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TiVo update brings pause menu ads to Series3 & TiVo HD owners

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 6th 2009 at 3:34AM


TiVo heard you liked ads, so it's putting ads in your pause menu so you can watch ads while you skip ads. Already rolled out on older Series2 hardware last December, Dave Zatz posts that the 11.0c software update for Series3 / TiVo HD hardware brings the new "feature" of ads popping up while viewers are time shifting. That can show up as a "More information" prompt for some shows, as seen above, but will hold advertisements on certain programs. The prompt will only show up once per recording, but if this new form of advertising bugs you, TiVo Community user bfdtv instructs that permanently hiding the progress bar can be achieved by pressing pause, press down to hide the popup, press play again, then enter SELECT-PLAY-SELECT-PAUSE-SELECT, which can also be reversed by using the code again while watching a recording. Still, we doubt the ad skipping arms race will end here.

Read - TiVo's Pause Menu Spam Hits S3/HD Units
Read - TivoHD Overview, Q&A, Setup, Tips

'American Idol' is most timeshifted show of 2008

by Darren Murph posted Dec 19th 2008 at 12:02AM

Well, would you let your brain simmer on this a bit. American Idol, the famed singing competition that airs live numerous times per week when it's in full swing, was found to be the most timeshifted program in the USA in 2008. Granted, it's also the most watched show in the nation, but we digress. The significance here is that this tidbit, which was dug up by The Nielsen Company, goes to show that live competitions and so-called "topical" programming aren't as immune to DVRs as networks would love to believe. The data found that "an extra four million viewers watched Fox's American Idol in the seven days following the initial episodes." To us, the only true DVR-resistant programming is live sports -- the genuineness of the event just seems to fade when you're not watching in real time, but we can't say we've ever felt the same when watching Simon & Co. a few days after the fact.

Loud commercials actually not that loud, just startling

by Darren Murph posted Jul 1st 2008 at 9:35PM


Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. Is this report really saying that those obnoxiously loud used car commercials aren't any louder than the programs they accompany? In fact, yes. Tom Feran has taken the time to actually explain how loudness works in television here in the US, and the resulting report is pretty fascinating. In essence, a typical drama will have moments of loudness and moments of quiet, and commercials that follow the show have to respect the same maximum as the show. However, unlike the program, commercials can simply max out the volume from start to finish, causing a "perceived" or "inconsistent" loudness that's just barely lawful. As you well know, British regulators are stepping in to make sure no ad is "excessively noisy or strident," but the situation in America could get worse post-2009. You see, digital broadcasts have a wider dynamic range (or loudness spectrum), leaving more room for annoying salespeople to totally invade your eardrum. Nevertheless, the article linked below is a must-read for anyone who has ever been enraged by a "ridiculously loud commercial."

[Image courtesy of Derrick Logan]

Poll: What's the most annoying form of advertising?

by Darren Murph posted Jun 6th 2008 at 12:00PM


We spotted something this week that really got our heads spinning: a fairly fail proof method to keep ad skipping (at least partially) at bay. During a re-run of Family Guy on TBS, Bill Engvall casually walked onto the bottom of the screen, paused Family Guy and proceeded to pimp his own show for a solid 15 seconds. Yeah, TBS is known for self-promotion, but this just feels downright slimy. It prompted us to fire up this poll, however, which beckons you readers to cast your vote for the most annoying form of advertisement. Feel free to chime in below with specific experiences if you feel led, and make sure to use the heck out of that DVR while you still can -- clearly, these guys are all too ready to institute workarounds to hinder ad skipping. The Bill Engvall violation video is waiting after the break.

What's the most annoying form of advertising?


Continue reading Poll: What's the most annoying form of advertising?

