SINGAPORE — StarHub has cut down the frequency of advertisements on its TV+ Box "by more than 50 per cent" following complaints about "unskippable" commercials made more prominent on the platform after a software update.

The TV+ Box is used by the telco's subscribers to watch TV, stream videos on entertainment services such as Netflix, or play games and access other applications.

Responding to TODAY's queries on Tuesday (April 9), StarHub said that a TV+ Box software update was progressively rolled out from November last year to "enhance the viewing and browsing experience" and "overall functionality" for customers. 

In recent weeks, users have taken to social media to complain about being forced to watch advertisements on a service that they had paid for.

Others said that their device's interface had slowed down after the software update, taking them longer to switch from app to app, or it frequently became unresponsive.

TODAY understands that the updated TV+ Box user interface made advertisements more visible, but did not increase their frequency. 

For example, before the software update, ads would play only when a user clicked on the "Home" or "Apps & Games" buttons on the homepage. 

With the new interface, an ad will automatically play when users navigate or hover their cursor over these buttons and they would have to finish watching it before navigating away.

StarHub said that the telco took "immediate actions" to reduce ad frequency by more than 50 per cent following customer feedback, but did not disclose the exact number of ads due to "business sensitivities to our advertisers".

Commercials do not come on when the user is watching content, except for live TV channels. They appear only when users enter apps and game screens or exit third-party apps such as Netflix, it added.

The telco also said that it has made "significant adjustments to optimise the frequency of advertisements within the user interface and minimise interruptions to the viewing experience".

An online report by Campaign Asia, which carries editorial content on the marketing-communications industry, said on Wednesday that the telco has partnered with advertising platform Magnite and Hoppr to start offering domestic advertisers access to its "premium TV inventory".

This partnership will offer advertisers access to "premium spaces" on StarHub’s TV menu guide, activating ads only when consumers actively use the remote control.

"Advertisers will also be provided detailed data, targeting capabilities, and performance insights about the households engaging with the ads, to enhance the precision and effectiveness of advertising campaigns," the report said.

On the performance lag, StarHub added that the TV+ Box software updates included an "even more resilient platform that minimises network disruption during high traffic times, improved voice assistant, better graphics in the user interface and more".

"Some users may have experienced temporary lag or performance issues following the update; and we are closely supporting these users to address any issues they encounter ensuring seamless integration." 

PAYING CUSTOMERS 'BLINDSIDED'

The uproar prompted one StarHub customer, 49-year-old Alfred Siew, co-founder of technology website Techgoondu, to write a commentary on his experience with the update, including the “slow interface” and advertisements. 

In the article, he wrote that being forced to sit through ads made paying customers feel like "freeloaders". 

“Excuse me, you’re talking to paying customers,” he wrote. 

“We are not using a free version of Netflix or Spotify here. Nor are we using a pirate Android box streaming illegal versions of the English Premier League, something StarHub is so keen on educating users against.”

When contacted by TODAY, Mr Siew said that he found the presence of these ads that viewers cannot skip "very annoying" and felt blindsided by StarHub since he was not told about this sudden change in user experience. 

“You cannot do anything. You have to sit there and watch it for a few seconds before you try to open another app,” Mr Siew said, adding that the current user experience is “difficult to accept”, especially for a paying customer. 

"(StarHub) didn’t explain or tell anybody that it would do this… and I don’t even know whether we’ve consented to it.”

In its response to TODAY, StarHub said that customers were notified of the update through SMS notifications. The SMS also provided instructions on how to install the update and a link to a more detailed page of frequently asked questions on its website.   

UPDATE LEAVES USERS FRUSTRATED

Besides having to watch advertisements when switching between apps, some users also reported having to constantly reboot their StarHub TV+ Box due to "small errors" such as not being able to access apps or certain live TV channels.  

Mr Teng Meng Hwee, 45, who works in the Singapore Armed Forces and has been using StarHub TV+ service since 2012, said: “Before the upgraded version, it was very good, smooth and there was no issue. 

“But ever since the upgraded version, I have to deal with many small errors that always require me to reboot or restart the TV+ box or broadband.”

Mr Teng said that these “errors” have been happening since January.

These included the device not being able to connect to the internet, national broadcast channels “disappearing” from the homepage, and the interface hanging when switching from Netflix to the homepage. 

Other frustrations included low resolution when watching programmes on Netflix and the audio cutting out on TV shows.

“I changed the box once, but some issues remain. I have to constantly reboot to get everything back to normal again,” he added.

Another user, Mr Joseph Tan, 59, who is in business development and sales for liquid-crystal display products, said that although he is not bothered by the advertisements, his experience with the device these last few weeks has been "really bad".

The apps on the TV+ Box kept failing to connect to the internet, resulting in him needing to reboot the device several times. If he were to switch off the device, the problems would come up again the next day.

“I called StarHub's hotline but was told to just shut down and reboot, but the problem doesn’t seem to go away,” Mr Tan added.

“Anyway, I probably would not be re-contracting my services with StarHub once the current EPL (English Premier League) season ends.”

On online forum Reddit, in a thread discussing Mr Siew’s article, user “ybct” said that the TV+ Box is the “slowest device in the world now”.

One read: “Even the power LED has a five-second lag when turning it off, so it feels like it’s not responding to the remote.”

Another Reddit user “Cubyface” said that his or her parents have been very confused by the new interface ever since the software update. 

“They call me almost every other day now for help because the menus are convoluted and confusing to them and they get asked to sign in for everything.”