I’ve only had my TiVo for a few weeks, and for the most part I love the product. One thing puzzles me, though. What’s the deal with the ads they show at the bottom of the TiVo Central screen?

First of all, the ads aren’t identified as paid or sponsored content; there’s a sort-of highlighted effect but no explanation about what it means. Next, there’s no way to say you’re not interested in a certain ad so you can see other, more relevant ones in its place. And finally, there’s no indication of how you can view other ads that appeared in that slot recently, though I believe you can get there from the Showcases option in the menu.

Collectively, these issues seem like a strange oversight in an otherwise smooth TiVo experience. By providing more disclosure of the nature of the ads and giving users more control over which ones they see, it would seem like TiVo could increase the ad revenue derived from these placements and make customers happier at the same time.