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Pre-episode advert/trailer

Just noticed this today (never seen it before in 8 months of viewing) - after selecting an episode of something in the watchlist, a 15 second pre-episode NOW TV advert/trailer for some other TV show played first then it began playing the selected episode.

 

I quite liked having no adverts and trailers on NOW TV Entertainment!

 

Is this the future then for NOW TV Entertainment?

146 REPLIES 146
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @Anonymous User

 

I have been following this thread with interest and I do respect your viewpoint and displeasure at this feature of Now TV, we all have our "Soapboxes" and you only need to look at some of my "Rants" over the "Continue Watching" feature to know that, that is mine!!

 

I would say that every TV company, over every platform, be it Freeview, Sky or Now TV, promote their shows by a trailer before a new episode,  BBC1 had a preview trailer for some new programme or other at 9pm last night before "The Missing" (I pay for the BBC with my Licence Fee) and it happens all the time.  On NowTV last night, I watched a trailer for "Sport in November" before I watched "30 Degrees in February", I wasn't interested in it (I don't have a Sports Pass and am not likely to get one) but I sat through it...It only lasted for a minute.

 

What I DO DISAGREE with, is the content of the trailers....If I had kids, I wouldn't be too happy with them seeing, without warning, a violent trailer for "The Walking Dead" but I only disagree on those grounds, not for me but for others.

 

At other times, I just accept the trailer/advert intrusion as a fact of life, maybe that is wrong but it is so common, as I say, across every TV platform, you cannot get away from it.  Yes, I bought into NowTV when there were no trailers but I would not throw my box out of the window, because of them....It's still a good service and I can watch things that I wouldn't get to see elsewhere.

 

I realise that "Lots are angry at this change of terms of service", I only need to read this thread to see that but I also see from this thread that others accept the situation.  I cannot agree with all you have said (That's what a forum is all about) but I do respect your right to say it.

 

Personally, I would rather watch a one minute trailer, before the programme than having it split up with advert breaks.  If I was watching a programme on (For example) ITV or Sky it would take an hour, whereas on NowTV I can watch that same programme in about 45 minutes, including the trailer.  It's a trade-off which is acceptable to me.

 

Anyway, I'm not trying to annoy you, I'm just giving you my "Two Penn'orth", for what it's worth.

 

Smiley Wink

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User wrote:

Hi @Anonymous User

 

I have been following this thread with interest and I do respect your viewpoint and displeasure at this feature of Now TV, we all have our "Soapboxes" and you only need to look at some of my "Rants" over the "Continue Watching" feature to know that, that is mine!!

 

I would say that every TV company, over every platform, be it Freeview, Sky or Now TV, promote their shows by a trailer before a new episode,  BBC1 had a preview trailer for some new programme or other at 9pm last night before "The Missing" (I pay for the BBC with my Licence Fee) and it happens all the time.  On NowTV last night, I watched a trailer for "Sport in November" before I watched "30 Degrees in February", I wasn't interested in it (I don't have a Sports Pass and am not likely to get one) but I sat through it...It only lasted for a minute.

 

What I DO DISAGREE with, is the content of the trailers....If I had kids, I wouldn't be too happy with them seeing, without warning, a violent trailer for "The Walking Dead" but I only disagree on those grounds, not for me but for others.

 

At other times, I just accept the trailer/advert intrusion as a fact of life, maybe that is wrong but it is so common, as I say, across every TV platform, you cannot get away from it.  Yes, I bought into NowTV when there were no trailers but I would not throw my box out of the window, because of them....It's still a good service and I can watch things that I wouldn't get to see elsewhere.

 

I realise that "Lots are angry at this change of terms of service", I only need to read this thread to see that but I also see from this thread that others accept the situation.  I cannot agree with all you have said (That's what a forum is all about) but I do respect your right to say it.

 

Personally, I would rather watch a one minute trailer, before the programme than having it split up with advert breaks.  If I was watching a programme on (For example) ITV or Sky it would take an hour, whereas on NowTV I can watch that same programme in about 45 minutes, including the trailer.  It's a trade-off which is acceptable to me.

