System would detect paused content on external devices and show ads on top.
  • BearOfaTime@lemm.eeEnglish
    78·
    3 months ago

    Roku has patented a way to ensure I will never own one of their devices, and I’ll do my best to ensure no family or friends do either.

    • BassTurd@lemmy.worldEnglish
      9·
      3 months ago

      I e already begun. At least 5 people around me will never buy Roku again. Fortunately, they’re tech smart, so it was easy to explain and didn’t actually require convincing.

  • danc4498@lemmy.worldEnglish
    25·
    3 months ago

    This is burying the lead. It’s not just about showing ads. It is tracking everything you on your TV, whether or not it a roku service

    • PassingThrough@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      3 months ago

      I wonder if it can be detected by the streaming apps. Some of them are really anal about ensuring you can’t record or whatever, and don’t work if it doesn’t get all the HDMI security stuff just right. I’ve had issues with bad cables and my portable projector(Anker) has to side load an alt version of Netflix because they couldn’t/wouldn’t get the device to pass Netflix “certification”.

      I’m guessing this means new partnerships and money changing hands, or nobody on a Roku can watch Netflix anymore, or they put these ads at a higher level that bypasses whatever security/DRM Netflix uses. Probably the last one, but if Netflix thinks they will lost money to this they’ll probably just pull their certification anyway.

      • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        3 months ago

        I wonder if it can be detected by the streaming apps. Some of them are really anal about ensuring you can’t record or whatever, and don’t work if it doesn’t get all the HDMI security stuff just right.

        If I’m understanding what Roku has done, this has nothing to do with HDMI (HDCP) security. Roku is inserting the ads after the signals has left the HDMI subsystem, and before an image is displayed on the screen. They can do this because the Roku is inside the TV.

  • Keith@lemmy.zipEnglish
    71·
    3 months ago

    This is like really horrific but if I’m being honest, it’s not going to happen. I think LG did a patent where you had to shout the brand being displayed on ads to skip an ad— and they never did that. This is probably a good thing so that other companies can’t use it for a few hundred years

    • LifeOfChance@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      3 months ago

      There’s a big difference though. Making people yell is not the same as an ad being shown similar to a screen saver. Hard to believe but most people will just not care and those who do won’t care enough to do much about it. There’s a reason ads have become to main stream and normal they’re yielding results the companies want.

      A great example of how the mass majority of people not caring is look at the reaction to password sharing. Sure many people made a stink yet every single on of the platforms saw growth.

  • gen/Eric@iusearchlinux.fyiEnglish
    4·
    3 months ago

    Man, am I happy that I stopped using my Roku and switched to an Nvidia Shield TV. I’m also happy that I have a “dumb TV”!

  • irish_link@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    3 months ago

    I am on board for this.

    Patent it and no one else can do it.

    Then if you do get or have a Roku TV, just don’t add the wifi to your TV. (I know this won’t work for the sticks, but for the cheap TV, just don’t add that to the wifi)

    I know that defeats the point of a smart TV but its a lot cheaper than other screens.

      • irish_link@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        3 months ago

        True. Good point.

        I was thinking more along the lines that most companies won’t license something unless they absolutely have to. I should have said not ALL the other company’s will do it.