Category: Entertainment

Amazon Prime Video Ad Free

Ad Free on Prime Video does not mean ad free, apparently

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

When Amazon announced that it would introduce ads in Prime Video for all customers, it revealed that customers could pay a few bucks per month extra to avoid advertisement on the service.

Prime Video customers from the United States may see ads already when they view shows and movies on the platform. Soon, starting next week, customers from other regions will also see ads on Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon customers who do not want ads on the platform may purchase an add-on, which Amazon calls Ad free. It turns out now that adding Ad Free to the Amazon Prime subscription does not really remove all ads on the platform.

Amazon may show trailers for shows to customers, even if they pay for an ad free experience. Clearly, Amazon does not define these trailers as advertisement. At least some customers may have a different opinion on that, especially since it appears no longer possible to skip these to access the actual content.

When is an ad an ad?

Are trailers for other shows ads? Considering that these trailers promote other content on the platform, they can be considered advertisement.

Back in the days of DVD videos, companies used to put trailers in front of the actual film or TV show. These were often unskippable as well. Now, Amazon seems to use the very same strategy to push other shows on its platform.

At least some Amazon customers who paid the extra $3 think that this is unacceptable.

Amazon may run into trouble in other regions with the introduction of ads on the platform and the option to pay more to remove these again. In Germany, consumer protection organizations believe that this change should be considered a price increase. Price increases need explicit customer approval in Germany and several other European countries.

Several organizations plan to take legal action against Amazon. There is a good chance that the court will decide against Amazon in the case. While this may not help Amazon customers in the United States and, maybe some other regions, it may in some regions.

Closing Words

Streaming services started out as “better” replacements for Cable TV. Customers would get access to an ad-free experience for a monthly fee.

Some services showed ads on their platforms from the get-go. Amazon was one of them, provided that trailers are considered ads.

Now it seems, that streaming is quickly turning into the same behemoth that it initially thought to slay. Most major streaming platforms support advertisement plans now. These are cheaper, but viewers have to watch several minutes of ads each hour.

Streaming service hopping still works as a way to counter price increases and ads on platforms. Sign-up for just a month or two instead of longer periods, and switch services regularly. This guarantees that you don’t miss shows that you want to watch, but without breaking the bank.

Now You: do you use streaming services?

YouTube TV: Google promises fewer but longer ads

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Most YouTube users would probably agree that YouTube is more enjoyable without ads. Ads that play before, during or after videos on YouTube are seen as a nuisance by many users.

Google’s YouTube Premium subscription does away with ads, but it comes at the cost of $13.99 per month in the United States.

Google announced two changes recently that change advertisement on TV screens. The first promises fewer ad breaks for certain long-form content videos. The change comes at the cost of longer ad breaks.

Google started to test this change in September 2023. It says that the majority of viewers prefer grouped video ads instead of ads that are distributed throughout videos on YouTube.

YouTube TV Ads changes

YouTube TV ads new design

YouTube will roll out the announced change globally. It applies only to “certain long-form content on connected TVs”. YouTube will also change the information that YouTube displays to users during ad breaks.

Previously, YouTube displayed the number of ads that users can expect to see during the break. The change displays the total playtime of all ads until they can be skipped on the site or until the ad break ends. Not all adverts can be skipped on YouTube.

Ads are coming to YouTube Shorts on the big screen

YouTube users who like to watch Shorts, shorter videos, will start to see advertisement soon. The short video format was launched a little bit over a year ago on the big screen. Google says that it has seen the viewership double in less than a year already.

Google launches Shorts ads globally on YouTube TV. These ads are displayed in-between Shorts videos on the big screen.

According to Google, viewers may use their TV remotes to skip these ads, just like they can do on mobile devices.

Google’s announcement did not include additional details on the change. It is unclear how frequent ads are shown when users watch YouTube Shorts on the big screen.

There are alternatives

Most Smart TVs and media solutions, such as Amazon Fire TV devices , support the installation of third-party apps. There are several YouTube frontends that you may install on your devices that do away with ads and offer other advantages.

You can check out my guide on watching YouTube without ads on Fire TV here.

Installation is not as straightforward as using a connected ad store. It usually requires that you need to download the app from a third-party host, for instance GitHub, and install it manually.

The entire process is not overly complicated, but most may appreciate a step-by-step guide as it eliminates most issues that you may experience.

Closing Words

Google is introducing more ads on YouTube. While it tinkers around with ad formats, playtimes and number, it is clear that ads won’t go away on the site.

Google could make them less obnoxious and time-wasting, but it does not look as if this is going to happen in the near future.

Now You: do you watch videos on YouTube?

Need another reason why you shouldn’t “buy” digital content?

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

There are three different types of digital content that you can pay money for. The first is rented, the second purchased and the last is handed over temporarily as part of a subscription.

Purchase is the wrong word for the second option, as it is more of a right to watch or access the content based on parameters set by someone else. Borrowed is a better term as it describes the transaction better.

