I don't watch much TV.

[TheAnimus]

But after watching House of Cards remake by Netflix I've come to a conclusion.

Rupert Murdoch, your son is going to drive your empire in to the ground.

This thought makes me smile more than it should.

I mean, jinkies, less than two pints a month, and no fricken adverts. I've realised why I don't watch TV, its not because I dislike entertainment, but because I can't stand adverts, and 95% of what is produced is utter crap my life can be without.

On-Demand isn't a value-add feature, its how I expect things. I don't even care if it would be free on 4oD or whatever, I am going to be distracted by adds.

Fact is be it something like House of Cards or the new Arrested Development, the switch to content production rather than just re-selling.

But it is also a better method of content discovery, the fact is they know to promote something like Archer, which is very crude, yet they know not to bother with the kind of things I find boring. (just being vulgar isn't enough!).

[melon]

But after watching House of Cards remake by Netflix I've come to a conclusion.

Rupert Murdoch, your son is going to drive your empire in to the ground.

This thought makes me smile more than it should.

I mean, jinkies, less than two pints a month, and no fricken adverts. I've realised why I don't watch TV, its not because I dislike entertainment, but because I can't stand adverts, and 95% of what is produced is utter crap my life can be without.

On-Demand isn't a value-add feature, its how I expect things. I don't even care if it would be free on 4oD or whatever, I am going to be distracted by adds.

Fact is be it something like House of Cards or the new Arrested Development, the switch to content production rather than just re-selling.

But it is also a better method of content discovery, the fact is they know to promote something like Archer, which is very crude, yet they know not to bother with the kind of things I find boring. (just being vulgar isn't enough!).

How many times have you seen an ad that made you want something ?

Really I have to go back to 80s to answer that..

[Bluecube]

I've had Netflix for over a year now and there's a lot of entertainment value there! Practically 100% of the TV me and my family watch is on Netflix now. I recently watched a WWE Raw download which had all the ads taken out. It was originally on Sky in a two hour slot. With no ads it's an hour and 35mins long. Sky have now also started to insert ads along the bottom of the screen when the program is actually on. Ridiculous!

And that's the long way of saying, I totally agree with the OP and ondemand is the only way to go providing there're no ads...

[phil4]

But I'd put money on it that sooner rather than later they'll add ads. Remember when DVDs started with a trailer then a whole raft and then ads too? Or youtube? Inevitably some beancounter will insist, as it makes more money with adverts.

So firstly enjoy it while it lasts, and while doing so fight against anti fast forward through adverts technologies, they are not too far away.

[Agent]

Remember when DVDs started with a trailer then a whole raft and then ads too?

And it's even got worse than that! A Bluray we watched the other night (you know, actually paid cash for) started streaming adverts down from the internet, without any prompting.

It staggers me that even now, piracy offers a better product to those who don't pay.

[Saracen]

..... I've realised why I don't watch TV, its not because I dislike entertainment, but because I can't stand adverts, and 95% of what is produced is utter crap my life can be without. ....

One reason I support funding the BBC by licence is at least it keeps adverts out of programs. I mean, they stuff loads of ads in-between programs, but at least that's only for other progs.

But personally, I find adverts on just about all other channels for intrusive, pervasive and disruptive, that I WILL NOT watch a program with ads in. So, I record everything, and the bulk of it I edit ads out before watching. Some things, mainly documentary type stuff I may just skip the ads as they come, but most stuff, I remove them entirely.

I use TV as a sort of escapism, for when I don't want to read a book. I like to immerse myself in the plot, or story, or whatever, and the flaming adverts utterly destroy that.

If I could not junk the adverts, I'd either just use the TV for pre-recorded stuff, or get rid of it. But I find adverts to have become so utterly pernicious as to be offensive, so for years, I've made it a point of principle to not watch adverts, and most days go past without me seeing a single TV advert.

It does require an investment of time, but it typically takes me two minutes or less to remove the adverts, to a frame-accurate standard from a program with around 20 minutes of non-progeam material, that being the junk on the beginning and end, and the advert breaks. The result is a program in a 1hr slot typically ends up (BBC aside) as between 38 minutes at worst, 43 minutes at best, and usually, 41 minutes.

At that rate, if I settled for a four hour (say, 7pm to 11pm) session, I've dodged 76 minutes of adverts by about 8-10 minutes of editing. It's worth it, not just because I save the time, but because without the bleeping adverts, I can actually enjoy the programming.

But if it comes to TV with adverts, or no TV at all, it'll be no TV at all for me. With what I save on TV licence and subscription, I can buy a lot of DVD films and series in boxed sets.

Without editing, adverts have ruined TV beyond redemption for me. Which is why I have my own rather petty little principle of not watching them, period.

[Saracen]

But I'd put money on it that sooner rather than later they'll add ads. Remember when DVDs started with a trailer then a whole raft and then ads too? Or youtube? Inevitably some beancounter will insist, as it makes more money with adverts.

....

It only makes more money if the buying public put up with it and buy anyway. Sadly, the sheeple no doubt will. Arguably, we get the product we deserve.

[Shirty]

How many times have you seen an ad that made you want something ?

Really I have to go back to 80s to answer that..

This proves that you are a rational, intelligent person, as opposed to (apparently) the masses. I can't remember ever having made a purchase based on anything other than research and best price comparison.

[Saracen]

This proves that you are a rational, intelligent person, as opposed to (apparently) the masses. I can't remember ever having made a purchase based on anything other than research and best price comparison.

