# Tivo sells out to advertisers **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 17, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348 "2004-11-17T21:45:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/1 "2004-11-17T21:45:33Z")
Apparently Tivo is now (or always has been) cozying up to the advertisers whose commercials we skip over. [Tivo will no longer skip past advertisers](http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/1117tivo16-ON.html) > [@](#): > > 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 – exclusively and by permission only – so even more direct marketing can take place. > [@](#): > > Perhaps even more significant, though, is TiVo’s new role in market research. As viewers watch, TiVo records their collective habits – second by second – and sells that information to advertisers and networks. (It was TiVo that quantified the effect of Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction,” reporting a 180 percent spike as viewers replayed the breast exposure.) ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/2 "2004-11-17T21:55:38Z")
w-w-what? I guess I’ll not be upgrading my TiVo unit anytime in the near future. Sam ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/3 "2004-11-17T22:00:41Z")
If dish network pulls that kind of crap, I’ll cancel. I think you should dump them right quick. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/4 "2004-11-17T22:03:27Z")
You had me really scared there for a second. But an option that appears when I fast-forward is fine, as long as I don’t have to waste any time on it. It will still let you fast-forward through TV commercials. Otherwise it would be almost worthless. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/5 "2004-11-17T22:20:28Z")
Yeah, the fast forward ad doesn’t bother me at all, especially if it helps keep TIVO in business. Tracking what we watch? Eh, I guess I would rather they didn’t but I’m not too concerned about it. And the OP title is actually kind of odd, TIVO is a business, they can sell out all they want. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/6 "2004-11-18T00:23:27Z")
Program TiVo’s hidden skip-forward-30-seconds feature, and you won’t be “fast-forwarding” through commercials at all. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/7 "2004-11-18T00:26:05Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Program TiVo’s hidden skip-forward-30-seconds feature, and you won’t be “fast-forwarding” through commercials at all. Which is: select-play-select-3-0-select-enter You should hear three thumbs up sounds at the end. If you don’t, do it again. Note: you’ll have to do this again if the TiVo ever gets rebooted (which is why I have it memorized), so you may want to stick it on the TiVo box with a postit, as you will quickly come to love and depend on this feature. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/8 "2004-11-18T00:40:36Z")
I’m confused, longneck, what does the 30 second bump deal do? I think my TiVo box does this automatically at the 3rd fastest forward setting. Sam ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/9 "2004-11-18T00:45:45Z")
[see here](http://hacks.oreilly.com/pub/h/491) ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/10 "2004-11-18T00:48:24Z")
Aaaaaaah… I’m enlightened ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/11 "2004-11-18T00:53:49Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > [see here](http://hacks.oreilly.com/pub/h/491) The quality of my life has been improved. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/12 "2004-11-18T01:09:38Z")
> [@GaWd](#): > > I’m confused, longneck, what does the 30 second bump deal do? I think my TiVo box does this automatically at the 3rd fastest forward setting. > > Sam If you’ve not changed any settings, then the fast forward speeds are 3x, 20x, and 60x. I’m going to add my voice to those who are saying that this isn’t really a big deal. As long as my fast-forward abilities are intact, then I’m happy. If you fast forward at 60x, like I usually do, then most commercial breaks are only a couple of seconds long. Why would I care about looking at text on the screen for 3 - 4 seconds? Oh, and if you have a relatively modern TiVo (\< 3 yrs old), then it will “upgrade” itself to its new software whenever TiVo, Inc. starts pushing it down along with the guide data. TiVos download their system updates from the same server as they do their programming data, so there really isn’t any way to avoid it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/13 "2004-11-18T01:19:53Z")
> [@VenusProbe](#): > > If dish network pulls that kind of crap, I’ll cancel. I think you should dump them right quick. I think TiVO is controlled via software where Dish’s PVRs are essentially like VCRs. The 30-second bump is not like fast forwarding. You just jump 30 seconds ahead (or 10 seconds back). ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/14 "2004-11-18T01:56:34Z")
This is crap. If they’re gonna start making money by force-feeding me ads while I’m trying to skip ads, they’d better lower the subscription price. I refuse to pay for digital cable because it plasters ads on every screen, and I’m afraid TiVo will turn into the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Apricot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Apricot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apricot)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/15 "2004-11-18T02:59:53Z")
I’m stunned about this little trick! As someone who has extensive modifications to her tivo, I’m a little suprized this trick was not in my hands already. I always wanted skip. I have an old tivo (with new tricks) and the service declined about 18 months ago. My tivo now makes the worst selections! I’m convinced it’s because of a software push from Tivo. It’ll record crap I’ve never seen, never watched, and thumbs’downed last time it thought I wanted it. The damn thing just refused to learn. I think they want me to upgrade. Not gonna happen. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/16 "2004-11-18T03:52:01Z")
Am I the only one that remembers when cable tv’s selling point was no commercials? They will find a way to make you watch the commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/17 "2004-11-18T06:24:47Z")
TIVO is not in a good position to help their users skip commercials. It seems to me that they will always be pressured by the networks to ensure that TIVO members see some form of advertising. There are alternatives though and if you are handy with computers you can make your very own PVR with _commercial skip_ programs that work fairly well. I just assembled one using SageTV as the frontend and there are no monthly subscription fees. I’m pretty happy with it and it has been pretty fun to set up and get it working. [SageTV](http://www.sage.tv/) ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/18 "2004-11-18T07:02:14Z")
> [@Toddly](#): > > TIVO is not in a good position to help their users skip commercials. It seems to me that they will always be pressured by the networks to ensure that TIVO members see some form of advertising. They need to grow some balls. What are the networks going to do? It’s not illegal to skip commercials, much less to allow users to fast forward through them manually. This latest announcement doesn’t even involve the networks, it’s about TiVo selling ad space on your fast-forward button to individual advertisers. The ads will be triggered by a signal embedded in the commercials you skip through, just like the “thumbs up to record” thing is now. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/19 "2004-11-18T14:46:54Z")
You might want to check [here](http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.11/view.html?pg=3) for TiVo’s recent decision to comply with the Macrovision licence. If you TiVo PPV or VoD programmes, you can’t keep them indefinitely anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348/20 "2004-11-18T15:54:07Z")
> [@Mr2001](#): > > They need to grow some balls. What are the networks going to do? It’s not illegal to skip commercials, much less to allow users to fast forward through them manually. [Not yet…](http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/34357.htm) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tivo-sells-out-to-advertisers/275348.md?page=2)