Posted on 03/28/2005 6:06:03 PM PST by holymoly
TiVo began testing interactive advertising tools during the weekend as it looks to appease companies wary of users' ability to skip over ads.
The company confirmed late Monday that it released the first in a series of advertising features to a random and limited number of subscribers to the digital-video recorder service. The first test feature--a tag--pops up on the screen when a viewer is fast-forwarding through an advertisement.
If viewers press the thumbs-up or select button during the half second the tag is displayed, they will be redirected to a menu that leads to more information about the advertised product. The tag takes up about 25 percent of the screen, according to the company. TiVo said it is working with only one advertiser, a movie studio, on the trial balloon.
TiVo has been developing interactive advertising technology for some time, and while advertising accounts for just a fraction of TiVo's overall revenue, it could become more substantial. The interactive features would give advertisers information on consumer interest and, possibly, better access to couch potatoes.
Interactive advertising was part of TiVo's distribution deal with Comcast announced earlier this month.
The tools will be tested only on Series2 TiVo owners, but once completed could be applied to Series 1 and DirecTiVo customers. Subscribers can't opt out of the feature, but they can ignore the tags.
"Our goal is in no way to interfere with the TiVo experience," TiVo spokesman David Shane said.
Some viewers initially experienced technical problems with the advertising tag, according to Web postings, which TiVo confirmed and said only affected a small group of those involved in the test.
Well, it was nice while it lasted.
I have a Time-Warner DVR, and it's gotten so that I don't like watching live programs anymore because at least when I view the recorded program, I can fast-forward through the dumb commercials.
Well...so much for buying a TiVo with my tax refund...
TiVoWhat?
Well, we *were* considering getting TIVO.
It isnt bad enough they held onto my $100 rebate money for about 6 months? I plan on changing from Tivo to the Cablevision DVR as soon as I get around to it.
Yeah, I'm just not going to buy TiVo. They had a great idea, and now they've thrown it away.
Get a Dish Networh DVR 522.
Two tuners, no pop-ups and a very convenient 30 second commercial skip button.
I bought a TiVO in September and enjoy it.
No popups yet.
... only a matter of time now.
I hear there is this cool thing called a "VCR" you can get.
You can FF thru the commercials and NO POP-UPS!!
;-)
Dont buy a TIVO, buy a panasonic DVR+ DVD recorder.
no monthly fees and for $500 you have a machine that lets you record on to hard drive from the cable/Dish, and transfer that to DVD.
I have a DVD of programs from Reagans funeral, GOP convention, oldy but goodie movies (like Lawrence of Arabia). and 80hrs of recording time...
TIVO has been superceded.
Books do not have popup ads.
Advertising pays for the bulk of TV programming. There's still no such thing as a free lunch.
Your cable company will probably give you a DVR for 5 to 10 bucks a month.
The TIVO makers are idiots... they will kill their product with this idiocy.
Pioneer also makes a DirecTivo that burns DVDs as well. It's a wee bit 'spensive.
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