Note, I rarely, if ever, use a TV anymore, so smart TVs have never appealed to me. But Roku seems to be very anti consumer (between the forced arbitration and their ad policy), so I don’t understand why someone looking to get a smart TV would actually want a Roku over an alternative.
Maybe I’m just poorly informed, but it just seems like almost anything else should be a better option?
I have used Rokus for a while. I have a stick, and a TV that came with it installed.
Pros: It’s cheap, and it works. Their interface isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough. It’s supposed to serve ads, but thanks to my pihole it’s just a blank rectangle taking up part of the screen. The app is serviceable. My wife and I can simultaneously stream the audio to our phones, and both listen with headphones, which means we can enjoy a movie even when the kids are asleep.
When I chose the platform originally, the other options were Google, Amazon, and Apple, and at the time they were still fighting over licensing each app and proprietary software. I also had a KODI HTPC at the time, and it’s still running 15 years later as a Plex media server. The Roku had a faster response time and easier navigation. Roku has a Plex app so I can still stream all the movies I have.
Cons: The stick is showing its age, and the new terms of service are just scary enough to put me on notice that I might need a new streaming device
If they ever show an advertisement or a commercial before or over top of something I’m watching, that will be the day I switch. Today, I would probably go with an nvidia shield, or maybe even a game console since they all run streaming apps now. But any system has the potential for enshittification.
For the TVs where Roku/FireOS/others I’m forgetting are the primarily operating system, they subsidize the cost of the TV making it much cheaper compared to others, especially for the size. Of course, this lower price point comes at the cost of privacy and intrusion of advertising.
At this point, why even consider getting a Roku?
Note, I rarely, if ever, use a TV anymore, so smart TVs have never appealed to me. But Roku seems to be very anti consumer (between the forced arbitration and their ad policy), so I don’t understand why someone looking to get a smart TV would actually want a Roku over an alternative.
Maybe I’m just poorly informed, but it just seems like almost anything else should be a better option?
I have used Rokus for a while. I have a stick, and a TV that came with it installed.
Pros: It’s cheap, and it works. Their interface isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough. It’s supposed to serve ads, but thanks to my pihole it’s just a blank rectangle taking up part of the screen. The app is serviceable. My wife and I can simultaneously stream the audio to our phones, and both listen with headphones, which means we can enjoy a movie even when the kids are asleep.
When I chose the platform originally, the other options were Google, Amazon, and Apple, and at the time they were still fighting over licensing each app and proprietary software. I also had a KODI HTPC at the time, and it’s still running 15 years later as a Plex media server. The Roku had a faster response time and easier navigation. Roku has a Plex app so I can still stream all the movies I have.
Cons: The stick is showing its age, and the new terms of service are just scary enough to put me on notice that I might need a new streaming device
If they ever show an advertisement or a commercial before or over top of something I’m watching, that will be the day I switch. Today, I would probably go with an nvidia shield, or maybe even a game console since they all run streaming apps now. But any system has the potential for enshittification.
IIRC I’ve read the Roku TVs at least can be set up in an offline mode. Some of the other brands I’ve heard get obnoxious when not allowed to connect.
For the TVs where Roku/FireOS/others I’m forgetting are the primarily operating system, they subsidize the cost of the TV making it much cheaper compared to others, especially for the size. Of course, this lower price point comes at the cost of privacy and intrusion of advertising.