LG Electronics is getting ready to plaster full screen ads on your TV displays, swapping out the traditional screensaver at what it perceives to be the most opportune moments.
The new screensaver ads won’t just advertise related TV services and content, but also other products such as cars, according to a report in FlatPanels HD, which first discovered the new “update” to LG’s webOS platform.
Ads on TV operating systems are nothing new, but until recently they have not been especially invasive, appearing merely as “recommended” or “suggested” content and services from subscription streaming services like Amazon Prime.
However, in recent years, TV operating systems have expanded the presence of ads, which are a lucrative revenue stream, introducing large carousels on home pages and even full-screen ads that appear while navigating through the menus.
FlatPanels HD discovered the new screensaver ads while reviewing LG’s newest flagship television, the G4 OLED, saying it popped up ahead of the traditional screensaver. The first ad it saw simply advertised LG Channels, which is the company’s free TV service that’s also supported by ads, but later it began showing ads for other companies.
Looking into the source of the ads, FlatPanels HD surfaced a press release published by LG Ad Solutions, which is a new business unit at the company tasked with handling its connected TV (CTV) and cross-screen advertising experiences. In the release, it proclaimed the launch of its “Native Screensaver Ads, a full-screen advertising experience that activates across the Home Screen, LG Channels and Content Store on LG Smart TVs.”
The press release indicates that the screensaver ads won’t be limited to LG’s newest TV models, but will likely come to older televisions running the webOS platform too.
Fortunately, LG does provide a way for users to disable the screensaver ads. Users can navigate to the Settings menu and click on “Additional Settings”, where they will find an option to switch off “Screen Saver Promotion”. It’s currently turned on by default, of course.
It’s also possible to switch off some of the other ads seen on webOS. From the “Additional Settings” menu, click on “Home Settings” and then switch off the “Home Promotion” function to stop some of the sponsored content that appears on the homescreen.
Unfortunately, these steps don’t switch off all of the ads on LG TVs, and it would not be a surprise to see LG eventually disabling these options and forcing everyone to view its ads.
That’s because ads are an extremely lucrative business for TV makers, and they are fast becoming inescapable on modern smart TVs, with the likes of Amazon, Google and Roku all basing their monetization strategies on ads. Samsung’s Tizen OS is also becoming an ad platform, leaving Apple TV as the last real refuge. Apple TV currently doesn’t show any ads or recommended content at all, and it can, fortunately, be connected to any smart TV.
