I hate Ads Before Videos: What do we do?

[Soviet Heavy]

EDIT.
Let me make this clear for you who apparently cannot read. I will put it at the top so you won't strain your eyes. I realize that we cannot remove ads. What I am suggesting is that it would be better if the videos loaded while the ad played, so that it would be ready to go as soon as the ad finished, instead of it loading only after the ad finishes.

Got that?

First off, let me clarify that I am not advocating the use of adblockers on this site.

I am seriously getting sick of ads being attached to videos. I understand that you need to make revenue somehow, but these ads are really annoying.

But since we can't do much about them, why not come up with a compromise? My main annoyance with ads is that I can only start loading my video after the ad closes. So why not just let the video load while I am sitting through the ad? That way, they still get their revenue, and I don't have to pause the video to let it load some more.

Youtube already implements this on some videos. Can it be worked into the escapist video player too?

EDIT.
Since most people can't finish reading apparently I'll have to clarify some more. I dislike ads, but I am aware that they make up much of the revenue for any sight. Since I know there is no way I can change that save getting a Pub Subscription, I came up with a suggestion to make sitting through the ads worthwhile.

Let the video load while the ad is playing instead of beginning to load after the ad is finished.

 

[Marter]

You can buy a subscription to the Publisher's Club, and then you don't have to sit through them any more.

Problem solved.

I like your idea too though, but saying that "we can't do much about them" is incorrect.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

You can buy a subscription to the Publisher's Club, and then you don't have to sit through them any more.

Problem solved.

I like your idea too though, but saying that "we can't do much about them" is incorrect.

Well, I can understand paying for a subscription, but I am mostly talking about the people who don't have the means to get a sub, like myself. They still get their revenue, and we don't have to wait for our videos to load as much.

 

[aschere van she]

You could not watch the videos.

 

[Lilani]

First off, let me clarify that I am not advocating the use of adblockers on this site.

I am seriously getting sick of ads being attached to videos. I understand that you need to make revenue somehow, but these ads are really annoying.

But since we can't do much about them, why not come up with a compromise? My main annoyance with ads is that I can only start loading my video after the ad closes. So why not just let the video load while I am sitting through the ad? That way, they still get their revenue, and I don't have to pause the video to let it load some more.

Youtube already implements this on some videos. Can it be worked into the escapist video player too?

Really, another one of these threads? I don't like them much either, but the Escapist has to pay their bills somehow. They have added LOTS of new and good content lately, and something has to pay for all that. So either subscribe or just deal with it. Or would you rather do without Extra Credits, Moviebob, and LoadingReadyRun?

 

[UnmotivatedSlacker]

They're like 30 seconds, stop being such a baby. I swear people today are so goddamn impatient nowadays.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I hate this mentality so much. People who are unwilling to watch ads before videos are the reason that Hulu now has most of the good shows locked away for everyone but Hulu Plus subscribers. Commercials are not a bad thing, they're what keeps content free for the viewers. Without commercials, we'd be buying Pubclub style subscriptions to every site we wanted to make use of.

 

[Sandytimeman]

they are way shorter then TV ads. Believe me I used to run a website, bandwidth and servers don't come cheap. And I'm way more comfortable watching ads then paying a subscription fee or doing some kind of donation run site kind of thing (believe me, when the site comes up short on those...its not cool)

 

[Veloxe]

This is why the internet browser gods invented multiple tabs! I just switch over to read some news/check forums for 30 seconds or so and then BAM! Back to video! Although some of them have been good enough I'll actually watch them.

 

[Feralcentaur]

The time you're going to spend on this thread discussing this may just take up more time than the advertisments you seem to be complaining about. You could just fidget with something small with you hands for a less than a minute while waiting for the advertisment to finish and the video to load.

 

[Eldarion]

Not another one of these threads, the escapist takes money to run. You pay by dealing with adds or the publishers club.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

You can buy a subscription to the Publisher's Club, and then you don't have to sit through them any more.

Problem solved.

I like your idea too though, but saying that "we can't do much about them" is incorrect.

It terms of value for money, I cannot nor have I ever been able to see how the "Publisher's Club" (even the title is a misnomer) provides a service worthy of payment. Just because some site admins get angry about perfectly legal (source on legality here: [link]http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=159911[/link]) software and threaten moderation for the mere mention of it doesn't mean the Publisher's Club is actually worth paying for. The only service it provides that most will use (aside from the pointless heading under one's user name), is the disabling of ads, which again is not such an amazing service.

One can argue the Club doesn't cost much money, but why pay at all? Even that tiny sum of money is enough to buy me another game, book, some DVDs... Since The Escapist already makes quite a sum of money from ad revenue in the banners all around the website and the ads before and after videos (plus the recent introduction of features like captcha that make contributing to the site harder and more annoying), I fail to see why disabling ads is a service worthy of payment.

As for myself, I'll either not watch videos, run the ads muted in another tab or just not use the website. I would disagree with the statement that the Escapist has added a lot of "new and good content," but both of those descriptors are very much up for subjective interpretation.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

I hate this mentality so much. People who are unwilling to watch ads before videos are the reason that Hulu now has most of the good shows locked away for everyone but Hulu Plus subscribers. Commercials are not a bad thing, they're what keeps content free for the viewers. Without commercials, we'd be buying Pubclub style subscriptions to every site we wanted to make use of.

