Man it must be rough out there for regular people that put up with that kind of bullshit.
Roku wants you to see a lot more AI-generated ads
Submitted 5 weeks ago by ardi60@reddthat.com to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.theverge.com/lowpass-newsletter/776248/roku-ai-ads
Comments
notannpc@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
recursive_recursion@piefed.ca 5 weeks ago
You're Not Buying a TV; You're Buying a Roku
klu9@piefed.social 5 weeks ago
My TV (dumb but attached to a Roku Express) died last month and since then I've been watching on computer + Zen Browser + uBlock Origin, with zero ads.
And noticing that I don't see a single TV for sale in nearby shops that is not a (usually Roku) smart TV, i.e. data surveillance capitalist tool.
GloriousGherkins@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Instead of looking for a tv, look for a commercial display. They’re basically a computer monitor the size of a TV. Samsung makes a line that we use at work, and the cost is similar to a mid-range TV. They can function completely without internet.
Something like these: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/…/3538895735
muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
The funny thing is you can just use an external box and never connect your tv to the internet at all. Let it collect all the data it wants. It’s not like it can tell anybody.
artiman@piefed.social 5 weeks ago
Why not librewolf, Firefox has native vertical tabs since Firefox 136
TachyonTele@piefed.social 5 weeks ago
I'm fearing when my tv finally dies. It's a 15 year old 75", and I know i won't have the money for a new one when the time comes. Especially not enough to shop around for a dumb tv the same size.
interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
That’s why I’m never letting your access the internet, Roku.
You’re the cheapest TV I could find to use as a monitor
Just stay in your line, or else
Also I can’t root Roku 12 ? What in the absolute bullshit is that ? Not root on my own fucking TV ?
Somecall_metim@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 weeks ago
I want Roku to eat shit.
Nima@leminal.space 5 weeks ago
my roku TV can’t talk to the internet anymore because it was foolish enough to show me a banner ad while I was gaming
its a dumb TV now 🥰💕
GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
good luck. recent update blocks all apps from loading unless you have their most recent ads. I let one sit for four hours before I gave up.
now looking at replacing all my rokus(6) with Linux.
Nima@leminal.space 5 weeks ago
what updates? this TV can’t use internet.
at all.
it can’t GET updates.
goatinspace@feddit.org 5 weeks ago
cyberwolfie@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
Is there a good way to set it up with a remote?
goatinspace@feddit.org 5 weeks ago
I’ve seen a fancy remote with a keyboard on the back but didn’t try it myself.
QuantumTickle@lemmy.zip 5 weeks ago
Roku is so far away from their golden era, why are we still talking about them?
interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
They subsidize the cheapest TVs
We need to subsidize de-fingering their engineers in responsemuusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
I’m Sure the engineers weren’t crazy about this idea either. The business majors are to blame, not the engineering majors.
wshrader@lemmy.today 5 weeks ago
Any Android TV OS > Roku. Dumb TV > Roku. Outside > Roku.
Itsamelemmy@lemmy.zip 5 weeks ago
Kinda. I recently got a shield pro to replace my roku. Customization, and no ads are nice, but for what it cost, what a fucking piece of shit. Hard freezee that require unplugging is the main issue, but it also doesn’t respond to remote presses frequently on start up. Takes 30+ seconds sometimes before the remote works.
For more than double the cost it shoukd blow the roku ultra away in every sense. And I shouldn’t have to adb hack it to install a custom launcher.
comador@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Thank you for this. I was setting up to buy an nvidia shield to replace my roku ultras.
FWIW, I have so far tried:
-
Onn Google TV 4K: Returned it, freezes constantly.
-
Jailbroken AMZ fire stick w/ LineageOS. Buffering issues and wireless issues in general. I still use it, but not my favorite.
So for now it seems my next purchase will be a TiVo Stream 4k android device and if that fails, I may just have to DIY an android Pi system lol.
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whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 weeks ago
I did the same replaced a Roku device with a shield when Roku started doing startup ads. Seems to work fine then won’t respond to remote and needs a reboot, some weird stuff with the VPN too. Should have probably just got a mini form PC instead.
brygphilomena@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 weeks ago
That’s been my experience too. I had heard so much good about it, but it feels so janky.
I really wish there was a normal minipc option with a good remote controlled UI. But they all have such terrible interfaces or if it’s running Linux, weird limitations by streaming vendors who lock Linux to 1080p because they are afraid of piracy, as if that actually prevents anything at all.
