Have Tivo and Amazon Cracked the TV Remote Code?
July 22nd, 2008 by Dave Allen
For decades now the dream of media types and ad firms has been to convert the humble remote control from a mere volume and channel changer to a spangly ‘product buying module.’ Tivo and Amazon are announcing a partnership today that introduces a “product purchase” feature via Tivo’s DVR service.
The idea is simple – turn the Tivo remote into a tool for buying the products being advertised and promoted on commercials and talk shows. If a talk show host talks up a book, Blu-Ray disc or CD, Tivo viewers will see onscreen menus with links to buy those products.
The NYT reports that – In the months ahead, TiVo plans to begin offering this feature to advertisers and programmers, so that the chance to buy products and have them delivered will be presented to viewers during commercials and even alongside product placements during live shows.
“Just a few years ago, we were viewed with great paranoia as the disruptor,” said Thomas S. Rogers, chief executive of TiVo. “Our goal now is to work with the media industry to come up with ways to resist the downward pressure of less advertising viewing and create a way for advertising on TV to become more effective, more engaging and closer to the sale.”
Tivo is now positioning itself away from media industry disruptor – offering its customers ways to skip ads, to media industry saviour, but not without Mr Rogers sowing the seeds of paranoia – “As DVRs get more popular, “the majority of commercials in home will be fast-forwarded through,” he said. “It is critical that there be a form of advertising and a transactional solution that underpins the DVR, or the economics of television are going to be substantially undermined.”
Tags: Amazon.com, Product Purchase, Tivo, TV Remote
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:21 am
I don’t know whether to be terrified or impressed with this sort of advance in ad technology…
eek
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:32 am
an infomercial on steriods
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:47 am
It sounds like now, along with the crawl, the network logo, and the in program promos for other shows, I will have the pleasure of seeing pop-up prompts appearing with the ever popular product placements. Somewhere along the line entertainment and the public good were trumped by the economics of television. It will be fun thought trying to figure out where the commercials end and the advitorials, err news, begin.