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Are there too many ads in the guide?

  • Yes! Please remove this junk or at least give us a way to hide them.

    Votes: 49 6.3%
  • No. The amount of ads don't bother me at all.

    Votes: 637 81.7%
  • I don't care.

    Votes: 94 12.1%

Ridiculous in-guide Ads

44K views 431 replies 115 participants last post by  Mariah2014 
#1 ·
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?
 
#402 ·
I still don't get the massive hate for them trying to let people know what new channels or channel moves that have happened.

The ppv ones are with ppv so if your looking there those should be there as well.


So that narrows it down to maybe one or two adds for upcoming new shows or somethign of that nature. That's hardly anything.

I will say however that it is beyond ridiculous IMHO that they have not made it so you see more than six channels and 90 mins at a time on screen. That's far more annoying and maddening to me.



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#404 ·
TorinTPG said:
I can live with ads, but the silly new messages drive me crazy

It does seem the Genie handles this better and dies not always show that I have a new message

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Why look at the messages, there isn't anything important there. I haven't looked at any messages for over 10 years.
 
#405 ·
inkahauts said:
I still don't get the massive hate for them trying to let people know what new channels or channel moves that have happened. The ppv ones are with ppv so if your looking there those should be there as well. So that narrows it down to maybe one or two adds for upcoming new shows or somethign of that nature. That's hardly anything. I will say however that it is beyond ridiculous IMHO that they have not made it so you see more than six channels and 90 mins at a time on screen. That's far more annoying and maddening to me. Sent from my iPad using DBSTalk
I have not seen an "Banner Ads in the Guide" about new channels.
What I see is Ads for Referring a new person,
Press here to Record now,
Ad for Sunday Ticket,
Direct Cinema Gatsby, press to select now

The above a in my Favorite Guide of only 80 channels. I never go to the PPV area of the Guide.

Edit: I am on a different TV now and the channel selection is slightly different than the one I was on when I originally posted.
I do have one in the Guide that is about the new FS1.
 
#406 ·
I have not seen an "Banner Ads in the Guide" about new channels.
What I see is Ads for Referring a new person,
Press here to Record now,
Ad for Sunday Ticket,
Direct Cinema Gatsby, press to select now

The above a in my Favorite Guide of only 80 channels. I never go to the PPV area of the Guide.

Edit: I am on a different TV now and the channel selection is slightly different than the one I was on when I originally posted.
I do have one in the Guide that is about the new FS1.


Interesting. I haven't seen one for referrals.

Great gatsby showed up for me and is an extension of the ppv ones in a couple extra places it seems.

But the others I have are in relation to FOX sports new channel and the move if the playboy channel. That's on channels I get by the way not even my favorites list.

I don't recall I I have seen one for CBS sports yet but I almost always see one for new channels Or channel moves. I have never seen one for refer a friend. How odd. That should be relegated to messages only.


Messages is a good way to find out about free previews and such as well. Otherwise I wouldn't know when they are on Most the time.


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#407 ·
If you add "en espanol" you can get the annoying banners in Spanish, too! They usually confine those to be in the 400s, but they are just as annoying and often are the same as the English ones.

The only good thing about the ads is that they add some color to the guide, but the info they display is worthless. Get rid of the ads and put channel logos in the guide instead of the channel in often-incoherent jumbled letters. Most channels offer a logo (or version of it) with the name stylized like the channel. Directv already has logos that will fit there, too, the logo that displays with in the annoying banners. A picture is worth a thousand words.
 
#408 ·
If you add "en espanol" you can get the annoying banners in Spanish, too! They usually confine those to be in the 400s, but they are just as annoying and often are the same as the English ones.

The only good thing about the ads is that they add some color to the guide, but the info they display is worthless. Get rid of the ads and put channel logos in the guide instead of the channel in often-incoherent jumbled letters. Most channels offer a logo (or version of it) with the name stylized like the channel. Directv already has logos that will fit there, too, the logo that displays with in the annoying banners. A picture is worth a thousand words.


See to each his own. I'd hate channel icons like dish does it takes way to much space and is distracting. Now if you offered a toggle between the channel number or icon, that I'd be ok with.

As for calling them useless... I still disagree. How else do you find out about these things? And saying coming here isn't realistic, as we are a tiny portion of dtvs actual users.

Or to say it another way.. What's the best way for DIRECTV to communicate a move of a channel or the launch of a new channel to its subscribers?


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#410 ·
If you use a favorites list,a lot of times the banners for new channels in HD or moves do not show up. To be effective they should make them show up.

Logo's would be nice. Google image search Xfinity X1 and your likely to see a nice logo filled dark full screen guide. Dark guides are nice so your not blinded in a dark room. Still wondering why they don't at least change the color scheme on SD equipment. I know they may not have the memory for advanced graphics, but they should at least be able to alter the color palette (light blue to dark grey or something).

Take a look at the NFL Sunday ticket banner between ch 355 and 356. See the small NFL Sunday ticket logo? Small enough to fit in the row but it could be used next to the actual number in the 700's for the channel name. I think they keep extra space at the edges of the screen though as a "safe area" so it doesn't look too squished on a 4:3 TV, or cut off on TV's that have terrible overscan (lot of old rear projection TV's).


