AT&T starts showing pause ads with motion and sound on DirecTV, How Do We Stop These Ads?

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@gordongekko99 wrote:

@ATTTimCS 

 

Tim, can you please look into this, how can we voice our opinion on these ads, if they arrive on my non internet connected Genie HR54, I'm leaving Directv. Will they arrive if you are not connected to the internet? Will Directv provide an option to disable them, even if only to disable motion and audio ads?

 

https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/10/att-pause-ads-directv/#comments

 

I ask that anyone who cares, please tweet/Facebook/email/phone in your complaints, this guy should be fired:

However, Brian Lesser, the CEO of AT&T's Xandr advertising division, contends the telecom still sees the new ads as "non-interruptive." Lesser went on to claim that research suggests people "would rather see immersive advertising than a freeze-frame of a screensaver of something else."

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You won't get the new screen-saver ads if your Genie is not connected to the internet. 

Hi @gordongekko99,

As always, I appreciate the feedback, and thanks for linking the engadget article.  I can confirm that there is no audio on our pause ads.  In addition, if you are not connected to the internet, you won't get these ads.  They do require an internet connection.

Thanks

Tim, AT&T Community Strategy

Hi @ATTTimCS 

Thanks for the fast response, is it your understanding that there are no plans in the future for pause ads with audio? If you are uncertain can you run this to the higher ups to find out? Thanks for your time and help and I hope you have a great Holidays and New Year.

I can deal with static images and even tolerate full motion video but the audio is where I would have to leave, thank you.

Thanks @gordongekko99, same to you and your family.  I appreciate it.  Regarding your question, that is correct.  Obviously I can't guarantee future changes, but I have not heard any discussion involving audio being included in these ads.  There is an understanding that people pause tv to take phone calls or have conversations, and audio playing would interrupt that.

Thanks

Tim, AT&T Community Strategy

These screensavers and ads when I pause on DTV are ridiculous. First, I often pause it to show someone something. By the time they get to the TV to look, it's on screensaver. Then I want to play again, and my first touch of the play button just gives me a black screen, then a 2-4 second delay, then it brings me back to the paused screen. Next, I have to hit play a second (or sometimes third) time to actually get my program playing again. What a waste of time! User needs to have an option to disable this.

These new pause ads are (Edited per community guidelines)! We pay a lot for this DirecTV and being forced to have these ads and black screen forced on us when we simply want to pause briefly is (Edited per community guidelines)!

Lesser is NOT More. &n(Edited per community guidelines)p;Fix this or it's Bye bye DirecTV/ATT and hello Dish. I'm not putting up with this for even one month. &n(Edited per community guidelines)p;I'll give it 4 weeks for AT&T to realize they blew it with this and change it back but that's it. I'm out after many years. &n(Edited per community guidelines)p;

AFAIK all providers are moving to this so dish may already have it or will soon.

@Holli6 

Providers having adds for other content during pause is not going away anytime soon. If you would prefer to watch your TV with the brand logo on screen instead then you will need to disconnect your setup from the internet and that will revert back to the traditional screen saver.

Though when I pause I am doing something else, not watching a paused screen. So as long as there is no audio, it doesn't bother me personally.

Your 4 week ultimatum means nothing to them as your account has no more influence over their chosen screen saver than anyone else.

Like "commercial free tv" that paid tv (aka "cable") offered, the control "feature" of pausing is now being usurped and once again we're paying for advertising even when we've clearly chosen to "pause" our TV's.  

Clearly we PAUSED our TVs for a break - now we are paying for commercials during that break.  

We're changing to Comcast or another service!

Have to add that it's BRIGHT so pausing to nap isn't working. 

If you are trying to nap then turn it off and resume later. Pause is not intended to be used for long periods of time. Pause is if you are doing something quick. If you need a break then turn off the TV, which gives the TV a break as well.

To have commercial free TV would mean much higher bills. Networks charge TV providers to be carried and advertisers for their time slots.

Sorry but advertisers are not going away. You want to avoid them then you get a video cassette or DVD. Unless you count their previews of course.

@ATTTimCS

I really detest the AT&T intrusive promo's and graphics that come on my screen when I pause a program, I WANT an Option to DISABLE .

Not only is it annoying , distracting , undesired and was not there a few months ago , it's also got BUGS where even after you un-pause (audio continues but video still on AT&T graphics) , intermittently it WON'T remove the AT&T promo off the screen , sometimes I need to change channel and then come back to the program to get the graphics off the screen , well this is terrible as it's more than likely that since I was in PAUSE , it means that I now have lost a portion of the show..... 

1/   I do NOT want this "feature"

2/  if you can't get it to go OFF then the show is resumed from pause , then it's unacceptable to put your customers through this

How does your software on the DVR's even get though the most basic of Beta testing ?

Oh , that's right , the PAYING customers are the beta testers since your code is likely being written off-shore where there is no DirecTV signals to test it with ...

STOP putting stuff in your GUI that serve not purpose other than benefit AT&T and then cause in convenience to your PAYING customers !!

Please prioritize BUG FIXES in the GUI code , and DON'T be adding more crap in the code which just adds more BUGS ! , unacceptable.

regards,

bradoz7 

I agree with Bradoz7 - these pause ads are annoying and it is the final straw - I pay too much for DirectTv to be subjected to this with NO option to disable it. I am getting rid of my DirectTv as i already pay for streaming services and that will be enough. I have been a customer forever, but am very upset with this change.