The problem for users is that this right can be revoked at any time. The last decade is full of examples of this. To name a few: Google Stadia (digital games, refunded), Amazon Prime Video (select videos, temporary issue), Xbox 360 Store (digital games, only some playable on newer Xbox consoles), or Microsoft Store (ebooks, refunded).

Now it is Sony that can be added to the list. According to a Kotaku report, Sony is informing affected PlayStation users currently about the matter.

You bought it, we take it away

The issue affects PlayStation users who purchased TV shows on the PlayStation Store made by Discovery. Sony cites “content licensing arrangements” and tells users rather bluntly that they won’t be able to watch previously purchased Discovery content anymore going forward.

In other words, Sony removes the purchased content from the user’s PlayStation library. From January 1, 2024 on, users won’t find the purchased shows in their library anymore. They won’t be able to play the content anymore, and there is no option to mitigate the issue.

Sony’s support page lists all affected titles. Titles include MythBusters, Naked and Afraid, Outrageous Acts of Science and dozens of other shows.

Sony is not offering refunds for purchased content. This means, that users will lose access to the content without full or partial reimbursement.

The terms of service include the following paragraph that makes it clear that content may not be available indefinitely:

Access to Other Licensed Content that has been purchased may also be subject to compatibility between the Authorized Device and the video format of the Other Licensed Content, continued availability to the Other Licensed Content from our third-party licensors, and other applicable restrictions.

Digital content is only borrowed, never purchased

When you buy digital content, you borrow it only. The company that you buy it from loans it to you. There is a good chance that you may access the content indefinitely, but there is always a chance that access is removed.

This can be because of licensing changes, but also when companies decided to terminate services.

This is different when you buy physical media, especially movies or TV shows. Games may require an active Internet connection and access to a gaming Store nowadays to download data, but for most games, it still means that you own the game. Also worth noting is that you can resell physical games but not digital goods.

Here is the golden rule: if you want to access something indefinitely, buy the physical product, if available. If it is not available physically, either make the purchase knowing that you may lose access to it in the future, or skip it.

Not all content is available in physical form. This is true for all kinds of content, from TV shows and movies to games and so-called DLCs (downloadable Content).

Now You: do you buy digital content?

YouTube

YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown has an impact on content blockers

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Google’s crackdown on ad blockers on YouTube started in early August. The company began tests that informed a small percentage of users with ad blockers that “ad blockers were not allowed on YouTube”.

In August, things heated up as Google started to display the prompts aggressively to users with ad blockers. Two months on and it is now confirmed that Google is cracking down on the use of content blockers on YouTube globally.

Ad blocking was always a cat and mouse game on the Internet. As ad blockers evolved and started to gain tractions, sites and publishers began to develop countermeasures. Some introduced paywalls, others modified ads on their sites or used different techniques to display ads even on systems with ad blockers.

Developers of ad blockers reacted to these changes, and the whole thing began anew.

Impact on YouTube users

Google’s crackdown seems to have a severe impact on users who use ad blockers. It appears that a portion of users who use ad blockers on YouTube have uninstalled them to continue watching videos at the site.

While uninstallations have increased, installations of ad blockers have increased as well. A report from Wired includes quotes from several companies that produce content blockers.

The makers of AdGuard, a popular blocking tool with 75 million users, including 4.5 million paying customers, saw uninstallations jump from about 6000 per day to 52,000 in October. Installations surged to about 60,000 installations as well, levelling the number of installations and uninstallations. The paid version of AdGuard was not affected by this, according to the company.

Munich-based Ghostery noticed up to five times the installs and uninstalls throughout October, according to the report. Most users, when asked for the reason for uninstalling the extension, stated that it was not working anymore on YouTube.

Why installs and uninstalls are surging

install ublock origin in chrome

Ad blocker users who run into issues on YouTube have just a few options. They can follow Google’s advice and turn off the ad blocker. This allows them to watch YouTube videos with ads.

Another option is the purchase of YouTube Premium, but this comes at a monthly cost. Google announced an increase in the price as well recently.

The third option is to try different content blockers to find one that works. Users evaluate different content blockers until they find one that works or until they give up.

This explains the increase in uninstalls and installs at the same time. Even top of the line content blockers, like uBlock Origin, may fail to block ads on YouTube for a short period of time.

Well maintained content blockers and filter lists are updated frequently to react to changes that Google introduced on YouTube. It is still a cat and mouse game, and will continue to be one.

You can check out my guide on watching YouTube videos without ads here. It offers several options besides using content blockers. All of these methods work, but they may have disadvantages.

Now You: do you visit YouTube regularly?

Netflix announces new Binge Ad format, Sponsorships and Downloads

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Netflix users may subscribe to the service for $6.99 per month, but the caveat is that the plan includes ads. The company published One Year Into Netflix Ads this week on the official blog to look back and into the future of ads on the platform.

According to the post, Netflix’s Standard with Ads plan has reached 15 million global monthly active users already. This may not look like much, when compared to the 247 million total subscribers, but the number is growing significantly.

Netflix has a partnership with Microsoft Advertising to deliver adverts to viewers. The company announced a number of new features and changes for advertisers and also for users subscribed to the ad-powered plan.

