Wednesday, November 17, 2004
TiVo Will No Longer Skip Past Advertisers
"By March, TiVo viewers will see "billboards," or small logos, popping up over TV commercials as they fast-forward through them, offering contest entries, giveaways or links to other ads. If a viewer "opts in" to the ad, their contact information will be downloaded to that advertiser... so even more direct marketing can take place." [Via LA TIMES.com]Shame on you TiVo!
One of the main reasons people bought TiVo was to skip the commercials. After paying $300 or more for a TiVo box and $250 for the TiVo Lifetime Service, it's hard to believe that TiVo is going to betray their millions of customers like this. However, it appears that a greedy fever has over-taken TiVo CEO Martin Yudkovitz. His is shifting the company's focus away from the consumer and attempting to court advertisers.
This major policy shift for TiVo is just the latest example of the company turning its back on their customers. TiVo still hasn't enabled AAC audio support for their Home Media Option even though they promised to do so over a year ago.
Hopefully consumers will protest this pro-commercial policy shift at TiVo. Back in the late 1990s when TiVo first launched, many people sung the praises of the company for being the consumer's final savior against a neverending onslaught of advertising. Apparently those days are numbered.
Perhaps it's time for TiVo CEO Martin Yudkovitz to step down.
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