Red Dot rant...

[wellsi]

Is it me, or are the Red Dots getting bigger, more intrusive and more frequent on various channels?

Is there no way you can permenantly switch these stupid things off from your screen? Pressing backup only gets rid of it until the next ad break; I want them off permenently; am I asking the impossible?

 

[DaveP]

Oh how I agree! I've bought a Memoblaster for the Digibox connected to my Tivo but that only transmits every ten minutes or so, so I still get the dot for what seems like ages. The other night I recorded the last episode of the X-Files on my DVD recorder and forgot about the red dot. It's there for ever now!

The only trick is to press the red dot immediately followed by the backup button. Timing is crucial as nine time out of ten I seem to miss and go into the bl**dy thing! Of course you have to be there!

Anyway this keeps the red dot away until you change channels or go into the EPG. It survives the adverts!

What irritates me the most is that on BBC on DTT it goes away of its own accord after a few seconds which is fine. Why cant sky do that?

Oh, and dont get me started on DOGS whatever you do!!! Did you see the Osbournes last week? Oh, too late, I'm off again. I need to chill!

DaveP

 

[Azrikam]

I haven't been troubled too much lately because I've found myself watching Dot-less channels. Nothing on Sky One but the endless rotation of Simpsons. The old ones, I've seen. And the new ones... well the less said about the new episodes the better.

Sky definitely have the technology to have the red Dot appear only for a few seconds before and after ad breaks (as PlayUK and others were doing), but they just don't want to. Personally, I'd like to get rid of the damn thing entirely. 99% of all interactive services are crap anyway, and most are just excuses for premium rate phone lines. Like on-screen promos for upcoming shows, they are just additional advertising heaped on top of an already ad-filled schedule. I mean, just how many times do we have to pay for this program? (license fee + Sky subscription + ad revenue + onscreen advertising + interactive "services")

Where does it end? Are they going to introduce a low-level voice on all programming telling you to "eat Hovis" over and over again? (I don't mean eat it over and over again, I mean... nevermind)

Alright, I'm done
http://www.logofreetv.org.uk/

 

[They]

Originally posted by Azrikam
....Where does it end? Are they going to introduce a low-level voice on all programming telling you to "eat Hovis" over and over again? (I don't mean eat it over and over again, I mean... nevermind)

You are familiar with Web pages of course, you know, with the animated ads across the top and bottom of the screen and sometimes down the sides with just a window in the middle of the screen left to view the info you actually want. Well that's what DTV will start to look like over the next few years!

Oh, and don't forget those ads that appear right across the screen, overlaying everything else until you click on them!

Can't wait...

 

[MartinImber]

Move to DTTV - no red dots!

 

[wellsi]

DTTV: No dots, but I'd like more than 3 extra channels to choose from... (grin)

 

[Azrikam]

Don't advertisers realise that the more you're subjected to advertising, the less affect it has? Because of the proliferation of SPAM, I don't read any direct emails from companies anymore. Even if it's from companies I've signed up with.

I've also been forced to install a pop-up ad killer due to excessive popups.

Longer and more frequent ad breaks have led me to watch all my TV pre-taped so I don't have to put up with breaks in my viewing every couple of minutes. The broadcasters' greed for more advertising £££ has resulted in less viewers who actually sit through the ads. (kinda defeats the purpose, if you ask me)