In my case, research and what best meets my needs. Price isn't necessarily a key criteria, at least, not within moderation.

A couple of examples. I'll often buy locally rather than mail-order, even if mail-order is cheaper. Also, I will pay a premium to buy from a seller I trust to give good customer service over one experience tells me does not.

And that, of course, is for identical product, like a Dysan vacuum cleaner or a Samsung tablet or TV. If it's something where quality comes in, then often, quality wins out over price. I'll buy meat from Waitrose rather than Asda, and in fact, get a lot of produce either from a local farm, or a couple of trustworthy butchers, rather even that Waitrose. You might pay a premium, though not always, but by 'eck do you improve the quality.

[Shirty]

Word.

Yet the advertisers still spend billions a year on pimping their products and services, so one can only assume that they can still justify their activities based on the cost/benefit analysis.

[Saracen]

Word.

Yet the advertisers still spend billions a year on pimping their products and services, so one can only assume that they can still justify their activities based on the cost/benefit analysis.

Indeed. The 'science' of advertising has advanced hugely over a few decades, and the effectiveness is entirely based on the ability to accurately target adverts. Some, like a TV ad can be seductive, but are a blunderbus approach. Junk mail through your door, on the other hand, has grown increasingly targeted, but suffers from a major disadvantage, in that every unit has a significant marginal cost.

Which, clearly, rapidly led advertisers to work out that the more they knew about each and every one of us, the better they can target that mail.

And, of course, the internet is the Holy Grail for advertisers, especially for the unwary, because it lets companies build up a hugely detailed profile on each of us, in oh so many ways, obvious and far less so. And, having done so, the marginal cost of targeted adverts is far, far lower than sending a letter.


Of course, as evidenced by this thread, the targets of adverts can react in different ways. Some people (allegedly) don't mind TV adverts, internet ads, or even junkmail. Some don't mind ads as long as they're targeted and so 'relevant', and others (like me) detest adverts viscerally, and I most absolutely do not under any circumstances do not want targeted ads, and more than a few companies have lost me PERMANENTLY as a customer because they would not stop sending me junkmail despite several requests.

The thing that truly irritates me is that these advertising companies have no interest in not pestering us just because we don't want to be pestered. About the one thing they don't seem to put in their profiles is "leave me the bleep alone".

They are still stuck in the 60's junkmail philosophy of the numbers game - pester enough people and sufficient will go for it to justify it, ignoring everybody else. It ignores the notion that for some, and I sense it's a growing number, advertising can be downright counter-productive.

So yeah, advertising works .... up to a point.

But I wonder if they've pushed it too far? Some advertising is so obnoxious and intrusive as to risk killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, like forced un-skippable adverts on DVD's. Personally, any company that does that to me immediately goes on my "do not deal with, ever" list.

[Dooms]

I don't watch 'live' TV and haven't for years. My god the last 7 months I was in Canada if I walked past a TV there was always a commercial playing, sometimes the same one twice within a single ad break!

Now I watch the majority of stuff on Netflix, iPlayer or XBMC which has been edited to remove adds.

[Shirty]

But I wonder if they've pushed it too far? Some advertising is so obnoxious and intrusive as to risk killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, like forced un-skippable adverts on DVD's. Personally, any company that does that to me immediately goes on my "do not deal with, ever" list.

Case in point: the tech site that both myself and a number of my fellow forumites have become disillusioned with has been suffering from an increasingly overwhelming and intrusive advertising presence, both on the main site and even in the forums. This is cause in part by the site owner (a large publishing company) rolling out ads across its suite of websites, meaning that one page we might see a tampon advert, the next a flue gas analysis meter.

At best these adverts might disrupt the site experience, at worst they can grind a mobile device to a halt, or call in to question the integrity or even the neutrality of the site. If I want to watch a video about something I'll damn well search for it and watch it in my own time, I don't want it taking over my browser because I've left my mouse on the wrong part of the screen for five seconds. That's exactly how to irritate an otherwise potential customer.

I understand the need to advertise and I support it fully where it's sensibly implemented, but the scourge of irrelevant and intrusive advertising will simply drive more and more internet users to block advert in the first place. Google AdSense is undoubtedly partly to lame and still has a long way to go, but it's ultimately up to a site owner to decide on the most appropriate methods of supporting their site. When they get this wrong - as many do - it has exactly the opposite effect than intended.

[Kovoet]

Shirty I agree bud. Money is ruining everything. I'm not a football fan but just got to look at the way English football has gone since money has come into it. yes we have loads of international players here but our own kids don't stand a chance now. My sport Rugby is going the same way.

The longer we keep advertising to the minimal the better and more enjoyable. I'd rather all of us pay say a pound each month than watch advertising on the forums, simply because the advertising takes away the enjoyment of me being on a certain forum.

[OilSheikh]

I don't watch live TV. 95% of the shows are rubbish.
I have my own TV schedule :
MON - SUITS
TUES - TOUCH
WED - BURN NOTICE
THURS - HUSTLE
FRI - Kung Fu : Legend continues
SUN - Person of Interest

I would very much like to subscribe to a service which can let me download and watch episodes of these shows. However, one does not exist! I believe in the US they have Hulu for this reason ?

[OilSheikh]

Just tried to watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Poisoned Motive on Hulu.com
There are 5 ads at 5 different times of the episode. GRRRR