Do animated popups during tv shows annoy you?

[yoda313]

You know large network logos are annoying enough while watching tv but the advent of animated popup advertisement for other shows just really annoys me. Especially if its shows I haven't seen a whole lot of. Know I can handle it during Star Trek reruns since I know them so well. But I mean to have ones that take up a huge chunk of the screen really grates me.....

What about you???

[Noahtuck]

Yep!! I remember watching some show's on SCI-FI i think, and this big animated "Bigfoot" creature/logo would come up, walk across or back and forth then shrink back down until it was gone, advertising some other stupid show, take up half the damn picture and on top of it have a big banner across the bottom of the screen saying the name of the show!!

I hate that crap!!

[Bodyslide]

Yes...

[Epicurus8a]

I hate those &#$@@%@%$ things! And that goes double for "snipes!!!!"

[gll99]

I refuse to watch TBS (in Atlanta I think) on cable. They ruin every movie with large animated popups. The shows and movies always end up on other stations so it's worth the wait. I used to watch that station all the time before they started this popover and talkover stuff a couple of years ago.

CTV also ruins LOST episodes and destroys the ending credits and trailing promos (just one of many shows they damage) so I wait for the ABC affiliate signal. CTV has the bad habit of advertising other shows during play with large half screen popus and at the end of almost every good tv show or movie. Don't bother looking for the show credits either they often shrink them to 1 or 2 lines and then talk through the whole ending about some show no one wants to see anyway. I rarely watch them now if there's another option.

[ntscuser]

BBC3 has the funniest of animated popups. They fit in with the mood of the programme. Seldom watch any other channels so not bothered.

[gadgetguy]

I hate them, but obviously the networks that use them don't care. I don't know anyone that likes them or finds them useful. Everyone I've talked to about them think they are just annoying.

And I agree with gll99. I like to see who was involved in creating the show and want to see the credits.

[Nitemare]

They don't bother me that much, even thought it's basically broadcast SPAM ... but what kills me is when they put them over opening or ending credits.

I know that if I was an actor who landed a bit part in Painkiller Jane and told all my friends to watch for my name during the opening/ending credits only to have it obliterated by one of the adds I'd be furious.

[TBoneit]

I pretty much get turned off by the channels that do that sort of thing and don't watch them again.

It's bad enought they think we are cretins that can not remember the name of the show we are watching and put the name over part of the screen after commercials.

Lets not forget the other thing they do, wait til after the important bits, commercials IOWs, and then replace the show I tuned in to see with weather warnings and breaking news.

I tune in to see House or Bones at the proper start time, Fox is running some other show long, They lost me as a viewer, I'm outa there.

With Dishnetworks America's "Everything" Pack, which features 31 premium movie channels and America's Top 250 package. That's over 280 channels." Add in the 30+ HD channels I'm over 300 choices. I'll find something less annoying that starts when it is supposed to and ends when it is supposed to.

Bleep on Fox.

[ArtemisG3]

Yes they are very annoying, and they are using audio in their pop-ups on some networks. I couldn't even hear the speakings parts of one show during the pop-ups.

[FulciLives]

I remember when this first started a few years ago. My first exposure was watching a channel (I think it was CARTOON NETWORK but I can't remember) and to advertise the new (well then new) cartoon "Stripperella" featuring the likeness (and voice?) of Pamela Anderson ... anyways they had her on a motorbike at the corner of the screen and then riding across the bottom of the screen. The image was HUGE and the sound of the bike was LOUD and drowned out the audio of the show that was playing.

I was like ... WTF ?!?!?!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Des]

They are pretty freakin' evil and since TV is hardly free anymore, pretty rude to boot!


--dES

[DereX888]

its nothing more than just another nail to broadcast tv's coffin...

[nwo]

I hate them, also i would like hang the person that started them off, like when WCW was still on
TV & TNT they would have big banners across the screen that block most of the match!

[NiteLite]

Yes annoying and interupting the show sucks. I dont care what is coming up next. That's what the on screen guide is for.
If it were my show I would try to make a case for infringing on copyrighted material since they are doing just that...even with the end credits.
I like to see who some of the actors were or other people that worked on the project.

