LG has introduced screensaver ads on its high-end G4 OLED TVs, which may include unrelated third-party advertisements.

These ads are activated by default but can be disabled in the settings menu by turning off the Screen Saver Promotion toggle.

When entering idle mode, LG's smart TVs now display full-screen ads before the screensaver activates.

This initiative aims to capitalize on idle screen time, targeting consumers who are often multitasking while watching TV.

Dave Rudnick, CTO of LG Ad Solutions, noted that 93% of viewers multitask during TV viewing, presenting a prime opportunity for brands to advertise.

Research indicates a slight increase in brand awareness due to these ads, particularly a notable 19.7% increase for adults over 45.

While potentially beneficial for advertisers, consumers who invest up to $4,500 in high-end TVs may find the intrusion of ads unwelcome.

The launch of LG Ad Solutions aims to explore new advertising opportunities and user tracking on smart TVs, a strategy already employed by companies like Samsung and Roku.

LG is collecting content-recognition tracking data from its TVs and sharing it with Nielsen to analyze viewer habits.

Critics have expressed disappointment with LG's strategy, arguing that the presence of ads on such expensive devices feels almost sinful.

An example ad observed during testing was for LG Channels, the company's free ad-supported streaming service.

LG assumes many users may not disable the ads, similar to how many neglect turning off the 'soap opera effect' motion smoothing.