TiVo to charge money for skipping commercials in your own recordings

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

TiVo’s plan to end free automatic commercial skipping and replace it with a paid “premium” feature is being held up as a prime example of digital “enshittification,” where long-standing user-friendly features are gradually monetized. Commenters note that even paying for services no longer guarantees an ad-free experience, as advertising is increasingly baked directly into content and reinforced by legal and technical restrictions on skipping or filtering ads. Many argue the only reliable escape is to avoid ad-supported media altogether or use self-hosted, open tools to retain control over what they watch.

Reaction to TiVo’s Commercial-Skip Change

  • Many are surprised TiVo still exists; some see this as a “last-ditch” monetization before the company is sold or stripped for assets (especially patents and user data).
  • Users with “lifetime” subscriptions feel betrayed; they expected a stable feature set and see this as classic enshittification.
  • One comment calls the HN title misleading: TiVo is ending free automatic skip (SkipMode) and testing a paid premium, not charging for all skipping.
  • Some doubt the move is profitable long term; others note companies optimize for short-term profit, not loyalty.

Ad Avoidance Arms Race

  • Strong sentiment that ads are pervasive and increasingly embedded directly into content (YouTube sponsorships, product placement, podcast reads).
  • Multiple tools and workflows are mentioned: SponsorBlock, DeArrow, yt-dlp, browser extensions, tvheadend+comskip, TivySkip, Jellyfin, Stremio+Torrentio+VPN, wireless HDMI, Blu-ray rips.
  • Some users pay for services yet still feel “double-monetized” by creator-inserted ads.
  • A growing minority opts out entirely: no TV, minimal “content,” physical media only, or aggressively ad-blocked households.

International and Platform Restrictions

  • France: some ISP/TV bundles now disable skipping commercials on recordings at the channels’ request.
  • Switzerland: streaming providers may insert their own ads when you skip channel ads; ad-free tiers cost more.
  • Portugal: providers reportedly fined for inserting ads into recordings.
  • Netherlands: certain live sports replays can’t be fast-forwarded; only full-from-start playback with ads unless you pay more.
  • Germany: HD+ has long blocked ad-skipping on recordings.
  • UK: Virgin Media allows FF on recordings but not in most channel apps.

Economic, Political, and Technical Themes

  • Several argue this shows capitalism and IP law (DMCA, DRM) pushing against user control; “you can’t pay to escape ads” because paying users are prime targets.
  • Others emphasize “power” as owning hardware/software you control versus political/regulatory power.
  • Some anticipate AI-based ad detection/muting; skeptics reply that mainstream AIs will likely be restricted from such uses, repeating the DVR story.