Nothing I can think of is more of a spit in the face of the viewer.

Remember the good old days when FM radio would play a song from the opening note to the last ambience of sound of the song before the DJ would flip on to talk. That's the way I want my TV...especially when I'm paying $12.00 a month for a channel like Showtime. HBO is about the last channel to complete a show uninterupted.. Starz, Showtime, and dont even consider the commercial TV channels like Comedy Central or Sci-Fi channel all suck on this issue.
Copyright infringement I say.

NL

[cd090580]

The popup are even more annoying on music videos channels.

And especially popups with stupid scrolling SMS messages (mostly people matching messages, love compatibility and so other stupid services for dumbass people...)

[oldandinthe way]

Here comes a paranoid rant.

It is obviously the intention of the TV networks to kill free broadcast television and basic cable.

First they set off to reduce the cost of programming by replacing "scripted" offerings with increased "reality" offerings. Which really means "low-budget" poorly scripted make a fool of yourself programming.

Then they decided to fill the basic cable with reruns of their "scripted" offerings.

Now NBC is planning to have the first run of some of their aging Law and Order programs on basic cable, followed by repeats over the air.

The goal, get the world to expect better programming only on premium services and pay-per-view. And provide a comparison which makes their rotten movie studio offerings look acceptable. (They'll never look good).

[usually_quiet]

I detest popups, but taking up the bottom 25% of the screen with a banner telling me what I am watching, or what's on next, or what is on in a few days, as many cable stations do, is even worse. They used to put these kinds of programming announcements in with the commercials, instead of polluting the shows with them.

Now they are starting to use pop-ups to advertise theatrical and DVD releases as well. I'll bet product advertising shows up next. I guess it guarantees that people who always time shift will be forced to watch at least some advertising, but for those of us who mostly watch shows as they are broadcast, it's very irritating.

I also hate not being able to read the credits so I can identify that familiar face or voice whose name escapes me. So, so anoying.

[DereX888]

Here comes a paranoid rant.

It is obviously the intention of the TV networks to kill free broadcast television and basic cable.

First they set off to reduce the cost of programming by replacing "scripted" offerings with increased "reality" offerings. Which really means "low-budget" poorly scripted make a fool of yourself programming.

Then they decided to fill the basic cable with reruns of their "scripted" offerings.

Now NBC is planning to have the first run of some of their aging Law and Order programs on basic cable, followed by repeats over the air.

The goal, get the world to expect better programming only on premium services and pay-per-view. And provide a comparison which makes their rotten movie studio offerings look acceptable. (They'll never look good).

Yes, and it is ALL GOOD!
The more they make television unattractive to viewers, the bigger chance that (at least some of) the Joe Sixpacks will wake-up and watch less of it.
Even if it make them i.e. walk their dog one time a month more only (instead of watching one stupid crapility show) I say its good.
Good going there

The best spit in the face of viewers is a popup saying "you are watching [show name]" as spotted on some US networks
This is not advertising. And it is not informative (as in 'whats next on tv' etc).
It is just a statement from the network: "we know youre dumb like a doorknob, thats why we have to tell you what you are currently watching".
IMHO it makes sense on the crapility shows, doesn't it? Who else if not for the brainless complete morons with IQ=0 could watch any so-called *reality* shows
Assuming that (as networks do) you'll understand why they cut the credits out (the typical idiot-viewer probably can't read anyways), why they have to add info-popups 'whats next' (the usual idiot-viewer don't know how to use his on-screen tv guide to check it out for himself) etc etc

[mgy999a]

NiteLite: ". . .If it were my show I would try to make a case for infringing on copyrighted material since they are doing just that...even with the end credits. . ."

IMHO, these popups are all about money. They accomplish two things: First, a lot of popups are used to advertise upcoming programs/movies. Since the popups are using program air-time to accomplish this, then more commercial air-time can be used to advertise products instead. Commercial air-time is money and every second saved is money in the bank.

