Comment on “Awful”: Roku tests autoplaying ads loading before the home screen
potentiallynotfelix@lemmy.fish 4 weeks ago
Don’t connect your Roku to the internet.
Don’t connect your Roku to the internet.
I thought that Roku was some kind of streaming service to a device. Doesn’t that need to be Internet-connected to function?
kagis
Ah. Apparently that’s what they originally did, but they’ve also subsequently come out with smart TVs, which I assume can operate without an Internet connection.
Roku started as a streaming media box. You paid them money, they gave you a box that could play Netflix and Youtube. It was a simple transaction. Unfortunately, at some point they decided to start selling/giving their OS to TV manufacturers. This was actually nice at the start. You got a smart TV who’s “Smarts” were designed by competent people. A revolution at the time. But the drive to drop prices lower and lower meant that there was no margin on the TV, which means Roku had to investigate other ways of making their revenue, AKA Ads and selling data.
Of course, the stand alone box probably would have went that way anyways, but at least with selling a dedicated box, there is a clear financial benefit without the need to get invasive.
SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 weeks ago
Or better yet, use a Pi-Hole or something similar to block the relevant adservers at the IP level.
Hellmo_Luciferrari@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
I wouldn’t say this is “better”
I do run a pihole, but I still will never connect my roku to the internet. It is much better to have a media PC or other streaming device I have control of fully connected.
SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 weeks ago
True, but most people are buying off-the-shelf stuff and they don’t have their own localized piracy-enabled libraries with a Jellyfin server.
Further, I’m pretty sure you’ve got to connect your Roku at least once to install player apps like Jellyfin. But maybe you don’t, I’m not at all familiar with if you can sideload on a Roku.
Steve@startrek.website 4 weeks ago
There is actually a way to sideload apps without internet. I did it once and forgot the details
Hellmo_Luciferrari@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
For any streaming, Netflix, YouTube, or anything I would always use a computer. Not some awful app on a slow device. No screen of mine needs to be anything besides a screen.
Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 weeks ago
Amen. I run a PiHole, and also just use lil computers on all of my screens and download anything I watch and put it on a lil server they all can stream from! No ads, best quality!
ALostInquirer@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
Would you happen to know of any guides or have advice on identifying the adservers to block?
SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 weeks ago
I’ve always just done it manually by viewing the Pi-Hole logs for the device I am on while the ad is loading. It takes getting into the weeds a bit.
Further, I don’t have a Roku so I’ve never looked into it myself.
That being said, a quick search brought up this hosts file:
gist.github.com/…/cea28bedd0ec0b1bceec8c2b22c163c…
"Adlist for Pi-hole with domains for Roku, LG, and Samsung "
ALostInquirer@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
Appreciate the reply and link regardless! It’s always whack-an-ad with these intrusive jerks.
CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
That’s not better, you didn’t allow any smart TV to connect to the internet.