Google checks to see if you're fed up with ads on Google TV yet

Key Takeaways

• Some Google TV users are reporting a strange survey pop-up on their homescreen.
• The survey asks for user satisfaction with the amount of ads appearing on their Google TV homescreen.
• Ads have made a strong comeback on smart TVs, and Google TV users may have a chance to influence changes.

Google TV 's homescreen is jam-packed with content, most of it curated for a more personalized experience. A lot of that content is advertising, and Google wants to know how you feel about it.

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A survey has gone out to users asking for their opinion on the ads they see on their Google TV homescreen (via 9to5Google). Google is particularly interested in users' opinions on the rotating slider at the top of the screen that shows 'sponsored' content.

Google is an ad company, after all

Source: Reddit

The Google survey is making the rounds on Reddit, where a user shared a screenshot of the survey taking up the left side of their television screen. The survey, which randomly popped up on the Redditor's Google TV homescreen, asks the following:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following: In general, I find the number of ads I see on the Google TV homescreen to be acceptable.

• Agree
• Neutral
• Disagree
• Strongly Disagree
• No opinion

The very existence of this survey suggests Google is aware of user dissatisfaction with the ad-heavy Google TV experience. One Redditor replied with "This is Google's equivalent of 'do I look fat?'"

Ads are making a comeback on our TVs

Users will notice a small pop-up in the bottom right corner of their Google TV homescreen. In the grand scheme of things, this survey could be Google's way of acknowledging the elephant in the room (or, in this case, the ads on your screen) -- there's no escaping advertising.

It seemed, for a brief moment, as if humanity had finally rallied together and eradicated ads from our televisions. Netflix and Amazon Prime and Hulu were our saviors. But now all of those services are showing ads, and our smart TVs are filled with them. When Google TV first launched, most of the ads were in the form of content recommendations, which are actually useful. Fast forward to today and now we've got unskippable auto-playing video ads for cars and laundry soap.

So we're back to square one. For now, Google TV users can hope that their voices will be heard. Maybe if enough people answer the survey, Google will make some changes. Until then, keep an eye out for that survey pop-up.