Google study finds online spots to be as effective as TV ads

by Darren Murph posted Apr 5th 2008 at 5:54PM


While we can't argue that HD spots are entirely more enjoyable to view than their SD counterparts, a new survey commissioned by Google takes a look at the viability of advertising in online programming. Given that content on the 'net is growing substantially and more and more users are turning to the web browser to get their TV fix, Google found that online video advertisements compared "very favorably with traditional TV commercials." The research honed in on 30-second spots shown on traditional TV, YouTube and embedded within an online viewer, and according to Marianne Foley, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Harris Interactive (who collected the data), the end result is that "nothing is lost and much can be gained" by running commercials online. Of course, online ads have the advantage of being forced upon viewers, whereas DVR owners can skip around if they're okay with viewing timeshifted material. Peep the results in full in the read link below.

[Via NewTeeVee]

IBM files patent app for non-skippable DVD advertisements

by Darren Murph posted Nov 29th 2007 at 4:46AM

While we've seen a slew of patent applications revolving around DVR-based ad skipping, IBM is apparently looking to get in on the action with DVDs that feature non-skippable advertisements. As David Freeberg noted, we too are pretty surprised that such an idea isn't already patented, but nevertheless, the theory in and of itself is a double-edged sword. At first glance, hearing that we'd be forced to watch plugs -- which could be stored on the DVD itself or retrieved via the internet -- on our flicks doesn't exactly incite fits of jubilation, but as Freeberg points out, this could be used to offset or at least subsidize the actual cost of DVDs. Additionally, we could envision marketers licking their chops at the chance to insert modern, relevant ads into films via the web, but the actual impact on the consumer still seems murky. 'Course, there's no telling whether or not this patent will be granted, but it opens up some interesting avenues, nonetheless.

[Via ZatzNotFunny]

Time Warner readying modified fast-forward functionality for DVRs

by Darren Murph posted Aug 13th 2007 at 4:25PM


While Time Warner Cable (partly owned by Time Warner, parent company of AOL, which owns Engadget) won't go down as the first cable company to modify the oh-so-lovable fast-forward feature, at least the latest hamstringing won't affect those willing to pay up. Dubbed "Look Back," the newfangled DVR feature will reportedly come "without a monthly fee," and will only allow customers to skip ahead and back in predetermined chunks of time; moreover, it will be limited to programs that are watched back before midnight of the day they air. The firm plans to test it out this October in South Carolina before "gradually introducing it around the country," and it was also noted that this -- along with the "Start Over" feature that functions exactly as it sounds -- would not require viewers to "remember to record programs," but alas, it also eliminates the ability to keep a library of stored content onboard. Ah well, so long as we diehard DVR users can keep on coughing up the dough required for a fully-functional FF button, we've no real qualms with this option joining the fray.

Less than 1 percent of TV ads are in high-def

by Richard Lawler posted Jun 13th 2006 at 1:18PM

The reasons why are covered pretty well in this Mediaweek article. They speak to a bunch of advertising executives and receive great responses that indicate who gets it and who doesn't. Many, if not most of us use DVRs and when you see the picture switch to SD, you know its time to hit fast forward or pause. A  couple of the executives quoted acknowledge that fact, and that an SD advertisement is basically telling the customer not to watch. HDNet founder and HD Beat friend Mark Cuban breaks it down nicely "Agency employees don't have HD at home. Where you find agencies with HDTV penetration, they push for HD. Where not, not." Additionally, producing in HD only drives up costs $10,000, which is a relatively small amount.

As evidence of someone who probably doesn't have an HDTV at home, Peter Gardiner thinks watchers aren't sitting around waiting for high-def ads. Does anyone have his email address? There are comments on a few posts he may want to read.

Super Bowl XL ads.....in high definition!

by Richard Lawler posted Jan 13th 2006 at 12:18PM


Super bowl We know you're getting ready for the big game.......and so do advertisers. Particularly due to the trend of people going over to a friends house (one who has high definition TV) to watch the game, more than half of the advertisements scheduled to be run will be shot in high definition.

The one downside is they cost up to 15% more to produce, not just due to equipment, but makeup and set attention to detail increases because viewers can see more. We've been telling people about the power of high definition advertising, it looks like someone is listening.




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