# Tivo is Pissing me off with Ads!



## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

So recently I started getting those ads that Tivo has added to the beginning of my recorded shows and it really pisses me off. I bought into Tivo years ago because they allowed me to get away from watching commercials, but now they have purposely decided to put in which is basically commercials. Are you kidding me Tivo?! Just like Apple, Tivo has lost its way.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

TiVo inserting short advert before playing a recording


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

So the 9 bazillion other threads on this subject didn't cover the aspects you wanted to talk about?


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## Slumpert (Oct 18, 2019)

To be fair, I have not been on this forum long, but what’s one more or less post when you already have 9 bazillion posts from people pissed off their TiVo turned to the dark side of making money.


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## V7Goose (May 28, 2005)

9 bazilion threads are not enough. I actually LIKE to see new users starting a new thread on the same complaint topic (as long as they are not asking for help that has already been documented elsewhere). This subject is so big, and Bad_Rovi's behavior is so BAD, that I think we would be better to have 10 bazillion threads on it, or even 23 bazillion threads. I do not want all the complaints about such egregious behavior buried in some huge and very old thread. We need to keep the attention on this terrible behavior!

And if those complaints get in the way of others who are happy to just bend over and take it, well, that is the natural outgrowth of a stupid company doing terrible things to their customers. Not everyone is happy to ignore it.


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## tazzmission (Oct 15, 2002)

I setup two HDHR primes (since the 6 tuner never came out) and I’m using Channels DVR on my four Apple TV’s. It’s a pretty acceptable replacement IMO.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## jjberger2134 (Nov 20, 2002)

Resist said:


> So recently I started getting those ads that Tivo has added to the beginning of my recorded shows and it really pisses me off. I bought into Tivo years ago because they allowed me to get away from watching commercials, but now they have purposely decided to put in which is basically commercials. Are you kidding me Tivo?! Just like Apple, Tivo has lost its way.


You can call TiVo and request to opt-out of the pre-roll ads. 877-367-8486. I was successful, as I was having issues caused by it. Others have reported not being allowed to opt-out.


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## Donbadabon (Mar 5, 2002)

^^ Make sure you let us know when they come back.  

If you are brave, you can do an experiment now and reboot and see if they come back after that.

If not just wait....


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

dianebrat said:


> So the 9 bazillion other threads on this subject didn't cover the aspects you wanted to talk about?


No! Maybe if there are 10 bazillion threads about it then it might get Tivo's attention. We shouldn't have to call Tivo to stop it on our boxes. One of the main selling points about getting a Tivo was bypassing commercials (ads), so when they actively put ads into my box...Yeah that gets me pissed off. At this point, I can't wait for another company to come out with a better DVR so I can jump ship.


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## jzinckgra (Sep 18, 2014)

Resist said:


> No! Maybe if there are 10 bazillion threads about it then it might get Tivo's attention. We shouldn't have to call Tivo to stop it on our boxes. One of the main selling points about getting a Tivo was bypassing commercials (ads), so when they actively put ads into my box...Yeah that gets me pissed off. At this point, I can't wait for another company to come out with a better DVR so I can jump ship.


I agree with your last sentence. I think we'll be waiting awhile


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## thalador (Oct 26, 2007)

I called over the weekend to get opted out. They said they would and it would take 3 days. It has been 4 and I still get the ads. Going to call back today


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## keithg1964 (Feb 2, 2006)

I do not know why people are so upset over this little issue. Amazon Prime does it and is much harder to get past than the Tivo Pre-roll ads. All it takes is one button push and it is gone. I am so tick of people *****ing about them. 

Get over it people, they are not going away.


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## V7Goose (May 28, 2005)

keithg1964 said:


> Get over it people, they are not going away.


NO!! I WILL NOT!!!

You can bend over and take it; even enjoy it if you want. Nobody can stop you from acting like a door mat. But I will not.

What ticks me off is people who tell me that I have to act like a sheep just because they do!


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## tazzmission (Oct 15, 2002)

keithg1964 said:


> I do not know why people are so upset over this little issue. Amazon Prime does it and is much harder to get past than the Tivo Pre-roll ads. All it takes is one button push and it is gone. I am so tick of people *****ing about them.
> 
> Get over it people, they are not going away.


