System Message - It's coming. Are you ready?

spitfires · 03-05-2011, 02:36 AM

New system message this morning

Quote:

Subject: It's coming. Are you ready?
From: The TiVo Team
Date: Fri 4th Mar 2011
Expire: Fri 11th Mar 2011

If you live in a cable area, it's not long 'til you can get your hands on
Virgin Media TV powered by TiVo. And right now, you'll find a brilliant
money-saving deal, especially for TiVo fans like you, over at
virginmedia.com/tivoupgrade. Why not check it out?

Save us from VM's marketing department pleeeeez!

speedyrite · 03-05-2011, 02:49 AM

It's just adding further insult to injury really!

cwaring · 03-05-2011, 03:30 AM

No. It's a company doing a mass-marketing campaign. Nothing more.

velocitysurfer1 · 03-05-2011, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

No. It's a company doing a mass-marketing campaign. Nothing more.

Agreed, but for those in non VM areas then the opinion of speedyrite is correct.

It's coming - the end of S1 TiVo
Are you ready - for the community EPG

Steve_K · 03-05-2011, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

No. It's a company doing a mass-marketing campaign. Nothing more.

As velocitysurfer1 wrote it is far worse, in fact it is what speedyrite wrote "adding insult to injury"

Bad enough to make me reconsider the legal position.

spitfires · 03-05-2011, 05:01 AM

Does anyone know if the VM TiVo can do targeted advertising - oops, I mean "System Messages", i.e. send mails to a selected group of VM TiVos?

I'm sure that's something the marketing-savvy VM would have wanted to be designed in to the software.

I can just see it now... a System Message saying "Exciting News for all VM TV users in Doncaster! A new Virgin Megastore has opened in Bawtry Road - scoot along now for some fantastic special opening deals!!"

.

cwaring · 03-05-2011, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by velocitysurfer1

Agreed, but for those in non VM areas then the opinion of speedyrite is correct.

Yes. Some people can't get some products advertised to them. I couldn't get "free broadband" from Sky (even if I wanted to) yet they're happy to market it to me in flyers I get through the door. This is the same thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_K

Bad enough to make me reconsider the legal position.

As has been pointed out many times, there is no "legal position"

Quote:

Originally Posted by spitfires

Does anyone know if the VM TiVo can do targeted advertising - oops, I mean "System Messages", i.e. send mails to a selected group of VM TiVos?

No. All System Messages go to all S1 units.

mikerr · 03-05-2011, 05:35 AM

Messages-wise - Its a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

TBH many tivo owners are still confused about whether their service is being turned off or not !
- "Whats a S1 Tivo ? Is my Thomson TiVo an S1 ?"
I've had 30-40 emails to that effect last week - more before.

The message might have been better reading "All Thomson boxes will cease being able to complete a daily call...".

It's similar to the TV analogue switch off - despite freeview boxes being available for years, on the day of switchoff (granada area in 2009) there were a huge number of people "without TV".

TCM2007 · 03-05-2011, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

No. All System Messages go to all S1 units.

he wasn't asking about S1 units.

Not seen any mention of the messaging system on VM TiVos yet.

mikerr · 03-05-2011, 05:42 AM

VM TiVos get "personalised" messages after setting recordings online from the website,
and every few days after install there's a new "feature tip" - e.g. how to use wishlists was one, suggestions another.

Steve_K · 03-05-2011, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

. .As has been pointed out many times, there is no "legal position"

. . .

You wouldn't put money on that no matter how many

you care to sarcastically post.

There is of course a "legal position". TiVo and VM would have got advice on the legal position and will have concluded that it was that either they were legally sound beyond reasonable doubt or more likely, no one would think it worth their while pursuing a case.

But each time they send me that sort of idiot message adding insult to injury then my pride will come into play. I might actually be quite happy to lose a few quid so they can't gloat.

I won't win the lottery big time tonight but if I did an injunction would be at VM by Monday morning

So TiVo why not start putting some apology to non VM area people in your future messages that you force us all to read.

PS just bought Lottery ticket, you never know

cwaring · 03-05-2011, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TCM2007

he wasn't asking about S1 units.

Sorry. My mistake. Then I don't know the answer.

Quote:

Not seen any mention of the messaging system on VM TiVos yet.

There certainly is one; though it's only being used as a way to tell you what your new Tivo can do. Oh, and any problems with setting remote recordings.

cwaring · 03-05-2011, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_K

There is of course a "legal position". TiVo and VM would have got advice on the legal position and will have concluded that it was that either they were legally sound beyond reasonable doubt or more likely, no one would think it worth their while pursuing a case.

Well yes. Of course they will have. I meant there's no "legal position" for customers to take. Sorry, I didn't explain that too well!

Quote:

But each time they send me that sort of idiot message adding insult to injury then my pride will come into play.

1. It's not an "idiot message". It's just a message. Well, it's a marketing message. 2. "Hurt pride" is not a legal argument

Quote:

...so they can't gloat.

Except that they're not doing

Quote:

I won't win the lottery big time tonight but if I did an injunction would be at VM by Monday morning.

An injunction for what; on what grounds?

Quote:

So TiVo why not start putting some apology to non VM area people in your future messages that you force us all to read.

I have never been "forced" to read a Tivo system message in the eight or so years I had one. Yes, you get a notifcation that there is a new message available to read. You can safely ignore it if you want to.

Quote:

PS just bought Lottery ticket, you never know

Good luck

JudyB · 03-05-2011, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

I have never been "forced" to read a Tivo system message in the eight or so years I had one. Yes, you get a notifcation that there is a new message available to read. You can safely ignore it if you want to.

