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  • TiVo getting interactive and on-demand ads

    by 
    Ryan Block
    Ryan Block
    04.12.2006

    It was no surprise that TiVo's fast-forward banner ads didn't quite take as they might have hoped, but BusinessWeek is reporting that next month we can expect to see some new TiVo-based advertising systems rolled out, including interactive ads and ads on demand. Yes, yes, we've seen interactive advertising and enhanced television done umpteen times now, but from what it sounds like (BizWeek was kind of vague -- we don't have a lot of specifics yet), TiVo's taking a slightly different approach by background-downloading and storing ads in the system for viewing; this also lends to a new kind of choose your own adventure style ad system that lets viewers pick how they want to be advertised to with spots that unfold depending on user input. The irony here is that the first round of TiVo's interactive ads were apparently bought by Sony for the new Bravias they've been pimping so hard lately -- HDTVs that your trusty old standard def DVR won't be able to take full advantage of. Still, if you want to learn more about Sony's new TVs, their TiVo commercial will apparently have twelve different endings to choose from.[Via TechDirt]