The difference here is we pay a pretty penny for the DVR, and then we pay for service whether it be monthly or lifetime. I have thousands of dollars spent with TiVo over 20 years at this point. This is not ok with me. I'm done. I've moved on.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

keithg1964 said:


> I do not know why people are so upset over this little issue. Amazon Prime does it and is much harder to get past than the Tivo Pre-roll ads. All it takes is one button push and it is gone. I am so tick of people *****ing about them.
> 
> Get over it people, they are not going away.


You are correct that it is a "little issue" in the grander scheme of things. But sometimes it's small irritants such as this one that result in outsize blowback.

Furthermore, it is not accurate to say that the ads "are not going away" when many users have successfully opted out by having TiVo remove this feature from their accounts. Whether the removal is permanent remains to be seen.

But more importantly, if you are really "tick" of the *****ing, you are not going to do yourself any favors by fanning the flames with a post dismissing the complainers' annoyance.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

keithg1964 said:


> I do not know why people are so upset over this little issue. Amazon Prime does it and is much harder to get past than the Tivo Pre-roll ads. All it takes is one button push and it is gone. I am so tick of people *****ing about them.
> 
> Get over it people, they are not going away.


Not only no, but HELL NO. Not when we're paying for a service that promises to skip ads.


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## Adam C. (Jul 24, 2017)

keithg1964 said:


> I do not know why people are so upset over this little issue. Amazon Prime does it and is much harder to get past than the Tivo Pre-roll ads. All it takes is one button push and it is gone. I am so tick of people *****ing about them.
> 
> Get over it people, they are not going away.


Amazon Prime does not really have "ads". They have promos for their own shows. I don't find those annoying, and in fact I have actually found them useful and watched some of those shows that were in the promo that I otherwise probably would not have known about.


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## keithg1964 (Feb 2, 2006)

I kinda like the ads as they make me laugh on how bad the quality is, but they are supporting local businesses, and I would think most people would be for local businesses.


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## CIR-Engineering (Sep 24, 2017)

keithg1964 said:


> I do not know why people are so upset over this little issue. Amazon Prime does it and is much harder to get past than the Tivo Pre-roll ads. All it takes is one button push and it is gone. I am so tick of people *****ing about them.
> 
> Get over it people, they are not going away.





keithg1964 said:


> I kinda like the ads as they make me laugh on how bad the quality is, but they are supporting local businesses, and I would think most people would be for local businesses.


Lame. Oh so lame.

craigr


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

keithg1964 said:


> I kinda like the ads as they make me laugh on how bad the quality is, but they are supporting local businesses, and I would think most people would be for local businesses.


if i were delayed from watching a recording in my shows by being forced to watch/skip a low def commercial for a local business, i'm not sure the impression i was left feeling would be at all positive - just a thought...


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## Slumpert (Oct 18, 2019)

For longest time this “local” business in Houston called Magick Couldron would advertise low budget commercials on Comcast, since I switched to OTA it seems all I get now is Medialert and blue cross commercials.

Guess they figure only old people watch antennae TV anymore.


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

It's interesting how so many are willing to except ads on Tivo now. They clearly have forgotten Tivo's main selling point, to get past commercials. And maybe Tivo has forgotten it as well. I've been looking at the Tablo OTA DVR and it might make me forget Tivo too.


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## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

I except your statement.


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## hairyblue (Feb 25, 2002)

I have not gotten the ads yet but I'm not happy about it. I bought a new Tivo with their summer sale to update an old Premiere--thinking this was a good deal. Then a couple of months later the plan comes out that all the new Tivo will have ad run on them. To me, it looks like they were trying to get people like me to update their machines to grow their ad able Tivo base. I feel suckered. 

I use my tivo to get local OTA channels, but I too am looking for a better way. I've been with Tivo for 20 years--but I have taken my wedding band off and considering my options. Maybe something will turn my head and I'll be gone too.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

hairyblue said:


> I have not gotten the ads yet but I'm not happy about it. I bought a new Tivo with their summer sale to update an old Premiere--thinking this was a good deal. Then a couple of months later the plan comes out that all the new Tivo will have ad run on them. To me, it looks like they were trying to get people like me to update their machines to grow their ad able Tivo base. I feel suckered.
> 
> I use my tivo to get local OTA channels, but I too am looking for a better way. I've been with Tivo for 20 years--but I have taken my wedding band off and considering my options. Maybe something will turn my head and I'll be gone too.


Roll back to TE3, no ads.


