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seagreen
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seagreen

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The One, The Only...iGuide Ads Thread

There is probably not a lot of need for a *new* thread every couple of weeks on this topic. So here ya go - a sticky thread just for this scintillating topic.
58483323 (banned)
Gurt me
join:2003-06-23
Normal, IL

58483323 (banned)

Member

Cool.

Well, even though I've gotten used to them it still annoys me that Comcast can be so greedy to be doing this. They keep raising rates and are posting record profits. Comcast certainly doesn't need these ads to survive. It's only to add more revenue to the bottom line. Screw the customers! That seems to be the attitude.

Loker
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join:2004-07-11
Fargo, ND

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it does not even really annoy me....would I rather it not be there? sure...but does it bother me enough to try and fight Comcast the whole way on it? not quite...

Defiance
Computer Elite
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join:2002-09-11
Minocqua, WI

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It sucks but It's not too bad.. For the amount of time I watch TV I could care less.

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
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ARRIS SB8200

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Click for full size
If only they would just move that ad down a little tiny bit, we would have that 6th row back! Look closely at that pic.

To get that visual glitch, go into the guide.
Now press My DVR
Go to My Recordings
Push Last twice.

This is Firmware 16.35 on a Moto 6412p2 cable box.

JoeyDee
Premium Member
join:2004-07-23
Las Vegas, NV

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The New Guide is Rude...

While they're only a minor aggravation, I have to say it's little things like this that will make it easy to leave Comcast just as soon as someone comes up with a comparable HSI/HDTV package. For now I'm getting superior HSI, 12Mbps down, 2.4Mbps up, and as near as I can tell, as much HDTV programing as anyone out there.

But, this tacky guide change builds no customer loyalty. It's like "Disregard" for my convenience.

The free market is great. Someone will come along with a better product soon and I'll leave without regret.

Good Customer Relations, Comcast.

Joe

rjx
Slacker
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join:2002-05-28
Miami Beach, FL

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Re: The One, The Only...iGuide Ads Thread

I used to see six rows of channels at a time, now I only see five.

I like to scroll through movies one at a time to read their descriptions. This is one additional button press for no good reason. It has no functionality besides annoying the crap out me.

Loker
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Fargo, ND

Loker

Premium Member

said by rjx:

I used to see six rows of channels at a time, now I only see five.

I like to scroll through movies one at a time to read their descriptions. This is one additional button press for no good reason. It has no functionality besides annoying the crap out me.
If thats your reason for hating it then I have to laugh....just because you have to push a button one more time?

I can understand and respect hating it on the principal of the matter...but just because of an extra button press?

rjx
Slacker
Premium Member
join:2002-05-28
Miami Beach, FL

rjx

Premium Member

I can understand and respect hating it on the principal of the matter...but just because of an extra button press?
No, one extra click isn't a huge effort. I just use the page down button when I reach the last show. The point I'm making is that I lost functionality in exchange for a big fat ad. That's the principle I'm hating it on.

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
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ARRIS SB8200

1 edit

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Click for full size
And as you can see in my screen shot, they can easily add that 6th row of guide information back if they only resize the ad a little bit. Come on now, I can do it for them in Photoshop. Resizing images is a piece of cake. Comcast programmers are just being lazy that's all.

Edit: Here, I really quickly edited that screen shot in Photoshop to PROVE that it is possible to still retain 6 lines of information and have that stupid ad. I only copied the last line of the guide in that screen shot because it was the easiest to do right now.

Bob W
@comcast.net

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I emailed Comcast complaining about the in-guide ads. Here is the reply, in its entirety. Obviously, they don't give a hoot about customer feedback.
Thank you for contacting us regarding your Comcast cable service.

I understand you have some concerns regarding the banner ads now appearing on your Interactive Program Guide (IPG).

Comcast is using our technology to educate our customers about the value of Comcast Digital Cable service. The banner ads you are seeing on your guide, provide tips and instructions on how to use certain features, like Parental Controls and Favorites. They also promote various programs that are in your regular channel line-up, and provide you with the option to easily set a reminder or recording, tune directly to the program, see other show times, and perform the other functions available on the program information screen.

You will not be charged for view details of any banner ad. The banners simply lead you to information on programs that may be of interest to you. You will only be charged if you order a program with an associated charge - for instance, a Pay Per View or ON DEMAND program or movie.

If you would like to scroll through your television listings without highlighting the ads, use the Page Up and Page Down buttons on your remote.

