TiVo Will Start Bringing You Commercials: The Irony is Unbearable

Wait a minute! Isn't TiVo the bane of TV networks and the boon to viewers because it allows you to SKIP commercials? Now TiVo is hooking up with Amazon to begin hawking stuff while we watch our favorite shows.

The whole point of TiVo was that we didn't have to be distracted from the thing we wanted most: TV programming. The continuing innovation in TV technology took us full circle, taking away pesky ads and bringing them right back in a new form.



The new ad system that TiVo and Amazon have thought up is kind of like a modified version of product placement ... sort of. For instance, when you are watching a talk show that's featuring a book or other product, TiVo can now prompt you to buy it with your remote control. Sounds convenient enough until you realize that this will involve a bunch of annoying graphics dancing around at the bottom of your screen, fairly screaming "Buy now at this amazing TV-offer-only price!"

No, that probably won't be distracting at all.

You will also have the option of buying products from the traditional 30-second ads as well. The remote will allow you to order the product and have it delivered directly to you, which is even more enticing now that the gas to get to the store is so expensive.

However, the greater threat here is to our viewing pleasure, regardless of convenience. I won't even address the potential problems of armchair shopping. We're talking about the sanctity of our favorite shows.

But if you're going to start armchair shopping you might as well have a nice TV to do it on. Stop buy (oops, a little subliminal marketing there, thanks TiVo) our reviews of the best TVs on the market.

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