DS Forums

 
 

Wretched adverts on epg of the Panasonic DMR-BW780


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 26-02-2011, 14:02
Peter Culdrose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 108

Does anyone know how to disable the wretched adverts on the epg of the Panasonic DMR-BW780 on the left hand side of the screen?

Many thanks Pete
Peter Culdrose is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 26-02-2011, 14:10
captainkremmen
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DAVEVILLE, Daveshire DA1 1VE
Posts: 33,621
I'm afraid you can't turn them off, it's part of the GuidePlus EPG that Panasonic seem to think is a good idea. The adverts are carried in the Freeview data stream unfortunately.
captainkremmen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 14:27
bobcar
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 14,718
Amazing isn't it? You pay all that money and then get adverts.
bobcar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 14:29
Peter Culdrose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 108
its outrageous, i shall contact panasonic next week, what a bloody liberty.
Peter Culdrose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 14:30
Peter Culdrose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 108
almost as bad as the number of ads on this site, whats happened to it, it used to be so good?
Peter Culdrose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 14:32
bobcar
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 14,718
almost as bad as the number of ads on this site, whats happened to it, it used to be so good?
What ads? I think you need to consider your browser.
bobcar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 14:36
Nigel Goodwin
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Derbyshire
Posts: 41,794
What ads? I think you need to consider your browser.
Yep, doesn't matter about the browser though, just go to:

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

Which stops them on anything.
Nigel Goodwin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 15:12
Tassium
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: It's Grim
Posts: 24,413
wow!, I think if I had just paid £200 I would be quite upset at this but imagine having paid, what, £600?

Ad-funded services that are not optional will always be resented. I suppose if Panasonic did explain VERY CLEARLY what the EPG is all about then buyers would have no defence but I imagine they kept it hidden in their marketing spiel.
Tassium is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 15:15
Peter Culdrose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 108
its bloody disgraceful, do other manufacturers that carry the freeview plus epg get this as well
Peter Culdrose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 15:35
Tassium
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: It's Grim
Posts: 24,413
Out of interest I just downloaded the full user guide for this model and I see no sign of adverts displayed on the pages detailing the EPG usage.

Just a space where the advert would be with "Diga" within it.

Is there any Panasonic promotional material anywhere that details this ad-funded EPG I wonder? I somehow doubt it...

-------

While many services exist that use advertising to part-fund the associated costs it is very important that people are made aware of this before handing over a substantial sum of money so they can consider the impact on their enjoyment and make an appropriate decision.

The free-market requires people to be fully informed before making a purchase for it to work in peoples interest after all.

Imagine a full-board holiday where you are required to view an advertisment on a TV screen before entering the restaurant area? Such a ploy would infuriate people who had not been made aware of it before booking.

Considering the price paid for this Panasonic gadget I would be writing to Panasonic head office and pointing out how important it is to notify potential customers of ad-funded services on products that cost a tonne of money, before they hand over the money.
Tassium is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 15:35
Nigel Goodwin
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Derbyshire
Posts: 41,794
its bloody disgraceful, do other manufacturers that carry the freeview plus epg get this as well
You don't get adverts on the Freeview EPG, it's ONLY on the GuidePlus EPG - as far as I'm aware all other manufacturers that offer the GuidePlus EPG also provide the proper Freeview EPG as well, so you can choose which to use.

Unfortunately Panasonic seem to only provide the GuidePlus one, presumably because GuidePlus pay them to do so?.
Nigel Goodwin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 16:10
Peter Culdrose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 108
as ive only just ourchased this model it can be returned, does anyone know of any other make that has all the same facilities as this?
Peter Culdrose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 18:33
AlanO
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,905
as ive only just ourchased this model it can be returned, does anyone know of any other make that has all the same facilities as this?
You have no statutory right to return the set as it isn't faulty and it is fit for purpose.

So it depends who you bought it from and what their returns policy is.

Argos, for example, offer a money back guarantee (21 days?) which allows you to return products. DSG always used to as well, providing the item is 'as new' with packaging etc.

If you don't have the packaging etc, then it will be down to the retailer's discretion, but they have no legal obligation to offer you an exchange in these particular circumstances.
AlanO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 18:44
Peter Culdrose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 108
no you are wrong there, anyway i have a 30 day refund period so lets forget that thread and answer "what other machine will do all that this will and do all freeview extra epg's carry these ads, if they do no problem as aprt from that the machine is eacellent and extremely cheap at £500
Peter Culdrose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 18:57
dohboy
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Mitcham
Posts: 147
Yeah my Panasonic TV also has adverts taking up the left hand side of the freeview epg, in the space where they could/should be showing a mini tv picture like most other epg's I've seen.

It's one of the reasons I never use it.

My next TV won't be Panasonic.
dohboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 19:04
AlanO
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,905
no you are wrong there, anyway i have a 30 day refund period so lets forget that thread and answer "what other machine will do all that this will and do all freeview extra epg's carry these ads, if they do no problem as aprt from that the machine is eacellent and extremely cheap at £500
Sorry, but actually you're wrong. You DON'T have a statutory right to an exchange unless an item is faulty (the SGA won't apply just because you dislike the EPG).

