DirecTV has slowly been adding more and more in-guide ads and banners. Just now I went to look for a movie to watch and typed in 500. I was greeted with *4* lines of ads, and 2 channels worth of guide. I page down, and there is a fifth in-guide ad. Yes, in 12 lines of guide area, 5 of them are ads. Am I the only one that finds this ridiculously stupid and annoying?
I presume you're talking about the onscreen guide? I seldom use it to look for anything, preferring Titantv.com.
But I'll test in the next day to see how annoyed I can get.
HBO and Cinemax VOD were launched last night for the first time on DIRECTV. As a result, those two banners were added to let customers know. There will be a more "elegant" solution down the road to inform customers, but for now that's what is used as a quick, cost effective way to let customers know those services have launched. For customers without broadband connections, they didn't even see those banners. They were specifically targeted to customers that have on Demand HD-DVRs and may not have known those services were launched.
Every so often they show up in the sports section as well. I don't love them but at least they are relevant. The local cable company places actual ads for things like cars and electricians in their guide. I can deal with this stuff.
HBO and Cinemax VOD were launched last night for the first time on DIRECTV. As a result, those two banners were added to let customers know. There will be a more "elegant" solution down the road to inform customers, but for now that's what is used as a quick, cost effective way to let customers know those services have launched. For customers without broadband connections, they didn't even see those banners. They were specifically targeted to customers that have on Demand HD-DVRs and may not have known those services were launched.
The number of people who actually read TVMail is probably pretty low. I used to, until they started sending out useless crap every other day. Now I just leave it alone and ignore the indicator.
HBO and Cinemax VOD were launched last night for the first time on DIRECTV. As a result, those two banners were added to let customers know. There will be a more "elegant" solution down the road to inform customers, but for now that's what is used as a quick, cost effective way to let customers know those services have launched. For customers without broadband connections, they didn't even see those banners. They were specifically targeted to customers that have on Demand HD-DVRs and may not have known those services were launched.
Give me the option to remove or more...guide ads. No I don't like 'em but at the moment Direct controls the guide and therefore the ads. The only upside is the current ads are for Direct programs.
I agree, at least the ads are for D* stuff. The cable company here puts whatever someone wants to pay for in their guide, not just shows they have on demand. You sometimes hear people say that satellite TV and radio and also cable TV shouldn't have commercials. "I have to pay to watch/listen to commercials?!" I understand networks have to pay for the shows, that is why we have commercials, but I pay for satellite service, and included in that is the cost to program the STB and all the related backend to make it work, and I think it would be "ridiculous" if AT&T, Target, Axe, etc started showing up on my STB so whoever is providing service can make more money.
As long as they remain just colorful eye-catching ways of showing what would normally be in the guide anyway, they are ok I guess, although I still don't care for the noticeable lag on legacy boxes.
That's another reason I don't like the cable here. The guide works in pages, and its 4 lines of shows then an advertisement. Next page is 4 lines then an ad. That's right, an ad on every page. Complete bull, especially when you have to pay for each active box, each with it's own DVR service fee.
Me, too! When the only way to see a preview was..... the Previews at the theatre....they were welcomed with enthusiasm. Now I try to go late enough to miss all that, or more likely wait for home viewing.
I remember when you used to get a cartoon, short subjects, a newsreel, and a preview before the main distraction. The admission price then was about 50 cents! And on Sundays there would often be a double feature.
I remember when me and my brother and sister could see pornos from the backseat of our parents car while travelling down the highway and looking over at the Riviera Drive In screen in Oklahoma City
Amazing that they could get away with playing pornos on that huge screen which was easily viewed from the highway.
I remember when you used to get a cartoon, short subjects, a newsreel, and a preview before the main distraction. The admission price then was about 50 cents! And on Sundays there would often be a double feature.
For those really annoyed at the cluttering of the guide, I recommend that we go to the Directv customer service website, log in and write there. I suspect if they get 50 or more written complaints in a short period on a single issue, they will take it very seriously.
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