I can’t stand how normalized these invasive ads have become. I have a child at home and she is too young to know how intrusive ads are. I don’t want my 7 year old being shown ads for content that they aren’t mature enough for.
wshrader@lemmy.today 5 weeks ago
The ONN devices from Walmart work near-flawless, even the $14 stick. I would recommend starting there.
01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 5 weeks ago
Toshiba 32A33 > roku
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 5 weeks ago
I don’t want to see Roku anymore.
paraphrand@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
“This company is too cheap to pay someone for a proper advertisement.”
Using AI like this seems like a counter productive way to build brand awareness.
yaroto98@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
So long as their ads keep getting blocked my my pi-hole I won’t notice.
wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
The ad is coming from INSIDE the TV
😱
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
I’m about to be seeing a lot less Roku…
They know they’re entirely replaceable right? Like the Amazon fire tv, apple tv, Chromecast… Making their platform shittier really shouldn’t be their top priority if they want to stay in business.
01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 5 weeks ago
But the masses have shown that they won’t do anything about it, despite caring and being annoyed.
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Have they? Is Roku dominant in this market?
philosloppy@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
What a coincidence; I’ve been seeing a lot less Roku lately.
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 5 weeks ago
I’ve always said I want to see more commercials made by people who have no idea what they’re doing and with near zero oversight for quality or taste.
spykee@lemmings.world 5 weeks ago
Roku can suck it.
richardmtanguay@lemmy.zip 5 weeks ago
I think I will start buying mini PCs with Linux starting next year!!! :-)
cyberwolfie@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
It’s how I have been running it for the last two years now. Coupled with Jellyfin, it is such a better experience. My mother just got a new TV - I think I will set up something similar for her.
betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Could be entertaining if somebody accidentally flips the “allow slop machine to make up fake products” switch from off to on.
goodboyjojo@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
That sucks. People already have to pay to get rid of ads on streaming services last I remember. I wish companies would stop aggressively showing ads everywhere.
ShieldsUp@startrek.website 5 weeks ago
I pay extra for paramount+ ad free version and they still show me periodic ads. Its infuriating. And they are much louder than the show content, as a cherry on top. What an awful service.
IphtashuFitz@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
I still use a Roku that was gifted to me, but only thanks to also having a pihole. The amount of logging & ads it blocks on the Roku is insane. If that ever stopped working I would ditch the Roku in a heartbeat.
Chivera@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
I bought an external hard drive and downloaded all my sons media on it. No more commercials and no more pushed content
muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
On the plus side, AI will make the obnoxious ad goblin career track less profitable now. So, good news.
very_well_lost@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
I’ll be honest… advertising is the one industry I wouldn’t be sad to see get completely cannibalized by AI.
muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
Truth. Before there was at least some sort of pressure on the ad industry to incentivize our attention. They had to make it interesting or funny.
Now, it’s a far less consensual arrangement. “I will hold your Skinner box hostage until you listen to me!”
UBo, pinchflat, SponsorBlock, jellyfin, WireGuard, Apple shortcuts for auto connect and activation when I get in my car, and now I get my stories while I’m driving and those obnoxious vultures can fuck right off.
If Adblock blocking goes away, so will I. This is already more work than I feel like putting into it and the quality of online content has really gone downhill. The enshittification is so extreme now that it’s just not worth paying for things anymore.
badbytes@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Roku, was cool.
Buelldozer@lemmy.today 5 weeks ago
I want Roku to fuck all the way off with that plan.
Damaskox@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Commercials over the basic channels on the basic TV is its own curse but It’s difficult for me to understand why would someone want to watch YouTube through their smart television since the service pumps lots of adds in those videos as well - after years of me watching everything at home via my computer screens that are guarded by the amazing solution of AdBlock ♥️
lemmyknow@lemmy.today 5 weeks ago
This just made me realise… with AI-generated videos, ads could be tailor-made for you. Could even feature you on it.
01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 5 weeks ago
Facebook was already doing this. But how terrifying would it be to see this on live-ish tv?
lemmyknow@lemmy.today 4 weeks ago
Facebook has ads with your face slapped on them?
phoenixz@lemmy.ca 5 weeks ago
It doesn’t happen a lot that headlines make me vomit a little in my mouth but this one did