In this case, it isn't faulty, however the retailer may offer you anexchange, which is in addition to your statutory rights and may have conditions attached such as return in original packagaing etc.

In terms of alternatives, unless Sony or Samsung have something which matches your requirements, you'll not be getting a set of equivalent quality in terms of picture or sound.
(Though I don't think either Sony or Samsung offer sound quality on par with Panasonic's sets).
AlanO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 19:32
Peter Culdrose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 108
you are confused, we are not talking about tvs here but blue ray recorders....
Peter Culdrose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 20:07
scumble
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 918
Whaaaaat? I'm glad I read this thread. What an unbelievable liberty. I'd have no patience for anyone telling me I couldn't return such an item. No chance of that.

If Panny start seeing a drop-off in sales, and rise in equipment returns, they'll think twice about such a crap arrangement. As they didn't make this issue clear at purchase, I'd take it all the way to court rather than accept it.

I suspect that there is a connection between this and the initial bargain purchase price. I'd rather pay the extra for a model without 'hard-coded' ads.

There seems to be a media philosophy that the public must by all means be forced to watch ads, as otherwise we might refuse to buy products. Thank Christ for PVRs, Adblock, hostfiles etc etc. I don't feel bad - I never, ever pay attention to ads, so actually I'm helping producers. I buy products without even the cost of advertising them to me!
scumble is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 20:12
John Currie
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: South Lanarkshire. Scotland
Posts: 2,005
so lets forget that thread and answer "what other machine will do all that this will
None, I believe the Panasonic is the only one of its type on the market.
John Currie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 20:18
tin
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: North West UK
Posts: 1,741
This has been going on for a very long time - for instance my rant here and the reg's later review and note of similar here. The most ridiculous thing is the amount of space it takes up on the freeview harddrive/DVD recorders. There's a tiny amount of space left for the actual EPG.

I *still* love Panasonic TVs and need and want to buy a new one, but absolutely will not buy until they stop putting the adverts in.

Maybe some of us should go into Panasonic shops and appear massively interested in a new TV or DVD recorder, until we happen across the adverts in the EPG - and suddenly be not interested any more. That said, I've read they have a shop mode that hides the ads - not sure if that's true, but if it is, it's exceptionally cheeky.

Spread the word - hit Panasonic in the sales figures and make them change their mind.
tin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 20:19
Peter Culdrose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 108
alano is wrong but thats besides the point, its a nice machine, and replaces a couple of 8 year old dvd recorders, the humax ones which we have also got, have a far nicer display of the epg. panansonic putting black lettering on a grey background is a BAD idea! however the real features of the unit work very well thus far playing into a Sony HD CRT monitor costing 30k +, roll on the demise of the dreadful curent lcd tvs and lets hope that Sony start the release of their OLED domestic tv's in the next couple of years, their 26" OLED production monitor certainly looks very good and makes lcds and plasmas look dreadful, hey ho, its only tele!
Peter Culdrose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 20:21
Peter Culdrose
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 108
hi tin, its easy to get into the engineering menu so ill see where it can be switched off there, and then put pressure on panasonic to get a new software update where it will make it optional for normal viewers
Peter Culdrose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 20:26
tin
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: North West UK
Posts: 1,741
Would be nice to know how! - I asked panasonic to consider their position and:-

Thank you for your e-mail enquiry. Firstly, please accept my sincere apologies for the uncharacteristic delay in our response. Due to unexpected technical difficulties, we have been unable to provide as speedy a response as we would normally.

In response, I would explain that as a result of standardisation of EPG systems used on Panasonic Visual products, new UK products since Nov 2007 have been shipped with the new EPG platform.

Our R&D groups for the specific product areas defined the use of the "Gemstar" software platform for the Panasonic EPG system. This standard has, as you have indicated, an advertisement area within the navigation menu. Regrettably, this advertisement area cannot be disabled or suppressed on the software version used on the Panasonic products. We have, however, recorded your comments about this facility and will be forwarding this to our R&D group for their information.


Helpful....
tin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 20:46
ProDave
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Northern Scottish Highlands
Posts: 11,307
What a disgraceful situation.

Another reason to avoid a tv that does not have an option to show just the standard freeview EPG (with no adverts) is what happens if the guide plus EPG is discontinued at some time in the future?

A lot of people now have useless PVR's because the 4TV EPG they relied upon was discontinued only a few months ago.

I would certainly avoid any tv or freeview box that does not have the ability to show the standard freeview EPG
ProDave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2011, 21:24
Nigel Goodwin
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Derbyshire
Posts: 41,794
What a disgraceful situation.

Another reason to avoid a tv that does not have an option to show just the standard freeview EPG (with no adverts) is what happens if the guide plus EPG is discontinued at some time in the future?

A lot of people now have useless PVR's because the 4TV EPG they relied upon was discontinued only a few months ago.
The analogue GuidePlus service was also discontinued at the end of last year, rendering many recorders useless.

It's pretty crappy not providing the proper Freeview EPG.
Nigel Goodwin is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 16:51.