Android TVs manufactured by such companies as Sony, Samsung, and many others are updated regularly. While some updates are quality of life and security improvements, occasional changes annoy users and gather well-deserved negative feedback. Reportedly, the recent “pilot program” from Google does not appease users.
Reddit users discovered Google is conducting a new experiment. Users of smart TVs now see rows of ads on their home screens. While it is not something that completely destroys your user experience, this long row of ads takes up a place that could be used by other elements of the UI. It means that usability suffers, even if just a little.
Sony announced that they now have a “sponsored channel” which users cannot change. This channel was added with the latest Android home app update and will force users to see ads that they might not be interested in.
This new addition to the home app does not seem a big deal to many people who couldn’t care less about relatively small ads that you can ignore. However, vocal groups of users voice their concerns and annoyance with undesired ads. Complaints and negative feedback appeared on Twitter and Reddit. However, these complaints do not get enough traction.
Are you against privacy-invasive ads?
One of the worst things about this experiment is that disabling ads does not always work. Turning off ads is also a minor inconvenience. You have to go deep into settings and disable advertisements. On the other hand, you cannot even manage the contents of the commercial channel meaning that you will be exposed to all sorts of ads.
Many people started switching to subscription-based television in part due to the absence of annoying commercials. Many users consider unwanted ads a significant reduction in user experience. The positive thing is that the new row of ads on your home screen is just a “pilot program” meaning that Google still collects data and feedback. If you are against such features, you can send your feedback. Submitting a request to the support service is a sure way to make your voice heard.
We recently reported about how big changes are coming to the TV industry with invasive ads become a common practice.
image credit: AtHeartEngineeer on Reddit
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