 

Anyway, I'm not trying to annoy you, I'm just giving you my "Two Penn'orth", for what it's worth.

 

Smiley Wink


Glad to hear you are happy with/complacent about this imposition. Thanks for your vote.

 

Now, back to the issue. Why are the breaks unskippable? That is what makes them such an intrusion (well, that and how loud and irrelevant they are to many).

 

Everywhere, yes everywhere else that I consume visual media I can avoid advertising or trailers if I choose to, by time-shifting/recording/watching a programme when it actually starts not from five minutes before etc etc.

 

NOW TV have decided that this is good enough for the short station idents in the middle of programmes - annoying enough, but skippable.

 

But for these long and intrusive trailers they have decided that we have absolutely no option (other than leaving the room!) but to endure them before we are allowed to view our paid-for media. Not just once but between episodes.

 

In all my dealings with NOW TV about this issue I have never heard any justification for this.

 

That's why I am an unhappy ex-subscriber from a service that I once loved. And I'm not alone.

 

But Netflix is pretty good anyway...

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User

 

I 100% agree, they are an intolerable intrusion and this is an awful way to treat paying customers.

 

After two months of failing to get a proper answer from NOW TV despite numerous attempts to complain I let my membership lapse. (They also deliberately  ignore and game their complaints procedure by the way so I will be complaining to their Ombudsman)

 

When I hear that they have finally listened to customers I will re-join, but not until.

 

Unbelievably arrogant behaviour from a supposedly paid-for service provider.

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @Anonymous User, @Anonymous User,

 

Yes, I found the adverts so intrusive, I cancelled my subscription. I'd been generally quite happy with NowTV up to that point, but now I've left I found most of the programmes I wanted to watch elsewhere (paid or free). No other paid site I've used (Virgin, Netflix, Amazon) has unskipable adverts. Virgin has adverts for some programmes, and I don't like that, but at least you can skip them and they are rarely as offensive as the NowTV ones I encountered. I'd probably try NowTV again if they removed the adverts completely (or made the easily skipable), but it's not so bad without ruined NowTV.

 

Apart from my own annoyance, I'm just boggled that NowTV can so effectively shoot themselves in the foot. The adverts I saw were for other programmes on the service I was already paying them for, so it's no benefit to them. They claimed on this forum that the adverts were there to help their users find other programmes they like, but no one has posted to say they appreciate the ads. A few people said they didn't mind, or didn't get the adverts, or were able to block with a firewall, but no endorsements. All I can conclude is stupidity or venality on Sky's part.

 

Tim.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I understand what you're saying, and it does sound ridiculous when you explain it like that. But ITV is a free service funded by advertising so I expect it when I watch that channel. I pay for Now TV (well, not anymore) to avoid adverts, so I do think it's a different situation really.
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @Anonymous User and welcome to the board,

 

I totally get what you are saying as well but I don't think that the situation actually is all that different.  Take the BBC, we pay for that with our licence fee, we pay for Now TV via subscription, similar thing, yes?

 

Before any programme on the BBC, especially a 9pm Drama, there will be a trailer for an up-coming show, if you are watching live, you can't skip that and if you have it recorded, it's not worth pressing "Fast Forward" as 9 times out of 10, you'll miss the beginning of the programme that you want to watch and end up on "Rewind" for a couple of seconds.  Trailers for new shows have been with us since the days of Black and White Telly, long before Video recorders and PVRs and like I said in a previous post, are basically a fact of life.

 

I totally respect your decision to "Vote with your feet" but I do think that it's a shame. Smiley Sad

Andy
Legend 5
Legend 5

Depending on your perspective, you can either compare NOW TV to Netflix and Amazon Video, or see them as a cheaper alternative to Sky TV subscriptions (less channels for less money). Those people have to pay considerably more than we do, tie themselves into a contract of several months and still put up with adverts all over the place, so all in all we are pretty lucky.