Nonsense, Hulu does that because Hulu is a money-grubbing whore. Netflix provides ad-free services for a comparable price with a much greater library. Hulu gets away with its business model precisely because it runs a crappy version of itself as "free" to introduce people to the service, otherwise I have no doubt Netflix would crush it. Again, the price is about the same and Netflix provides more value, especially for movie watchers.

http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/netflix_vs_hulu_plus_who_deserves_your_10_month

 

[FalloutJack]

You can buy a subscription to the Publisher's Club, and then you don't have to sit through them any more.

Problem solved.

I like your idea too though, but saying that "we can't do much about them" is incorrect.

I'm sorry, but there is no personal advertising on the Escapist.

(The above is a satire answer, but still...enough with the Publisher's Club plug. We don't want to pay money.)

 

[RandallJohn]

I don't mind the ads at first. They get annoying after having to sit through them hundreds of times, though (I'm looking at you, Rift.) Still, I see them as a necessary evil. I haven't got the cash for a pub club membership, so I've got to sit through the ads. I've come to tune them out, though. I use the thirty seconds on one of the 20 other tabs I have open.

I think the best way to handle ad monotony, though, is actually more ads (or, more clearly, a greater variety of ads.) I don't have a problem with TV commercials because they're varied enough to not become grating. On the other hand, ads on this site tend to run two at a time, so if you plan to watch a video, you're either gonna see the Rift ad, or the Alienware ad (which I don't mind because I find the actor amusing.) I think if the ads were a bit more diverse, they'd be easier to digest. Forgive my ignorance if this is unfeasible for one reason or another.

TLR: The ads wouldn't be so bad if they weren't as repetitive.

 

[zen5887]

I sure fucking hate having to sit through 10-30 seconds of ads before I watch something. What's worse is they don't let you leave the window and do something else while its playing. They actually force you to watch it!

Bastards!

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I hate this mentality so much. People who are unwilling to watch ads before videos are the reason that Hulu now has most of the good shows locked away for everyone but Hulu Plus subscribers. Commercials are not a bad thing, they're what keeps content free for the viewers. Without commercials, we'd be buying Pubclub style subscriptions to every site we wanted to make use of.

Nonsense, Hulu does that because Hulu is a money-grubbing whore. Netflix provides ad-free services for a comparable price with a much greater library. Hulu gets away with its business model precisely because it runs a crappy version of itself as "free" to introduce people to the service, otherwise I have no doubt Netflix would crush it. Again, the price is about the same and Netflix provides more value, especially for movie watchers.

http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/netflix_vs_hulu_plus_who_deserves_your_10_month

Okay, better example: UK TV licenses, paid in addition to whatever fees the cable companies charge, Vs. US style commercial supported TV. In the US, if you don't want cable, you don't have to pay a dime over the cost of your TV set. In the UK, you're paying a fee for it regardless.

Edit: Also, according to that article, Netflix just barely wins on movie content, and gets its butt kicked on TV content. It's not as clear cut as you made it look.

 

[tthor]

First off, let me clarify that I am not advocating the use of adblockers on this site.

I am seriously getting sick of ads being attached to videos. I understand that you need to make revenue somehow, but these ads are really annoying.

But since we can't do much about them, why not come up with a compromise? My main annoyance with ads is that I can only start loading my video after the ad closes. So why not just let the video load while I am sitting through the ad? That way, they still get their revenue, and I don't have to pause the video to let it load some more.

Youtube already implements this on some videos. Can it be worked into the escapist video player too?

EDIT.
Since most people can't finish reading apparently I'll have to clarify some more. I dislike ads, but I am aware that they make up much of the revenue for any sight. Since I know there is no way I can change that save getting a Pub Subscription, I came up with a suggestion to make sitting through the ads worthwhile.

Let the video load while the ad is playing instead of beginning to load after the ad is finished.

you suck it up!
you think you have it bad? I have satelite internet, thats only 1 step up from dialup, 0.3Mb/s download. For me, 30 second commercials take 3 minutes to play! and what do I do? I suck it up and wait for the god damn commercial to finish, so quit complaining and thank god you have decent internet connection!

..I wish i had good internet...

 

[Samurai Goomba]

I hate this mentality so much. People who are unwilling to watch ads before videos are the reason that Hulu now has most of the good shows locked away for everyone but Hulu Plus subscribers. Commercials are not a bad thing, they're what keeps content free for the viewers. Without commercials, we'd be buying Pubclub style subscriptions to every site we wanted to make use of.

Nonsense, Hulu does that because Hulu is a money-grubbing whore. Netflix provides ad-free services for a comparable price with a much greater library. Hulu gets away with its business model precisely because it runs a crappy version of itself as "free" to introduce people to the service, otherwise I have no doubt Netflix would crush it. Again, the price is about the same and Netflix provides more value, especially for movie watchers.

http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/netflix_vs_hulu_plus_who_deserves_your_10_month

Okay, better example: UK TV licenses, paid in addition to whatever fees the cable companies charge, Vs. US style commercial supported TV. In the US, if you don't want cable, you don't have to pay a dime over the cost of your TV set. In the UK, you're paying a fee for it regardless.

Wow, that sucks. I really like that I don't have to pay for cable if I don't plan to use it. Between DVDs, video games and free online video content (like YouTube), plus real life (little things like school and relationships), I hardly have any time to watch regular ol' TV anyway.