VOD Adverts on Music on Demand - Page 5

stevekite · 25-04-2011, 18:28

UPDATE:

I have just had a call back (another guy from India) who has confirmed this as a fault. Not surprisingly he said they had been inundated with calls about this.

This obviously contradicts another post in which the virgin agent suggested that this isn't a fault so I'm still not sure what to believe in all honesty.

Sounds like the left hand isn't talking to the right hand.

jobbie8 · 25-04-2011, 20:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevekite

UPDATE:

I have just had a call back (another guy from India) who has confirmed this as a fault. Not surprisingly he said they had been inundated with calls about this.

This obviously contradicts another post in which the virgin agent suggested that this isn't a fault so I'm still not sure what to believe in all honesty.

Sounds like the left hand isn't talking to the right hand.

My call was from the complaints dept, and in england.

SwgLee · 26-04-2011, 14:23

Put in a complaint myself yesterday via email and fair play to Virgin, about 5 hours later i got a phone call from them.

Unfortunatly, your right, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing, as the person who rang me wasnt sure if it was an error or not and when i mentioned the press release from last year by Virgin, stating they will be looking at adding adverts he was not aware of it.

When your in the mood for some music it totaly degrades the service having to watch the same filmflex trailers over and over (or fast forward over and over). I fail to see why adverts for trailers are on the music channel as i have zero intention of watching a movie if i wish to listen to music.

Told the guy my cancellation stands but if they remove the adverts before my sub ends ill renew, although he kept trying to get me to tivo but told him i dont want gimmicks, i want content and advert free on demand stuff

ian1969uk · 27-04-2011, 19:37

Emailed a complaint and this is their response:

Thanks for your comments about advertising appearing in and around our music on demand content. I am obviously saddened to hear that you, a valued customer of Virgin Media, disapprove of what we are doing in this area.

Perhaps it would help if I gave you some context to the decision we made to deploy advertising within on demand in the first place? As you know, Virgin Media has an unparalleled choice, range and depth of on demand content, ranging from catch up services from all of the terrestrial broadcasters through to a comprehensive library of music videos, and unfortunately the acquisition costs associated with such premium content have risen substantially over the last few years.

In response to the increasing costs of content, we recently decided to introduce a carefully controlled amount of advertising into the various on demand content genres featured on the Virgin Media service. With the views and opinions of paying customers like yourself uppermost in mind at all times, we will continue to keep downward pressure on the advertising levels deployed wherever possible. As an illustration of this point we are running a single advert before music videos and substantially less advertising around TV type on demand programming than that seen during the equivalent conventional "live" broadcast airing, and of course will continue to enable our customers to fast forward through advertising should they so desire.

On balance we believe that the on demand service that we offer, including a controlled amount of advertising, continues to offer fantastic value to our customers.

I do hope that this helps.

Thanks and regards,

Cindy

stevekite · 27-04-2011, 21:59

Cheers for posting that Ian.

You will all have you own opinions, but I have to say that I'm not happy with that at all.

"A single advert before music videos"... nope, that won't be for me ta. I'll make do without it because for me I can't tolerate a "controlled" dose of filmflex adverts and this is after yet another bill increase this month. I totally despise adverts so I can't make use of that service any more. I'll actually save some money by going back to sky now my exchange is enabled for sky broadband so I'm off to place my order and its two fingers to virgin.

I won't miss the ads, and that sluggish box with software maintained by complete amateurs. The tv guide is a joke.

jobbie8 · 28-04-2011, 08:31

We've stopped using Music OD, an advert every 3-4 mins (average length of a song) is too much and its the same bloody ad! Virgin need to get a grip.

Sugar Kane · 28-04-2011, 08:44

I am glad this has been noted. Having to fast forward an advert for the whole series of 30 Rock really wound me up. If we wanted to watch adverts, we would watch live tv.

kit1cat · 28-04-2011, 10:17

Virgin is fast becoming an expensive luxury, I always said I would not pay over Â£30 a month for TV, I am now paying Â£30.50 and the music on demand is becoming unwatchable. time to leave?

stevekite · 28-04-2011, 10:49

Just booked my sky install and told vm to poke it. The women didn't sound surprised even after offering me 3 months free service. Sorry chaps, you're missing the point. I wouldn't have it for free because I can't stand adverts. Ads are everywhere now and even finding their way onto my mobile phone. Enough is enough.

Also found this article whilst looking around for other comments...

Virgin Media viewers positive about on demand ads

Link

Own up then, who in here has been positive about this?!?

NathanBookham · 28-04-2011, 17:33

With me it always skips to track 2's data service, when it is playing track 1

jtaylor06 · 28-04-2011, 19:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by NathanBookham

With me it always skips to track 2's data service, when it is playing track 1

Intended as a way to stop you skipping ads as easily.
Obviously it can be flawed by pressing skip forwards, then skip previous

Gavin78 · 28-04-2011, 21:16

60 years in the future and we might not even care about tv any more.....I'm just waiting for the holodeck to appear.

Although I can image 5 min adverts as you enter the room lol

OLDGOLD · 28-04-2011, 22:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gavin78

60 years in the future and we might not even care about tv any more.....I'm just waiting for the holodeck to appear.

Although I can image 5 min adverts as you enter the room lol

Maybe they'll invent blipverts like on Max Headroom. A quick 3 second burst of adverts might be tolerable.

OLD BOY · 29-04-2011, 12:27

I don't mind having an advertisement on before a VOD programme if this helps to make the system viable, but I don't think they should be putting an ad on before every single video that you call up.

Unfortunately, guys, it seems that we will be left with a choice in the end - either put up with the adverts or pay for the service. Nothing comes for free, and if we want more and better content, we will have to do one or the other, methinks.

jobbie8 · 29-04-2011, 21:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

...but I don't think they should be putting an ad on before every single video that you call up...

Its ridiculous, who at Virgin thinks this is exceptable? The same ad every 3-4 mins

Stopped using Music OD a week or so ago, the ads put me right off and the final straw was when I got Tivo, it has no search option for Music OD.