Shocker: DVR Users Skip Ads
from the this-is-surprising? dept
alex writes in with a story noting that lots of DVR owners are fast forwarding through commercials. This, of course, won’t surprise anyone. However, the numbers are pretty high — much higher than previous studies, which suggests the practice of fast forwarding through commercials is only increasing. Still, other recent studies have shown that the problem isn’t just commercials, but bad commercials and the fact that there are too many of them. As the Superbowl has clearly shown (along with some super popular ads) — when the commercials are entertaining by themselves, people do want to watch them. It’s just that too many advertisers are resting on their laurels and assuming that TV watchers are a captive audience, when that’s not true at all any more. Of course, now that the bad commercials are killing off the usefulness of the 30 or 60 second spot, TV advertisers are going to have to look elsewhere to find areas where they can both promote something and entertain at the same time. No wonder some companies are turning to models playing strip poker as advertising.
Comments on “Shocker: DVR Users Skip Ads”
Saturation
Not only do bad commercials increase the motivation to skip them, so does the unabashed greed of the TV industry. When I got TiVo two years ago the longest commercial breaks tended to be three minutes. Now three minutes is usually the shortest, with the last break of popular shows at 4 or 4.5 minutes. They are so long even FFing them is annoying.
Two decades ago when audiences were more ‘captive’ breaks topped out at 4 commericials max (two minutes). At a time that we have more choices and control than ever, the industry doesn’t do itself any favors by training us to tune them out and increasing the encouragement. I’ve even learned to pop in DVDs ten minutes before switching from TV to DVD mode to avoid the non-skippable ads on many DVDs.
Repeated ads
I skip ads due to the repeated bombardment of the same commercial blocks. Some advertisers believe in the school of ‘if once is good, 20 times is better’. In an hour you might see the same ads 10+ times. It is incredibly annoying, even for an entertaining ad.
I’ve been learning to start recording a show then sit to watch it at 15 – 20 minutes or so past the hour then fast forward through all commercials. Although by some accounts I’m ‘stealing’ from the stations. I do agree with TJ that the commercial blocks are getting so ridiculously long that even fast forwarding is getting tedious. But then I don’t have to watch do I?
Re: Repeated ads
The problems are all listed above, however, some are not investigated really thoroughly.
Popular Spots– Yes, we all know that we love those ridiculous Geico commercials, and that Nokia one with the dancing, and other things that make us laugh, then make us wonder why, and then, in that process, make us laugh again. That’s all fine and good. In fact, a whole hour-long TBS Special was devoted to funny commercials (the funny ones I watched, the actual ones a FFed through). That is, once in a show. And, as no one has yet mentioned, ONCE IN A ROW! There’s nothing I hate more than repeated commercials one after the other, or even worse, the “series,” where they give numbers or something, and use the same idea. It only works one in a million times, and never when the series is aired back to back.
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Long Breaks– As said above, with the ridiculously long breaks (peaking at almost five minutes[!]), even fast-forwarding becomes tiresome. How many times have you pressed “Play,” just to find another commercial after the last one. I have, many times, gotten so tired of it that I give up on skipping and let the commercials run through.
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Bad Commercials– I must admit, this category makes me angry. This ranges from spots that go too far to get the laugh that the entertainment is nonexistent or that the product is lost, to spots that are just terrible. I can’t really say much about this except that I can’t stand it.
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As much as I really don’t like the commercials of TV, I do not like having no commercials (ie: no break at all) either. In fact, sometimes I record commercial-free shows (usually pilots or premeires) and pause for a bit to gather my thoughts. I do need that break, but when Internet TV paves its way into our lives, we’ll be able to do that too, and I may just use that instead.
DRV commercials
My thing is we pay 50+ a month to have Direct TV, but we have more commercials per show than free TV like ABC, NBC, and CBS.
Yesterday I counted 12 commercials in one break on the SCiFi channel. I have also noticed of popular shows that I am only getting 5-10 minutes of shows and 5 minutes of commercials per break. That means I have 40 minutes of show and 20 minutes of commercials all on a channel I pay extra just to get. So in reality I am paying to watch commercials.
I think I am about to get ride of my dish and cable. It’s not worth it. I can get less advertisement and would respect it more with regular free TV. I can just rent the seasons of the shows I like at Blockbuster commercial free for less than rediculous cable dish.
I was thinking my DVR would just skip the commercials, but the FF and REW is stupid and often puts me right back in the commercials I am trying to skip. I won’t skip them automatically so it just worthless.
You hear me advertisers you are making life miserable for everyone. Not only will I never use your products I will boycott them as well! Please go away!
DRV commercials
My thing is we pay 50+ a month to have Direct TV, but we have more commercials per show than free TV like ABC, NBC, and CBS.
Yesterday I counted 12 commercials in one break on the SCiFi channel. I have also noticed of popular shows that I am only getting 5-10 minutes of shows and 5 minutes of commercials per break. That means I have 40 minutes of show and 20 minutes of commercials all on a channel I pay extra just to get. So in reality I am paying to watch commercials.
I think I am about to get ride of my dish and cable. It’s not worth it. I can get less advertisement and would respect it more with regular free TV. I can just rent the seasons of the shows I like at Blockbuster commercial free for less than rediculous cable dish.
I was thinking my DVR would just skip the commercials, but the FF and REW is stupid and often puts me right back in the commercials I am trying to skip. I won’t skip them automatically so it just worthless.
You hear me advertisers you are making life miserable for everyone. Not only will I never use your products I will boycott them as well! Please go away!
Advertisers suck the life blood out of everyone in this country. And around the world. I just watched a program called Darwins Nightmare. Where people by Lake victoria in africa were starving. Famine was everywhere, and the Nile Perch fish were being exported to rich countries in europe and japan. while the local people dried the dead fish carcass bones and heads for nourishment. And there was Coca Cola in all its glory and i doubt it was for free. Trying to put its name everywhere there was the slightest transaction. Here were just beginning to figure out how unhealthy that crap is anyway. Good job Coke.
Heres to a commerical free society!