this post was submitted on 04 Apr 2024
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Roku is exploring ways to show consumers ads on its TVs even when they are not using its streaming platform: The company has been looking into injecting ads into the video feeds of third-party devices connected to its TVs, according to a recent patent filing.  

This way, when an owner of a Roku TV takes a short break from playing a game on their Xbox, or streaming something on an Apple TV device connected to the TV set, Roku would use that break to show ads. Roku engineers have even explored ways to figure out what the consumer is doing with their TV-connected device in order to display relevant advertising.

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[–] CaptainSpaceman@lemmy.world 34 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Roku, somehow becoming shittier than Twitter

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[–] FritzGman@lemmy.world 30 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (7 children)

You know what people tend to forget?

Shareholders = Consumers of the product too

Marketing departments that come up with these assinine ideas are staffed with consumers of the product too.

As long as enough people are making bank from this stupidity, it will not stop.

The only right answer is not to give them your money. Hard to do that when they all do it and after purchase protests are kind of pointless since they already got paid. So, how to actually impact their bottom line? That's the only language they listen to.

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[–] SapienSRC@lemmy.world 30 points 7 months ago (7 children)

I wish I could find a TV for sale that isn't a Smart TV. It's not necessary and you get issues like this down the road. I'm sure it isn't too long until the other TV manufactures do the same thing.

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[–] exanime@lemmy.today 29 points 7 months ago (4 children)

I don't get it.... Wouldn't it be easier for Roku to just declare bankruptcy and saves themselves the trouble?

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[–] net00@lemm.ee 27 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I've never given money to roku, and now I'll never will

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[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 27 points 7 months ago (6 children)

Looks like I'm about to go buy another used computer to setup my streaming services using Kody.

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[–] helmet91@lemmy.world 26 points 7 months ago

Luckily I'm not involved in this smart-TV saga in any way, as I haven't been watching TV since my childhood (there were no smart-TVs back then, but TV shows in my country were shit).

Now my biggest fear is, if enough people realize that smart-TVs are shit, then desktop monitors will start to become "smart" too. My life will be doomed if that happens.

[–] Buttons@programming.dev 26 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Didn't know I'd have to drink a verification can just to turn on the TV

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[–] AceFuzzLord@lemm.ee 25 points 7 months ago (1 children)

All I heard is keep my current TV I'm using as a monitor alive for as long as possible.

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[–] MonkderDritte@feddit.de 24 points 7 months ago (2 children)

If they can do that, then nobody can say anything about devices doing the reverse.

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[–] WhatsThePoint@lemmy.world 21 points 7 months ago (9 children)

Can you just not connect your Smart TV to the internet at all to bypass this? I never connect my Smart TVs to the internet, just my Apple TV since it’s my streamer platform. Seems like this would hamstring their ability to push ads.

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[–] cley_faye@lemmy.world 20 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Exactly what people want: more ads.

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[–] Fester@lemm.ee 20 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Hardware that is supported by ads or requires a subscription should be free, or better yet, not exist at all. Fuck paying $800+ for a TV that leeches forced ad revenue on top of the sale.

And fuck the TV manufacturers for enabling this behavior. Bring back non-smart TVs. I’ll never use Roku or Google built-in streaming, so they shouldn’t be on my TV at all.

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[–] tal@lemmy.today 20 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

This way, when an owner of a Roku TV takes a short break from playing a game on their Xbox, or streaming something on an Apple TV device connected to the TV set, Roku would use that break to show ads.

But what if I want to have ads playing while I'm playing XBox? Can the Roku analyze the image, identify 3d surfaces in the game I'm playing, and plaster ads on them so that they look integrated with the game?

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[–] NegativeLookBehind@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago (10 children)

Cool so what are some good Roku alternatives?

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[–] phoneymouse@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago

Over my dead body

[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 18 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Roku is pretty great for what it is, but the day I see such an ad is the day it hits the bin. That would finally bother me into driving the TV with an actual PC.

[–] andyburke@fedia.io 23 points 7 months ago (1 children)

As a former Roku fan, forced arbitration or a brick was the breaking point. Roku can fuck off.

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[–] Landmammals@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago (1 children)

That's a fantastic way to guarantee my TV will not be connected to the internet

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[–] 8ender@lemmy.world 17 points 7 months ago

Roku, I already had you blocked at Pihole, but now I’m just straight up turning off your network access.

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