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## Sgtbert (Nov 4, 2019)

Resist said:


> So recently I started getting those ads that Tivo has added to the beginning of my recorded shows and it really pisses me off. I bought into Tivo years ago because they allowed me to get away from watching commercials, but now they have purposely decided to put in which is basically commercials. Are you kidding me Tivo?! Just like Apple, Tivo has lost its way.


I had the same complaint, and for the same reason. My first thought was that I paid for this thing, and the service; why should I watch ads? But the same can be said of any service these days; OTA, Cable, Streaming, are all the same. We pay for them, and still have to endure ads. Fortunately, I found that I only have to hit FF once, and I'm on to my show, so it's not as inconvenient as I thought it would be. I also noticed that they don't appear at the beginning every show, which doesn't make me like it any more.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Roberta Ann Spangler said:


> I had the same complaint, and for the same reason. My first thought was that I paid for this thing, and the service; why should I watch ads? But the same can be said of any service these days; OTA, Cable, Streaming, are all the same. We pay for them, and still have to endure ads. Fortunately, I found that I only have to hit FF once, and I'm on to my show, so it's not as inconvenient as I thought it would be. I also noticed that they don't appear at the beginning every show, which doesn't make me like it any more.


So it would be OK if every time you made a phone call you had an ad first, because everything else does ads. How about when you turn on the shower, an ad happens before the water will run?


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

keithg1964 said:


> I do not know why people are so upset over this little issue. Amazon Prime does it and is much harder to get past than the Tivo Pre-roll ads. All it takes is one button push and it is gone. I am so tick of people *****ing about them.


Some of us never have had the issue to begin with--as we stayed on the TE3 user interface instead, including to avoid them. 

Do note that it's not just some/many people here who have expressed disappointment/upset: I don't recall seeing any 3rd-party reviewer reference the pre-rolls with fondness, and Leo Laporte at TWiT, etc. went bonkers.


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## Sgtbert (Nov 4, 2019)

schatham said:


> So it would be OK if every time you made a phone call you had an add first, because everything else does ads. How about when you turn on the shower, an ad happens before the water will run?


You think phone and water are the same types of utilties as television? Seriously? You did read the part where I said I don't like it, right? That I agree with you? But your choice right now is to press the fast forward button once and get rid of the ad or, as you suggested, quit Tivo and find something better. Good luck to ya.


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## pgoelz (May 1, 2005)

Sgtbert said:


> But your choice right now is to press the fast forward button once and get rid of the ad or, as you suggested, quit Tivo and find something better. Good luck to ya.


Another option, one which I use when it counts, is to make the biggest stink you can and make sure Tivo hears it. And if you do eventually decide to leave, make sure it counts by putting your displeasure in writing. If enough people do that Tivo will either officially allow opting out or might even cancel the ads altogether. If everyone simply says "oh well" and stays silent, you can be assured nothing will change.

Paul


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## hairyblue (Feb 25, 2002)

pgoelz said:


> Another option, one which I use when it counts, is to make the biggest stink you can and make sure Tivo hears it. And if you do eventually decide to leave, make sure it counts by putting your displeasure in writing. If enough people do that Tivo will either officially allow opting out or might even cancel the ads altogether. If everyone simply says "oh well" and stays silent, you can be assured nothing will change.
> 
> Paul


I don't think Tivo can survive now without ads running. I know people who don't even watch OTA TV or Cable. They stream all the content they watch. And they don't have or need a Tivo with or with out ads.

I'm upset that I was all in with Tivo so much I bought 3 lifetime subs with them. Why should I be bothered with Tivo ads. That is not what I paid for. Maybe run ads for those with monthly subs, but not the ones who paid for lifetime.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

hairyblue said:


> I don't think Tivo can survive now without ads running.


And so, at least_ do it well_: no delays and clunkiness, no screen freezes, no "arrow" screen, and no misdirected ads (e.g. Spanish-language ads to non-Spanish speakers). All of these are just bush league, at best, or a solid "F."


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## bobfrank (Mar 17, 2005)

Slumpert said:


> To be fair, I have not been on this forum long, but what's one more or less post when you already have 9 bazillion posts from people pissed off their TiVo turned to the dark side of making money.


The "dark side of making money" is the only thing that keeps Tivo in business.


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## bobfrank (Mar 17, 2005)

tazzmission said:


> The difference here is we pay a pretty penny for the DVR, and then we pay for service whether it be monthly or lifetime. I have thousands of dollars spent with TiVo over 20 years at this point. This is not ok with me. *I'm done. I've moved on.*
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Please let us know what you've moved on to. We need to know what is better than Tivo is, with or without ads.