Comcast is planning to continue showing these ads; however, we do appreciate you sharing your point of view. It is our goal to make sure your Digital Cable television experience is as valuable to you as possible. Thank you for your feedback. I will be happy to share it with the Comcast team that is working on these ads.

MadMANN3
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join:2005-08-19

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All I have to say is, "THANK YOU!" to seagreen See Profile for ONE (count 'em) 1 thread for this.

Now if only we can talk sorto' over in the HSI forum to implant one sticky thread for the whole "Comcast cut me off just because I DL'd enough to fill 20 160GB hard drives".

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
·PenTeleData
ARRIS SB8200

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Bob W, you are not the only one who received that response word for word. The fact is, they do not give a rats @ss about what customers have to think about the banner ad. Instead of wasting their time they just click a button and that canned response is e-mailed back to you.

Just a heads up. I'd be surprised if a human being even read your e-mail to them. Perhaps it goes through a computer and does context searches on your message. Based that it figured out your talking about the ad's it then e-mails you that, and discards the message into the bit bucket never to be seen by prying eyes. What a sad world we live in.

JayMan 007
join:2005-07-18
Richmond, VA

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said by rjx:

I like to scroll through movies one at a time to read their descriptions. This is one additional button press for no good reason. It has no functionality besides annoying the crap out me.
Use the FAV button. It will move to each channel you have marked as favorite, skipping the ad at the bottom.

cypherstream
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Two days ago there was a small window of time during primetime where we had no ads. I thought it was a glitch so I exited the guide and went back in... still no ads. I saw a healthy 6 lines of program data. Well needless to say, now the ad's are back.

And no the box wasn't rebooted. The guide was fully populated.
ak3883
join:2005-08-20
Marlton, NJ

ak3883

Member

I have found sometimes right at 8:00, or 9:00, the ads disapear. You hit guide right after the clock hits the hour. I've hit exit, then guide again, for 3-4 times they aren't there. Then after about 20-30 seconds, they will show up again. Some kind of glitch.

andyross
MVM
join:2003-05-04
Aurora, IL

andyross

MVM

The ads update every hour. There may have been a delay in your box grabbing that hour's ads.

I do remember a month or so ago, when the NY area had a big power outage, that the ads disappeared for a day. I'm guessing it affected the local sites getting updates from some master server. On that day, I couldn't connect to work as the VPN went dead.

Loker
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join:2004-07-11
Fargo, ND

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there was a guide update last month (they finally implemented iguide on the older DCT's and then updated the DVR's) not a single ad since then...

Travelfan1
RIP Analog Go Digital
join:2005-08-23
Woodbridge, NJ

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»www.comcastspotlight.com ··· subnav=3

Comcast is now promoting in the BroadcastingCable.com web site the availability of the spots in the TV Guide.

Unlike the many here that are against it, it really doesn't botter me at all the ads in the I-Guide, I am not at all against Comcast making some dough on it.

Loker
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join:2004-07-11
Fargo, ND

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2 months later and still ad free....
cme4oil
join:2002-02-25
Waldorf, MD

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I didn't like it when it first came out, mostly because it cropped off the sixth line in the guide. I have since mostly used the page up and page down keys to scroll through the listings and that works just fine. It no longer really bothers me and I really don't even notice it anymore. The key is to just let it go if it's not something your interested in and not to worry about it.

The fact that comcast put it there is purely a business decision geared towards making them some extra money. Do they need it? Generally speaking, almost all businesses need to make more money, that's what they started their business for in most cases....

It would be real nice if they had a option to opt out of ad listings as that would be the customer friendly way to do it. Maybe those that are really bothered with this issue should start trying to push that option to comcast. I haven't been here in a bit so it that's been suggested I apologize.

MysticGogeta
The Robot Devil
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join:2005-03-14
Katy, TX

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No ads here in my part of Houston (Just checked)
lmacmil
join:2001-01-26
South Bend, IN

lmacmil

Member

The banner ad just showed up in South Bend, Indiana a couple days ago. It is annoying but I guess I just have to live with it.

Other guides
@qwest.net

Other guides

Anon

Does anyone know of screen shots online of other converter box menus or program guides with ads? I want to see how the iguide ads compare to the others.

Drex
Beer...The other white meat.
Premium Member
join:2000-02-24
Not There

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My ads came back after they sent a signal to my box. Nice.

Loker
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join:2004-07-11
Fargo, ND

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7 months in and they are still gone on all my boxes...