These messages are a bit different - in addition to being able to read them when/if you wish from the System Messages menu they display automatically the first time you click on the Tivo button after they have arrived. So, yes, they are very much "in your face" and irritating for those of us who have no option for getting a VM Tivo.

However they aren't nearly as annoying as the Freeview messages we have just started getting about digital switchover coming to our area in September. Since our Tivo drives a Sky box I can't tell, but I imagine those messages will mess up any Tivo/Freeview recordings...

spitfires · 03-05-2011, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

Yes, you get a notifcation that there is a new message available to read. You can safely ignore it if you want to.

That would be true of "normal" messages but this was sent out as a "System Message" which, as you probably remember, is displayed automatically.

(Of course, one could then pedantically say that you don't have to read something that is displayed on the screen in front of you - but that would be a silly remark if one did.)

cwaring · 03-05-2011, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JudyB

These messages are a bit different - in addition to being able to read them when/if you wish from the System Messages menu they display automatically the first time you click on the Tivo button after they have arrived. So, yes, they are very much "in your face" and irritating for those of us who have no option for getting a VM Tivo.

Fair enough. I sit corrected.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spitfires

That would be true of "normal" messages but this was sent out as a "System Message" which, as you probably remember, is displayed automatically.

I certainly don't remember seeing any. (But then my memory's not that good!)

steveroe · 03-05-2011, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

Yes. Some people can't get some products advertised to them. I couldn't get "free broadband" from Sky (even if I wanted to) yet they're happy to market it to me in flyers I get through the door. This is the same thing.

Virgin regularly put flyers through my door offering me cable even though we can't get cable in our area. I don't think much of their marketing department.

cwaring · 03-05-2011, 12:14 PM

Yeah. That's definitely a bit stupid. But that's also one of the problems of mass-market campaigns, delivered to every door via the Royal Mail.

I can only assume it's actually cost-effective for them.

OzSat · 03-05-2011, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

Yeah. That's definitely a bit stupid. But that's also one of the problems of mass-market campaigns, delivered to every door via the Royal Mail.

I can only assume it's actually cost-effective for them.

I'm not sure its all VM's fault - they may not even know.

Our neighbouring village gets a VM flyer from the postman every week - but they don't have VM cable.

But they also get a pizza home delivery menus from him too - and the shops they are all from will not delivery as they are 'out of the area'.

I suspect Royal Mail will only deliver by a post code block.

cwaring · 03-05-2011, 01:28 PM

Very true, ozsat. I should have thought of that

Pete77 · 03-06-2011, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozsat

I'm not sure its all VM's fault - they may not even know.

Our neighbouring village gets a VM flyer from the postman every week - but they don't have VM cable.

But they also get a pizza home delivery menus from him too - and the shops they are all from will not delivery as they are 'out of the area'.

I suspect Royal Mail will only deliver by a post code block.

I'm not aware of any individual UK postcode that covers more than about 50 addresses. Or are you referring to only the first three digits of the postcode.

MikeC34 · 03-06-2011, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

Fair enough. I sit corrected.

I certainly don't remember seeing any. (But then my memory's not that good!)

At least the last 3 system messages have been forced to display when first accessing a TiVo session. Very annoying, especially to those not able to get access to cable.

Incidentally I've lost the two threads showing:
- the location of TiVo UK owners (since found it under Map of TiVo owners - see how much I've been upset and my memory is shot)
- the number of TiVo S1 owners and the 5 option survey about their possible future TiVo use.

sad_tivo_man · 03-06-2011, 05:41 AM

It is a shame we can't set up an auto-forward of those messages ...then we could forward them to jdanowitz@tivo.com

cwaring · 03-06-2011, 05:57 AM

Yes. Because that would really help your cause and not p!ss him off at all, would it?

Seriously, some of you guys need to get a bit of common sense and decency.

Pete77 · 03-06-2011, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

Yes. Because that would really help your cause and not p!ss him off at all, would it?

Seriously, some of you guys need to get a bit of common sense and decency.

You really have become a management supporting company lickspittle haven't you Carl.

cwaring · 03-06-2011, 06:02 AM

No. I just think you get further with honey than with vinegar.

All this "let's bombard them with emails", nonsense talk of a class action that would surely fail, sending messages to personal Facebook accounts, etc. It's just complete and utter rubbish.

Yes, get the press involved. Yes, start a campaign if you like (though the Facebook page is only at 136 people; so what does that tell you?). But using common sense, respect and decency will get you further than the stuff I have mentioned.

Pete77 · 03-06-2011, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

No. I just think you get further with honey than with vinegar.

Clearly you are not familiar with the history of Israel, Northern Ireland etc, etc.

cwaring · 03-06-2011, 06:08 AM

Yes, because comparing the loss of Tivo service is exactly like the troubles in NI and Israel, etc.

What was that I mentioned about using common sense? Off the back of your last comment, I could probably also add stop using hyperbole

Steve_K · 03-06-2011, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwaring

No. I just think you get further with honey than with vinegar.

All this "let's bombard them with emails", nonsense talk of a class action that would surely fail, sending messages to personal Facebook accounts, etc. It's just complete and utter rubbish.

Yes, get the press involved. Yes, start a campaign if you like (though the Facebook page is only at 136 people; so what does that tell you?). But using common sense, respect and decency will get you further than the stuff I have mentioned.

Have to agree with every word of that

But when they ignore the honey (and they seem to be ignoring everything right now) always a good move to make sure you have some vinegar to hand.

sad_tivo_man · 03-06-2011, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete77

You really have become a management supporting company lickspittle haven't you Carl.