Turn on your pricey new LG OLED TV and you’ll be greeted with vivid colors, inky blacks, and—after a brief period of inactivity—maybe even a full-screen ad or two.
Ads on smart TV interfaces are nothing new, with brands such as Amazon, Roku, and Vizio being long-time players in the on-screen advertising game. Indeed, Roku’s popular “Roku City” screensaver is known for its prominent display ads, including “branded takeovers” for willing sponsors.
But while we’ve grown accustomed to seeing ads strewn across the UIs of budget TV makers, it is a little surprising to find them taking over screensavers on the LG G4, one of LG’s flagship OLEDs.
As discovered by the TV reviewers at FlatpanelsHD, the adverts “appeared before the conventional screensaver kicks in,” and included in-house ads for LG’s ad-supported Channels service.
But outside advertisers also appear to be welcome, with LG Ad Solutions, an LG branch specializing in “connected TV and cross-screen advertising,” touting “Native Screensaver Ads” featuring luxury cars.
In a statement, LG Ad Solutions executive Dave Rudnick said the Screensaver ads “present a valuable opportunity for brands to be front and center on the largest screen in the room,” while noting that more and more viewers are multitasking on their phones when the TV screen enters an idle state.
As FlatpanelsHD points out, there is a way to disable the screensaver ads; just flick the “Screen Saver Promotion” toggle (which is enabled by default) buried in the “Additional Settings” menu.
Ads creeping into smart TV and streaming video player interfaces is increasingly becoming the norm, with platform makers squeezing advertising “opportunities” into every conceivable nook and cranny, including screensavers, banner-sized home-screen ads (including some with auto-play video), and even those infamous “pause” ads.
Budget TV makers use ad revenue to help subsidize the cost of their wallet-friendly smart sets (selling data about viewing habits is another way).
But even premium TV manufacturers like LG and Samsung are starting to see their TV hardware as advertising platforms, with LG’s Native Screensaver ads being just the latest manifestation of the trend.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.