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#411 ·
The problem with banners for channels that have upgraded from SD o HD is they look just like the PPV ad banners, which most of us have trained our minds to ignore.
 
#412 ·
cypherx said:
If you use a favorites list,a lot of times the banners for new channels in HD or moves do not show up. To be effective they should make them show up.

Logo's would be nice. Google image search Xfinity X1 and your likely to see a nice logo filled dark full screen guide. Dark guides are nice so your not blinded in a dark room. Still wondering why they don't at least change the color scheme on SD equipment. I know they may not have the memory for advanced graphics, but they should at least be able to alter the color palette (light blue to dark grey or something).

Take a look at the NFL Sunday ticket banner between ch 355 and 356. See the small NFL Sunday ticket logo? Small enough to fit in the row but it could be used next to the actual number in the 700's for the channel name. I think they keep extra space at the edges of the screen though as a "safe area" so it doesn't look too squished on a 4:3 TV, or cut off on TV's that have terrible overscan (lot of old rear projection TV's).

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Exactly. The "now HD" banner is attached to the HD channel. If you're watching the HD channel, you already know it's HD. The "Now HD" banner should be attached to the SD channel.

Logos are basic marketing. You don't need to read ESPNHD to know it's ESPN just from the style of the logo. It looks so much more professional and it's easier on the eyes. It breaks up the monotony of the black and white and gives some separation to the rows. The font does NOT need to be as big as it is and there's no reason why each channel only has 1 row of text. I shocked as to how far cable (CABLE!?!?!?) has come in guides. Comcast (in some areas), TWC (in a few areas), many Dish receivers, and others have moved to 2013. Directv has not. It's sad because, with all the software issues they're having and the lack of Pac12 Network, once Sunday Ticket is no longer exclusive... Directv has nothing to motivate me and others to stick around and put up with this.
 
#415 ·
I usually just ignore them except when two or more show up on the same guide page.
The real problem is that each entry takes up a row in the guide thus reducing the number of channels that can be shown on the affected guide page.
 
#416 ·
jdspencer said:
I usually just ignore them except when two or more show up on the same guide page.
The real problem is that each entry takes up a row in the guide thus reducing the number of channels that can be shown on the affected guide page.
It the two together that I now notice mo' often.
 
#418 ·
I don't think there is some restriction what would not allow them to take all channel's rows one night :(


Nope, no restriction. Just change favorites list to "channels I get", go to ch 100 and scroll up from there. There are multiple "full pages" of colorful rows for PPV / On Demand movies.

Makes sense though in that area. When looking for a movie, the bright colorful logo can sell a movie better than black and white text.


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#419 ·
I don't think there is some restriction what would not allow them to take all channel's rows one night :(


Nope, no restriction. Just change favorites list to "channels I get", go to ch 100 and scroll up from there. There are multiple "full pages" of colorful rows for PPV / On Demand movies.

Makes sense though in that area. When looking for a movie, the bright colorful logo can sell a movie better than black and white text.


Sent from my iPhone using DBSTalk mobile app
 
#420 ·
Nope, no restriction. Just change favorites list to "channels I get", go to ch 100 and scroll up from there. There are multiple "full pages" of colorful rows for PPV / On Demand movies.

Makes sense though in that area. When looking for a movie, the bright colorful logo can sell a movie better than black and white text.


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Yeah actually those are perfect there. They are already ready to go, just hit play on those banners and they will start at the begging. Just like a on demand cable system, or better even.


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#421 ·
HerntDawg said:
Complainers complain, it is what it is.
Complaining about peoples complaints is much worse IMO. :righton:
 
#422 ·
Damn the ads are annoying. I never even glance my eyes over them so I never even understand what shpiel they're trying to pitch. In one eye out the other.

A while back I went from a perfect standard def series one DTivo to an HD DirecTV HR24. And I've noticed my guide items have shrunk, and due to the ads it's even smaller, causing me to page more through the guide than I did before. Isn't the whole thing about progress to make things better? I used to have more items in my guide, but now I don't.

Can they just make a feature to pay $1 a month more on my bill to remove those ads!?!? Come on, it's a win win. I'd PAY to get rid of those and have a full guide available. I'd even PAY if I could customize my guide to give me more lines of channels.

And it's annoying that it seems like they've added some type of logic to the ads. They can appear right at the top of the screen of your most entered channel in the guide. I've noticed this in numerous locations I go to often.

But really, I'm paying enough as it is in fees for the luxury of HD and the ability to record, that to also suffer through ads really sucks.
 
#423 ·
Ads don't annoy me like before, I mean if they do it a lot on their website, Then I see why on the Guide, especially for upcoming premiered shows, Of course the ones I don't like are the PPV OD or HBO's to clog up the Guide just to get to Ch 501, But with custom favorites I can get rid of the PPV ones.
 
#424 ·
acostapimps said:
Ads don't annoy me like before, I mean if they do it a lot on their website, Then I see why on the Guide, especially for upcoming premiered shows, Of course the ones I don't like are the PPV OD or HBO's to clog up the Guide just to get to Ch 501, But with custom favorites I can get rid of the PPV ones.
After awhile, these annoyance are blocked out by the mind when you don't pay attention to them.
 
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