 

If it's any consolation, I have Amazon Prime and watching on their own Amazon TV box they've started putting trailers for other shows at the beginning of their programmes as well. I don't like them either, but when one starts doing it they all start. Having been a Sky TV subscriber for a number of years NOW TV is a much less stressful viewing experience, even with the pre-ads.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User wrote:

Hi @Anonymous User and welcome to the board,

 

I totally get what you are saying as well but I don't think that the situation actually is all that different.  Take the BBC, we pay for that with our licence fee, we pay for Now TV via subscription, similar thing, yes?

 

Before any programme on the BBC, especially a 9pm Drama, there will be a trailer for an up-coming show, if you are watching live, you can't skip that and if you have it recorded, it's not worth pressing "Fast Forward" as 9 times out of 10, you'll miss the beginning of the programme that you want to watch and end up on "Rewind" for a couple of seconds.  Trailers for new shows have been with us since the days of Black and White Telly, long before Video recorders and PVRs and like I said in a previous post, are basically a fact of life.

 

I totally respect your decision to "Vote with your feet" but I do think that it's a shame. Smiley Sad


Everyone has to pay a compulsory licence fee if they want the right to legally watch broadcast television - nothing at all like paying directly to Now TV to access content.  The former is a legal obligation, the latter is a commercial arrangement, that in this case is being unilaterally modified to the detriment of the service being commercially provided.

 

And your BBC trailers are another red herring. They can be paused if you're watching live TV, then skipped through quickly and accurately using the skip buttons I refer to elsewhere. And in any case why compare a live broadcast environment with a streamed one? Are you arguing that it's OK for streamed services to operate within the (old) limitations of live broadcast? Why?

 

The simple fact is (and you don't seem to mind, so fine) these infernal trailers are delivered in a way that is uniquely intrusive.

 

I am really struggling to understand your motivations here - you are throwing around specious arguments in defence of Now TV, none of which stack up, yet you have already said this is a non-issue for you - so why bother? You surely can't believe that those of us who are very much bothered by it are suddenly going to change our minds?

 

Have a smiley, because I'm not trying to be nasty! 🙂

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @Anonymous User,

 

You make a good point that skipping adverts on other services also takes time, though not I think as much as you suggest. What makes this change so galling is the loss of control. For the first time since I got a TiVo (15 years ago now!) I lost control of the TV I watch and could not skip past an advert. Again and again and again. What's worse I paid for the privilege, and the adverts they forced down my throat were obtrusive and offensive. I took back control by cancelling my contract.

 

I didn't yet see any adverts from Amazon Prime on my Roku. If they add unskippable adverts there too, that doesn't make NowTV's actions any better, it just means I'll be cancelling Amazon Prime too.

 

Tim.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @Anonymous User

 

Now that is more like a discussion.....Don't worry I'll not try to "Brainwash" you Smiley Wink

 

Do you know, the thing is that I don't like the trailers either, I just don't get why 27 seconds of one merits a cancellation of your contract....I would like to know more about your longer experience of them as it might explain it better to me...To me, cancelling is like "Throwing the Baby out with the bathwater" and if the adverts intruded on NowTV like they do on "All4"....5 ads, 7 ads, even 9 ads....That goes on forever and like you say is "obtrusive and offensive".

 

This is really going to annoy some people but to me a short trailer, followed by an uninterupted show is OK by me....Others may disagree, that is fine by me.....Let's just leave it there. 

 

I have absolutely no experience of Amazon Prime", so I cannot comment but Clarkson fans will be in uproar if they treat his new show like "Dave" treat his old one.Smiley Surprised

 

My timing of what I did was spot on, by the way...As I said I only did it for a bit of fun and maybe others could do it quicker but I wasn't telling fibs!!

 

I remember the old Tivo well, I always wanted one but could never afford one,  Do they, or even can they still update them?...The promise was "Lifetime" however technology has changed so much over the years and I know that they really tried.

 

Nice talking to you and like I say, I really would like to hear more about your experiences of (Cough) "Old School" (Cough) Tivo recorders....Blimey are things really happening so fast? Smiley Surprised

 

All the best!