Video ads on web pages
Submitted by TDD on Tue, 05/08/2007 - 19:25.
I feel the same way about them. They seem just to be another attempt to get around the Gatekeeper, so to speak. Pop-ups get blocked a lot, so find a new way of getting through, but without being too annoying. Play the video, but without sound until the person requests the sound to be turned on, for example. I too have come across the big music/audio/etc. productions. I am listening to music via headphones, as I usually do when online. If something like that starts while I*m online, I can go to DEFCON 1 in an instant.
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I*ve just started seeing these video ads on some web pages that start playing when you view the page. My browser usually blocks most ads, but not these ads - or not all of them. Anyone else seen these type of video ads? Are they common? I find them annoying.
I*ve seen more of these commercials. The last one I saw was this one
http://commercial-archive.com/127905.php
I have also seen commercials from Libro Financial Group.
Example here (scroll down a bit to see it)
Maybe they are not as annoying as I first thought. The first one I ran into was a self-promo (with sound) by Andrew Dice Clay. I*m not a fan.
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I*ve seen more banners with video that play on rollover, but I do think I have hit a page or two that has had autoplay video.
Interesting. The autoplay ads I have seen are TV commercials, like the "Where the bloody hell are you?" one I saw on a website. I have seen a few roll-over type video ads like you describe. I wonder if we are going to see more TV commercials ands other video ads embeded into websites.
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It wouldn*t surprise me if we did. Personally I think they are somewhat annoying and fall into the same category as popup ads. It*s one thing to actively have a user click on something to create a "sell" but it*s another for someone to not realize they have rolled over something and then there*s music/audio/etc playing and they don*t know where it*s coming from. And that*s even happened to me once or twice and I*m online all the time--just imagine what that would be like to a more casual internet user. smile
Don't you hate it when a video ad takes up a good chunk of the screen and distracts from your surfing? And as for the music, isn't it annoying when you go to the web site and the music starts playing, and you cannot do much (if anything) to turn it off--except to turn down your computer's sound?
I usually listen to music (LOUD) in headphones while I surf, any unexpected sound gets me really peeved.
Or, I surf with the headphones and sound off because the wee one is sleeping right next door - if I forget to mute my computer and there's a sudden noise from a flash banner or somesuch my entire evening can be ruined.
Unlike most people I don't hate the advertiser for this. I hate the site that carries the ad.
Related post What do online video ads on video sites cost?
There was one video on the Canada Post website that was similar to the office assistant in Word, except it was a real person. She was suddenly there, and she started talking to you before you knew what was going on. I saw it maybe twice. From what I have heard, Canada Post received complains, and she was soon removed.
"Happiness is overrated."
These are very prevalent on gaming sites like Gamespot and Gamespy, where they play rolling demos of some new game or other. (I find any kind of animation annoying, even little GIF twinkles and colour-cycles, so you can imagine how irritating a full-blown dragon battle is.) Luckily, I usually have my speakers off while surfing.
Sometimes the ad is courteous enough to include video controls. If I can't stop it, and it's in a position where I can't scroll past it quickly, I'll block it without hesitation.
What's really annoying is that they tend to be games I have absolutely no interest in.
I use my computer for more than just surfing, and what grates me is anything *with sound* as it'll muck up my quiet jazz or other tunes that I'm listening to.