Binge Ad format and sponsorships

Netflix plans to introduce the binge ad format in the first quarter of 2024. Netflix customers who watch four episodes of a show in a row will get the fourth episode ad-free.

It is unclear if this new format will impact the overall time that advertisement plays per hour on Netflix.

Sponsorships are already available in the United States. Netflix plans to expand these globally in 2024.

Three types of sponsorships are available: title, moment and live sponsorships. Here is what they represent:

  • Title sponsorships are tied to specific titles.
  • Moment sponsorships allow advertisers to tap into local holidays.
  • Live sponsorships are available for live events, such as Netflix’s live sports event, the Netflix Cup.

Other advertising changes

Netflix announced a number of additional changes. New playtimes are available for ads. The service started with 15 and 30 second ads initially. Advertisers may now book 10, 20 and 60 seconds ads globally as well.

Also new are new advertising categories, including dating, pharma and enhanced financial services.

Another change affects the features of the Standard with Ads plan. Netflix notes that it includes 1080p quality now, lets users watch two concurrent streams and that downloads will also become available.

Netflix writes:

All members of the ad-supported plan will be able to download their favorite series and movies, making Netflix the only ad-supported streamer to offer downloads.

Netflix does not explain how this is going to work. It is likely that ads are downloaded along with series and movies. Downloads are a welcome feature, as it gives subscribers the option to watch content while offline, e.g., while travelling.

All paid Netflix plans support downloads once the change lands.

Closing Words

The advertising gamble along with the crackdown on password sharing seems to pay off for Netflix. These helped the company certainly increase its subscriber count.

Whether it is a good strategy in the long run remains to be seen. Netflix announced price increases in several regions recently, but only for ad-free plans.

Clearly, most of the changes benefit Netflix and advertisers only. The new binge watching format sounds like a nice improvement. The majority of changes focus on expanding ads on Netflix.

It looks as if Streaming Services are dying to lose customers

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Streaming services have turned the wrong way in the past couple of years. While ad-powered plans are the big thing currently, there are other developments that many customers may not like. These push more and more customers to other options, including P2P.

Netflix started to push its ad-powered plan earlier this year and many streaming services have followed already or will follow Netflix’s example. Customers pay less for the subscription, but they have to watch advertisement instead.

It seems to be a lucrative deal for streaming services, as more and more start to push advertising on the platform. Netflix and Disney+ customers pay less when they sign-up for the ad-powered plan. Amazon sneaked in a little price hike, as it announced that all Prime Video users would get ads, unless they added an ad-free add-on to their plan for some extra Dollars.

Too many streaming services are a problem

Streaming services promised to do better than cable and regular TV offerings. Tune in whenever you want and watch as much as you want. The price was relatively low in the beginning and there were only a few services. Content was not spread across numerous services.

Movies and TV shows went an entirely different route than music. If you subscribe to a music streaming service, you will get access to the same catalog, with a few notable exceptions.

For TV shows and movies, things are not as customer friendly. Star Wars is exclusively available at Disney+, Netflix has Stranger Things, and HBO has The Wire. If you want the full catalog, you need to subscribe to a dozen or so services.

If you subscribe to all, you end up paying as much as you would for cable in the United States. One option to overcome this is to hop between streaming services frequently. Subscribe to Netflix for a month, watch everything you want, then switch to another service, and so on. You pay for a single service per month and still get to watch all the new content that is released per year. Only downside is that you may have to wait a month or two before you can finally watch something.

Ads are a major problem

Advertisement is another major problem. Many streaming services have ad-powered plans already or plan to introduce them. Some even push ads for all subscribers, unless they pay more to get rid of ads again.

Ads are the cheapest option when it comes to subscriptions, but this comes at the cost of having to watch ads every hour. Things go back fullcircle to TV, where you also have to sit through ads to watch shows and movies.

Amazon plans to introduce even more ads to users of its Fire TV offerings. These are already focused on pushing Amazon content. Soon, they will also deliver contextual sponsored tiles to customers.

Piracy is booming again

P2P networks, the Usenet and other services are seeing a revival. This seems to coincide with the networks push against password sharing, price increases and the introduction of more and more ads and ad-powered plans.

One study from the UK saw a “notable increase in piracy levels over the past two years” and that a declining trend seen in earlier studies appears to be reversing.

There are several reasons for the revival. First, because price increases make streaming services a luxury good. While some may be fine with viewing ads to get a discount, others won’t be.

Second, because of what individual streaming services offer. If you go to a torrent site, you find almost every show or movie there. If you go to any streaming service, you find some shows and movies there only.

Closing Words

The attractiveness of streaming services is going down, especially for users who can’t keep up with the constant price increases and users who want access to all content. Ads may work for some to mitigate these price hikes, but they are a no-go for others.

As the attractiveness off streaming services is going down, it is the reverse for other options. One of these options is P2P; it will continue to rise, provided that streaming services don’t reverse their course.

It is probably inevitable that streaming services will lose customers in the medium to long run. Prices continue to increase, ads continue to be pushed and content continues to be spread across a dozen or so services.

Now You: what is your take on this?