Second, I think that Hollywood (specifically, the studios and owners of the copyrighted material) love these popups. With the advent of dvd recorders, they feel that too many people at home are recording their programs/movies for future viewing. What they (the studios) want is to sell the commercial uncut versions on dvd to the public (there's gold in them thar dvds) and the more obnoxious the popups, the less likely that anyone will record the program for posterity and the more likely the public will buy the commercial version instead. And it's working too. That's why you can now buy all sorts of programs on dvd like the "Dick Van Dyke Show" and lots of other so-called classics, despite the fact that they have been on TV for umpteen years. There wouldn't be such a flood of commercial dvds available if they weren't profitable and they wouldn't be profitable if people could record a decent version off their satellite/cable system.

If I am right, we will see a whole lot more of these popups in the future, as much as the viewing public can stomach. I predict that even the premium channels will start doing it too, though probably not as often or as distastefully done.

Thats my opinion anyway. Depressing, isn't it?
mgy999a

[NiteLite]

Second, I think that Hollywood (specifically, the studios and owners of the copyrighted material) love these popups. With the advent of dvd recorders, they feel that too many people at home are recording their programs/movies for future viewing. What they (the studios) want is to sell the commercial uncut versions on dvd to the public (there's gold in them thar dvds) and the more obnoxious the popups, the less likely that anyone will record the program for posterity and the more likely the public will buy the commercial version instead. And it's working too. That's why you can now buy all sorts of programs on dvd like the "Dick Van Dyke Show" and lots of other so-called classics, despite the fact that they have been on TV for umpteen years. There wouldn't be such a flood of commercial dvds available if they weren't profitable and they wouldn't be profitable if people could record a decent version off their satellite/cable system.

Good points. I guess that is why the studios arent doing anything. I think you nailed it now that I think about it. Yes, with all the ads people would just buy the series instead of archiving all those episodes with the pop-ups. Good read, thanks.
NL

[ntscuser]

Good points. I guess that is why the studios arent doing anything. I think you nailed it now that I think about it. Yes, with all the ads people would just buy the series instead of archiving all those episodes with the pop-ups. Good read, thanks.
NL

It's only a question of time before boxed sets include commercial breaks as well

[fritzi93]

"Spitting in your face" is a good way to put it.
I like this expression even better:

"Spitting in the soup".

No matter how good the soup is (or programming in this case, although it hardly ever IS very good), they find a way to ruin it. Contempt for the customer is the common denominator.

Haven't watched network TV in years. PBS, C-SPAN, History Channel, that's about it now for me.

[TBoneit]

If you can't watch it because of the pop-ups why would you buy it.

Or to put it another way if the pop-ups bother me I stop watching it and will never develop an appetite for that show. Thus I'll never buy it on DVD. OTOH if I can watch it despite the pop-ups, I'd be archiving the pop-up version and save my money because I'm frugal. Example if I were cheap I'd be buying hamburger instead of steak. or the cheap hot dogs instead of the ones I buy at $4+ a lb. Frugal means buying them on sale and freezing. Last butter was $1.49 a lb. on sale 2 went into the refrigerator and 6 into the freezer.

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

I hate them. The next thing they will do is film the actual series in a new format that will allow the popups to be in the screen all the time without covering the show.

And after that they will include them in the dvds too..

[Cole]

Hate them... contempt for the viewers intelligence.

I have read that the reason given for the use of pop-ups and station logos is to identify the station to the viewer when station hopping through the sheer number of channels. Of course, this argument collapses when you realise that none of the commercial breaks have pop-ups and station logos on them (at least on the UKs Freeview); if ever we did need (and I mean if ever!) a station logo it is during the adverts as that would be when the station we find wouldn't be obvious.

This didn't go on at the height of the analogue days...

[bigstusexy]

the huge ones, or the moving ones and WITH SOUND!!! Freaking annoy me, I mean heck sometimes I dislike it so much that I rather they just stop the show for a commercial. Show creators should be furious over this too.

right now cartoon network has a animated advert for their "invasion" episodes, it takes about about 20% of the screen for a second or two, that is way too much.

