next time you need another DVR do not buy a TiVo.