this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2024
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Own a Roku TV or streaming device? You're about to see a lot more ads on your home screen (www.techradar.com)
submitted 10 months ago by AnActOfCreation@programming.dev to c/technology@lemmy.world
176 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Ugh. Roku was one of the platforms with fewer ads.

  • Roku will be adding more ads to the home screens of its devices and TVs in the near future.
  • The ads will be interactive and 'shoppable' and will cover a range of industries, including restaurants and cars.
  • Roku already has a significant amount of ads on its home screen, and it is unclear if users will be able to change their preferences for the new ads.
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[–] kadu@lemmy.world 131 points 10 months ago (4 children)

After all the issues with software updates, ads, and just overall terrible experience of TV operating systems and those little media boxes, I just finally accepted that my life is better using my TV as a dumb screen that's connected to a PC and then using Steam Big Picture for games and Jellyfin for media.

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 47 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

After various trial and error, not to mention irritation, I have determined that this is the way. It's what I did in the dark ages back in the day (with a Pentium 3 that had enough hardware acceleration to play DVD's!) and it's what I do once more. By hook or by crook, one way or another you're guaranteed to be able to retain complete control over a PC even if that ultimately means you have to install some flavor of Linux on the fucking thing.

You can get a perfectly capable media center PC for very little money if you don't need it to be able to run AAA games, which in my case I don't. Even the various nanocomputer boards like one of the beefier Raspberry Pi's or any of its myriad competitors can do the job these days, fit in a tiny enclosure, make no noise, and consume very little power.

Fuck all the Chromecasts, Fire sticks, Roku boxes, Apple TV's, and other sundry and bullshit devices of the world.

[–] deweydecibel@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Nvidia SHIELD is still ok, because it's Android TV, and you can install custom launchers on Android. Therefore no ads on your home screen.

Granted, Nvidia is letting the SHIELD line twist in the wind, and the most recent model is from 2019, but it's not outmoded just yet. I'll still be using mine for a number of years.

[–] FunderPants@lemmy.ca 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The shield is great for the reasons you mention here. I use primal launcher and have a custom home screen experience without annoying ads.

The shield also outputs music over HDMI without resampling, which makes it awesome for my digital music listening, except the app support is lame.

[–] deweydecibel@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

Yeah unfortunately Android TV is neglected versus Roku and Firestick and so on, but most major apps are there, and you can sideload shit.

[–] Stovetop@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Inb4 Toyota ads start popping up in your Steam library.

[–] Schmidtster@lemmynsfw.com 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It’s already in some games unfortunately…

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That sounds like it's determined by the game developer and has nothing to do with steam.

[–] Schmidtster@lemmynsfw.com 0 points 10 months ago (2 children)

It is, but steam does have its own form of advertising. Their front page is all ads for games and sales, go to your library there is ads for updates for your games.

It just seems to be acceptable since it’s their ecosystem content, but it’s still ads for all intent and purposes.

[–] Hate@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

go to your library there is ads for updates for your games.

I have no problem with patch notes

[–] Schmidtster@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Except it’s for any “game news”….., so if they are peddling another game of theirs, it shows up there as well. Or we are selling a plushie, it’s there in the same place. It’s not just patch notes dude… and never has been either.

[–] freebee@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 months ago

It's an ad if the update is a DLC.

[–] nicetriangle@kbin.social 8 points 10 months ago

Yeah I was getting fed up with apps and boxes said fuck it and am running a mac mini hooked up to a shitload of storage now and it's been great. Plays media, works as a competent file server for said media, and emulates a bunch of console games. We don't use anything else now.

[–] endhits@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I want to love jellyfin, but the Roku app is a buggy mess.

[–] VampiricClam@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

The Roku app has had a major update recently. Might be worth checking again.

[–] 1hitsong@lemmy.ml 5 points 10 months ago

I'm one of the Jellyfin Roku devs. What bugs are you experiencing?

[–] spaduf@slrpnk.net 2 points 10 months ago

I've used it daily and never had a problem. What did you experience?