[mgy999a]

TBoneIt: “. . . If you can't watch it because of the pop-ups why would you buy it.

Or to put it another way if the pop-ups bother me I stop watching it and will never develop an appetite for that show. . .”

Ah, how do I explain this in 10,000 words or less? I’ll try to be as brief as possible, I promise.

I think that OldAndInTheWay is correct. The animated popups are just the latest in a long and well orchestrated campaign.

Have you heard the one about “how to boil a frog”? If you drop him in a pot of boiling water, he jumps out. But if you put him in cool water and slowly raise the temp, then you’ll cook him to death and he’ll never realize what’s happening.

I am old enough to remember TV in the early sixties, back in the days when the networks reigned supreme. Back then, commercials were limited during prime-time to 5-6 minutes per hour. And nothing but an actual emergency (like a tornado warning) was allowed to interfere with the program. Gradually, over the years, commercial time has been increased to 16 minutes (or more) per hour. Logos were unheard of in the sixties. They were introduced slowly, first for a few seconds at a time, once or twice per hour. They were increased gradually and now they are in the corner of the screen during the entire show.

My point? The leading offenders that were “pushing the envelope” were not the channels introducing new shows. The first offenders were the independent channels (70’s), followed by the superstations (80’s) and then the specialty satellite channels (these days, it is SPIKE, G4, Hallmark, SCIFI, etc). And the greater commercial time, logos, banners, etc. are first introduced during re-runs - never on new shows. And re-runs already have a following. Once people have grown to accept the "new" standard, then the added commercial time, logos, etc. are extended to the new shows too.

Yes, there are some people that refuse to watch programs with all the banners, logos and animated pop-ups. Then there are others who not only watch but record the programs on dvd too. They have gotten accustomed to all the nonsense or never knew any better to start with.

But there are others (Trekkies, for instance) that want pristine recordings of their shows. They might watch an old episode on satellite/cable but they wouldn’t go to the trouble of recording it. Not clean enough and too much of it is missing, lying on the cutting room floor. These are the people buying the dvds instead of recording their own. And like I said, it is working quite well for the studios. So much so that some of them are thinking of introducing new series and movies strictly to dvd and bypassing television/satellite/cable altogether. Again, it all comes down to money. Whatever they think will get them the maximum return on their investment.

Where is it all going? Well, the animated popups are just the latest bump in temperature. Just enough to keep people from recording their favorite old shows and movies, at least for now. But not enough to chase the majority of viewers away. Let the public grumble as long as they keep watching, that is the stance. But more shenanigans are being planned, let no one doubt it. There are still two more corners of the screen that they haven’t touched yet. And the number of popups and their duration will increase too.

Perhaps the logos and banners and junk will start showing up on commerical dvds too. I’m not willing to go that far out on the limb, not yet.

Remember to follow the money. Many things that seem not to make sense are only understood once you follow the money trail.

Ribbett, ribbett. :P
MGY999a

[mgy999a]

Hate them... contempt for the viewers intelligence.

I have read that the reason given for the use of pop-ups and station logos is to identify the station to the viewer when station hopping through the sheer number of channels. Of course, this argument collapses when you realise that none of the commercial breaks have pop-ups and station logos on them (at least on the UKs Freeview); if ever we did need (and I mean if ever!) a station logo it is during the adverts as that would be when the station we find wouldn't be obvious.

This didn't go on at the height of the analogue days...

A most excellent point. Don't forget that you also don't see the logos, banners, and other nonsense during "paid programming". Heaven forbid that the viewers be distracted from the product being advertised.

I think that the "station-ID-during-surfing" excuse is just spin-doctoring by the station/channel owners as their OFFICAL reason for what they are doing. It sounds good - until you spend five seconds thinking about it and realize what a load of garbage it all is.

Thanks
mgy999a

[DereX888]

Remember to follow the money. Many things that seem not to make sense are only understood once you follow the money trail.

I couldn't have said it better