I was scrolling through my LG TV's settings not long ago and the amount of times it vampirically suggested I invite it onto my WiFi made me laugh.
No my friend, you're my dumb TV. My laptop already doesn't allow ads, so why would I need you to for a less navigable UI?
Who wants this? What the fuck?
Shareholders and marketers want this.
It has become increasingly important for DirecTV to diversify revenue beyond satellite and Internet subscriptions. DirecTV had over 20 million subscribers in 2015; in 2024, streaming business publication Next TV, citing an anonymous source “close to the company,” reported that the AT&T-owned firm was down to about 11 million subscribers.
Simultaneously, the streaming industry—including streaming services and streaming software—has been increasingly relying on advertising to boost revenue. For some streaming service providers, increasing revenue through ads is starting to eclipse the pressure to do so through subscriber counts. Considering DirecTV's declining viewership and growing interest in streaming, finding more ways to sell ads seems like a natural progression.
With legacy pay TV providers already dealing with dwindling subscriptions, introducing new types of ads risks making DirecTV less appealing as well.
And it’s likely that things won’t end there.
“This, we can integrate across different places within the television,” [advertisement provider] Glance COO Mansi Jain told The Verge. "We are starting with the screensaver, but tomorrow… we can integrate it in the launcher of the TV."
More people are moving to streaming services! Quick, let's make shit way worse!
More people are leaving our streaming service! Quick let's make it worse for the people who stayed!
Where the fuck are they gonna go? Back to cable? Mwahahahaha
Twirls Dick Dastardly mustache
Twirls Dick Dastardly, mustache
FTFY
Twirls dick, dastardly mustache
FTFY
I think we are seeing "late abandoner" costs with large groups of people. It's like paying high "early adopter" costs but instead of getting new technology for it, you get the comfort of hanging on to old stuff as its business model circles the drain and the executives piloting the sinking ships bleed the dwindling customer base for whatever they can.
I think you're exactly right. It's the new generation of 'last in, first out'.
No. No, I don't think it will.
I feel a class action lawsuit incoming: "Advertisers using customers likeness in ads, without providing compensation"
Ever notice how now a days you have to scroll through the whole TOS before blindly clicking AGREE?
Yea...
TOS means nothing in court.
Here's hoping American courts keep meaning anything.
True. Knock on wood.
I don't get how this would ever be a good idea.
I would be extremely uncomfortable seeing my face in adverts, even for products I use. I'm already uncomfortable with adverts using personal recommendations based on tracking my web history & habits.
I actively avoid those products in the future, and I can only see this alienating their marketing base further.
You can fuck right off.
Avoid DirecTV like the plague? I'm on it...
In case you were wondering how they would get a picture of the users face…
“DirecTV's screensavers will let a user create an AI avatar of themself by scanning a QR code on the screensaver”
The only good that can come from this is butt faces.
Maybe that will be the data which finally breaks the image generators back.
Cat anus faces
Thanks for this. I was imagining some dystopian requirement that you had to let them scan your face or pay an extra $10 a month or something.
Give them a month
Ok. But why would anyone actually do that?
"Ooh I wish I was in that dishwasher ad"
Marketers ruin everything. Marketers are liars. I've worked with marketing departments in every job I've ever had, and they're scum every time. Social media obsessed weirdos who can't do anything honest and authentic. Freaks.
Bwahahahaha! I don't even watch TV any more. Every time I wind up at my parent's home I cannot believe the idiocy that's on the TV. Ball game is on? They've made sure it's impossible that a single frame of the feed does not show at least one advertisement, whether "splashed" over the video or covering every square inch of the location they're broadcasting.
"Television" is officially dead to me, but I get that a lot of people still watch it. What I don't understand is WHY they do.
I'd be more angry about this, but I just found out that DirecTV is still in business.
Could I just use my cat's face?
Oh, you mean the real reason there has been a push to get us to use face ID verification on every site that depends on ads?
DirecTV's screensavers will let a user create an AI avatar of themself by scanning a QR code on the screensaver. Afterward, they can use the avatar to browse through different AI content. Users will also reportedly be able to dress up their AI avatars, allowing Glance's screensaver to recommend real-life products to purchase by performing a reverse-image search.
Who is gonna even willingly do this? You're not creating a Mii to put into Wii Sports. It's just to advertise to you.
(the company Glance, mentioned in the quote, is the company providing the AI screensaver ad technology to DirecTV)
What better reason not to get DirecTV
Im surprised it still exists
I honestly didn’t know it still did.
I'd cut the plug off the dongle doodad and then run it over if this happened to me.
Your face, maybe. My face, no.
"We did it, Patrick! We made a technological breakthrough!"
A place for all those who loathe AI to discuss things, post articles, and ridicule the AI hype. Proud supporter of working people. And proud booer of SXSW 2024.