Bud.tv Registration Issues Get Noticed

I guess I scooped this one, but now a number of people have commented on the registration issues at But.tv.

Lost Remote: "Bud.tv falls flat with launch programming, registration"

"However, Bud has made two very bad choices: the programming is lousy and the registration process is onerous. Cory wrote in a post below how the requirement to input your mobile phone number would, alone, doom the project to failure. And the idea that they can accurately verify your age by asking your birthday is laughable. It’s like using an index card to make a fake ID."

The Reel Pop: "Bud.tv wouldn't let me register, so I lied"

"The Web site, which is protected by an age verification system that checks your data against driver's license records, wouldn't let me sign up. The log-on screen asks for your e-mail address, first name, last name and zip code. I tried no fewer than four different zip codes and three different spellings of my name.

Eventually I found myself in the awkward position of sitting at a friend's house laptop in one hand, wallet in the other, as I doublechecked the spelling of my own name against my license. All to log onto a Budewiser Web site. During the Super Bowl. Sigh. Eventually I used my dad's name and birthday. Thanks dad.

My point is this: Bud.tv is going to have a hard time achieving success when they make it this hard to get into their site. If they want to go viral (whatever that means), they've got to remove the age verification system."

NewTeeVee: "Bud.tv Tastes Stale, Flat"

"Of course, it was an uphill struggle to win my love from the moment I went to Bud.tv and not a single video was on the page. I had to click, which opened a new, fixed-size window, another pet peeve.

Gripes about the Bud.tv registration experience from paidContent and Lost Remote echoed my own, which I’d be charitable in describing as onerously creepy. Once I finally did get to watch the videos, the display was tiny and the navigation needlessly confusing."

paidContent: "First Look: Bud.tv Not Quite Ready for Prime Time"

"The issues start with the registration process, which not only asks you for a birthdate and a check-box agreement that you’re of legal age to enter the site—it actually appears to be matching names and birth dates against a driver’s license database. (Note: A-B is using a public records database called Aristotle’s Integrity.)

When I put in the right year and month with a different day, the site said it didn’t match my name and zip code. Each time the form needed adjustment, some of the info was wiped out and had to be re-entered. (A-B is also asking for mobile phone numbers but that’s up to the user.)

Beet.tv:

"OK, OK... but remember, we're all learning about the business model of dedicate broadband channels. Many will succeed. I think it's hugely beneficial for the industry that Anheuser Busch has the guts (or fear) to experiment with $30 million in this online video venture. It might be a success or utterly fail, but we will learn from it. I'll drink a cold one to that! This Bud's for us."