this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2024

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Roku TV bricked until agreeing to new terms of service (programming.dev)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by DaleGribble88@programming.dev to c/technology@lemmy.world

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See title - very frustrating. There is no way to continue to use the TV without agreeing to the terms. I couldn't use different inputs, or even go to settings from the home screen and disconnect from the internet to disable their services. If I don't agree to their terms, then I don't get access to their new products. That sucks, but fine - I don't use their services except for the TV itself, and honestly, I'd rather by a dumb TV with a streaming box anyway, but I can't find those anymore.

Anyway, the new terms are about waiving your right to a class action lawsuit. It's weird to me because I'd never considered filing a class action lawsuit against Roku until this. They shouldn't be able to hold my physical device hostage until I agree to new terms that I didn't agree at the time of purchase or initial setup.

I wish Roku TVs weren't cheap walmart brand sh*t. Someone with some actual money might sue them and sort this out...

EDIT: Shout out to @testfactor@lemmy.world for recommending the brand "Sceptre" when buying my next (dumb) TV.

EDIT2: Shout out to @0110010001100010@lemmy.world for recommending LG smart TVs as a dumb-TV stand in. They apparently do require an agreement at startup, which is certainly NOT ideal, but the setup can be completed without an internet connection and it remembers input selection on powerup. So, once you have it setup, you're good to rock and roll.

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[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 15 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Is there a factory reset button on it? Maybe you might be able to reset the TV and never connect it to the WiFi?

[–] DaleGribble88@programming.dev 4 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Potentially - but I'd prefer not to do a factory reset. I was/am happy to use the services that I was already using and paying for that were not affiliated with Roku. A factory reset would remove access to those 3rd party services.

Besides that, I'm pretty sure that you cannot use a roku-enabled device for any purpose until you agree to their terms of service, which just puts me back into the same boat.

Do you have any recommendations for dumb TVs?

[–] CbtB@lemmynsfw.com 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Earlier you wrote,

Almost certainly - but that is what I agreed to when I bought the TV.

And wrote that they should at least let you select an input without agreeing to new terms.

Now someone attempts to offer you a solution where you only need to agree to those original terms and get a separate streaming device like you asked for and you brush them off?

The situation with roku is unacceptable but please be reasonable with the people trying to help.

[–] DaleGribble88@programming.dev 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

How on earth is saying "I would prefer not to do something" being unreasonable with people?

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

Saying you wanted something then changing the goal when someone offers you a way to get it is uncool.

[–] DaleGribble88@programming.dev 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

"I wish my cancer riddled grandmother wasn't suffering."

"Well, you could always just kill her! Then she would feel anything!"

???

Even more so, I didn't even disagree or say that they were wrong. Just that I'd prefer not to do that because, along with my grandmother not suffering, I also want her to be alive. Contrary to popular belief, humans are capable of wanting multiple things at the same time. Have you ever been thirsty while you had to pee?

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

You said you were fine with the original terms of service. You said you wished there was a way to select an input without agreeing to new terms. This person suggested a way to get what you asked for. You said that's not good enough. :(

Sigh...

[–] DaleGribble88@programming.dev 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I don't think that you fully understand what the word "prefer" means. I said that I don't want to give up access to my third-party apps if possible, not that I would never consider a factory reset.
It might help to grab a dictionary before you start policing the internet from your porn account.

[–] SaltySalamander@kbin.social 0 points 8 months ago

You can't always get what you want.

[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

My friend, I'm trying to offer you a solution so you can still use your current TV at the very least. Your tv if useless right now, correct? Resetting it and not connecting it to the internet might allow that. And you could then hook up a separate streaming device to it.

I thought that was you goal?

[–] WetBeardHairs@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

There is no hardware reset switch and in order to perform a software reset you need to get to the menu and to do that, you have to agree to the terms.

[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 1 points 8 months ago

Alright then. That's too bad. I guess you don't have a choice but to either accept the terms or sell it and buy a new one.

I have an old 720p 32in Sony Bravia TV from 2010 with both analog and digital signal reception with all the old inputs that allow me to plug my old consoles on it. None of that smart tv bullshit. The day it dies on me, I think I will cry.