360 ad for video downloads banned; what are your thoughts on the video marketplace?

[carocat]

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an advert for Xbox 360's video download service, because it didn't clarifying the 14-day expiration of period of downloaded films.

Small print in the TV ad, which we're assuming is one of those lifestyle 'spinning head' ones, mentions that the service requires a £169.99 Xbox 360 with a hard drive, but fails to note that moves expire after 14 days and 24 hours once you've watched them.

After receiving a complaint from a distraught (and probably middle-aged) viewer, the ASA investigated the ad and found it to be in breach of its code of conduct. Microsoft argued (via Webuser) that it wasn't viable to explain all of the features of the download service in such a short TV advert.

"Because the ad focused on the Xbox 360 download function and new users could be influenced to purchase on the basis of being able to download and keep movies, we considered that the time limitation to play downloaded movies and the fact that they were being rented rather than bought were significant conditions that should have been clarified in the ad," ASA said in its judgement.

Sounds fair enough to us. You can't actually 'buy' movies on Xbox Live, only 'rent' them.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=208025?cid


I completely agree with the article and the fact that the ad was banned, but that wasn't actually the main reason I'm posting this.

I'm interested to see if you are using the video marketplace and what you think about it.

Also, how much and what kind of stuff is available in your region and what would you like to see?

 

[Cavanaugh]

I use the download service a couple times a week for movie rentals and buying TV shows (in addition to Net Flix). As far as what I would like to see...I wouldn't mind if they could get some more shows from the 80s added to the service.

Also, I wish the movie rentals were at least 48 hours. Seems that the movie companies should be a little more flexible.

 

[Sventax]

Misleading or leaving out additional info is always a bad thing.

Most times this happens when the win-win situation for the costumer is just to marginal.