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## tazzmission (Oct 15, 2002)

bobfrank said:


> Please let us know what you've moved on to. We need to know what is better than Tivo is, with or without ads.


For me I use Apple TV's and already have one on each TV I own (4). I bought two HDHR Primes. I was waiting on the 6 tuner Prime that never came out. The 3 tuner models are hard to find but I lucked out and got (2) on the Offer Up app for $150. I got (2) cable cards from Verizon for my FiOS service. Using Channels DVR on Apple TV. This app is also available for Fire TV too. The app supports one pass, commercial skip and no ads.

I use my Synology 918+ NAS for DVR recordings.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

We shouldn't have to FF, no matter how easy it is because it's just another button we now have to press. And this makes Tivo not the user friendly DVR we've come to enjoy. We also shouldn't have to roll back the UI, to operate this box. I used to recommend Tivo to people all the time, I can't do that anymore as it's become so less user friendly and intuitive. Like Apple, Tivo has stop listening to what people want and are telling us what we want.


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## Okiesnipe (Sep 5, 2017)

I was able to use the 'chat' feature to ask support to remove the ads. They will do within 72 hours.


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

Okiesnipe said:


> I was able to use the 'chat' feature to ask support to remove the ads. They will do within 72 hours.


I did the same thing, but as of today I still have ads. I wish Tivo would also remove the grey screen that comes up before the ads, because even with no ads this screen still pops up for a few seconds.


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## MrDell (Jul 8, 2012)

Resist said:


> I did the same thing, but as of today I still have ads. I wish Tivo would also remove the grey screen that comes up before the ads, because even with no ads this screen still pops up for a few seconds.


After a phone call to TiVo, my adds were successfully removed along with the grey screen. I had to force a network connection and then restart my bolt to make it happen.


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## ChetKen (Nov 29, 2019)

jjberger2134 said:


> You can call TiVo and request to opt-out of the pre-roll ads. 877-367-8486. I was successful, as I was having issues caused by it. Others have reported not being allowed to opt-out.


What did you tell them to get them to opt you out? What sort of problems were you experiencing?


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## ManeJon (Apr 14, 2018)

I had a new "feature" of the ads show up yesterday. I was trying to watch a show that was only partially through being recorded - I start watching about 10 minutes in to skip ads - so all the recording had was the arrow screen that I couldn't skip or do anything else with just froze I wonder if they freeze it until they can insert the ads.


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## lujan (May 24, 2010)

Interesting, I have had issues with freezing on one of my Bolts since they starting doing these ads. I've called and had the ads removed but the freezing continues every couple of days. The only thing that corrects it is unplugging and plugging back.


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## NocturnalBarFlyr (Mar 1, 2011)

> Jayrrah Praise
> I apologize for the inconvenience. I will request an update so your TiVo device no longer shows an advertisement before your recording begins. I will submit the request now but please note that it will take up to 72 hours to take effect.
> 6:49:32 PM


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## jcliff (May 24, 2017)

lujan said:


> Interesting, I have had issues with freezing on one of my Bolts since they starting doing these ads. I've called and had the ads removed but the freezing continues every couple of days. The only thing that corrects it is unplugging and plugging back.


To clarify, does it "freeze" on the arrow page, or does the device hard reboot?

I was having both issues, but when you get stuck on the arrow page that shows up briefly before an ad plays, it seems to be related to a Cloudflare address they use for that. It literally streams that picture of an arrow for some reason. I tried blocking it for kicks, and if that domain can't be accessed everything just stops.

Worth checking out if you use anything to block Cloudflare or have a router that filters traffic.

For what it's worth, after a few calls to customer support the Guide ads and the pre-roll ads were removed.

BUT! Only a few days later the Guide ads are back. Pre-roll still seem to be gone though.


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## Phil T (Oct 29, 2003)

I never did get the pre-roll ads but I am getting the arrow on my Bolt. I also am getting reboots on the YouTube app or when trying to play one of the TiVO+ shows? I also see issues when deleting recordings and lockup when deleting programs that are still recording. Didn't have these issues before the current software. It seems like they still need to work on this to get it stable. I had a reboot while watching Youtube while my wife was recording three shows. She was not happy! 

TiVO + would be more acceptable if it was accessed through the Apps and with a option to remove it from the guide. If we can remove other channels they should also let us remove Tivo+ channels from the guide. Since there is no upcoming program info it does not belong belong there anyway.


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