“Awful”: Roku tests autoplaying ads loading before the home screen
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So, I use regex to block all Roku domains on my network via pihole:
(ads|logs|cloudservices|image|images|web|prod.mobile|wwwimg|captive|customer-feedbacks|amoeba|amoeba2|sr|giga.sb|cs).roku(.admeasurement)*.com$Then, possibly overkill due to the above, I used OpnSense firewall rules to block all traffic from my Roku tv. I think I just got fed up with seeing Roku spam in my pihole, as the above regex seems to completely "break" Roku.
After that, I set up FLauncher (following the method #2 instructions on the gitlab page) on my shield. This makes it so I only see the Roku launcher for a few seconds while the shield starts up, and then I'm dropped straight into flauncher. I chose flauncher because it's very simple and barebones, so you might want to explore other options if you want more advanced features. I don't really need those features since I'm usually using an app anyway.
Note that I did all of that after the tv was configured and set up, YMMV if it's a brand new tv as it may need to call home to do the initial set up.
Thanks! I have nothing brand new as I am le poor
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So, I use regex to block all Roku domains on my network via pihole:
(ads|logs|cloudservices|image|images|web|prod.mobile|wwwimg|captive|customer-feedbacks|amoeba|amoeba2|sr|giga.sb|cs).roku(.admeasurement)*.com$Then, possibly overkill due to the above, I used OpnSense firewall rules to block all traffic from my Roku tv. I think I just got fed up with seeing Roku spam in my pihole, as the above regex seems to completely "break" Roku.
After that, I set up FLauncher (following the method #2 instructions on the gitlab page) on my shield. This makes it so I only see the Roku launcher for a few seconds while the shield starts up, and then I'm dropped straight into flauncher. I chose flauncher because it's very simple and barebones, so you might want to explore other options if you want more advanced features. I don't really need those features since I'm usually using an app anyway.
Note that I did all of that after the tv was configured and set up, YMMV if it's a brand new tv as it may need to call home to do the initial set up.
Depending on the model there's also a dev menu that disables some phoning home/connectivity shit
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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
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roku
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.
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They're working hard to make sure piracy provides the best experience.
This is already my experience but still use a Roku to access Plex. Looks like I'll need to get something else or figure out if i can block them with Ad Guard Home
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How did you disable the Roku OS?
I think it depends on the model, but there should be something in the power settings to change the startup device. I did a factory reset first to clear any network settings or user data, skipped the setup, and set it to startup on the HDMI input.
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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.
There is actually a way to sideload apps without internet. I did it once and forgot the details
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Roku is bad, I have one older Roku ""smart"" tv that I just block from accessing the internet entirely, and use a shield with a custom launcher instead.
Is there any point in getting anything above the bottom tier Shield? Just trying to use it to replace my chromecast/stream tv and youtube
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To quote you:
I said they would not inject ads like this
And I'm saying you don't know that they won't do that in the future. But keep clarifying yourself more, I'm sure it will help clear it up.
Oh ffs no one knows anything about the future so let’s go pick apart literally any prediction you’ve ever made with any certainty if we’re going to be pedantic shits about it.
Let’s get prescriptive then since you’re such an ass:
It is reasonable to assume based on the way Apple implements ads at this stage that Apple will not implement ads the way we are seeing Roku roll them out in the post we are commenting on for the foreseeable future barring a major departure from how Apple does business, so for now one is probably safe to use Apple TV without fear of seeing this very obtrusive and obnoxious implementation of ads replicated on their Apple TV system.
Are you satisfied? Can we move on? Jfc you’re obnoxious. I don’t know why you’re pretending you don’t understand what I am saying. Go touch grass. Interact with people. Clearly you’ve lost the ability to infer or interpret basic sentences. Some people hate Apple so much it rots their brain i swear.
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Oh ffs no one knows anything about the future so let’s go pick apart literally any prediction you’ve ever made with any certainty if we’re going to be pedantic shits about it.
Let’s get prescriptive then since you’re such an ass:
It is reasonable to assume based on the way Apple implements ads at this stage that Apple will not implement ads the way we are seeing Roku roll them out in the post we are commenting on for the foreseeable future barring a major departure from how Apple does business, so for now one is probably safe to use Apple TV without fear of seeing this very obtrusive and obnoxious implementation of ads replicated on their Apple TV system.
Are you satisfied? Can we move on? Jfc you’re obnoxious. I don’t know why you’re pretending you don’t understand what I am saying. Go touch grass. Interact with people. Clearly you’ve lost the ability to infer or interpret basic sentences. Some people hate Apple so much it rots their brain i swear.
I'm not the one defending a corporation that literally hid behind their CEOs coming out story to avoid bad press about their tax dodging... Tax dodging which helped them get their obscene warchest today. Apple isn't your friend and doesn't care that you exist, dude.
Cry more and go suck some more corporate dick while you're at it.
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I'm not the one defending a corporation that literally hid behind their CEOs coming out story to avoid bad press about their tax dodging... Tax dodging which helped them get their obscene warchest today. Apple isn't your friend and doesn't care that you exist, dude.
Cry more and go suck some more corporate dick while you're at it.
Not defending Apple. I’m a Linux user. Apple can generally go fuck itself. Try again.
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I see this thrown around a lot.
90% of us watch Netflix, Plex, YT TV or some other streaming service, how do I watch these with 4k quality without connecting to the Internet? That's just an unrealistic request for 90% of TV users.
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Not defending Apple. I’m a Linux user. Apple can generally go fuck itself. Try again.
I'm definitely not the one being a tryhard here.
Also, Linux ain't safe from corporate influence when Linus dies, either.
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I'm just glad I've still got my MythTV running.
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Is there any point in getting anything above the bottom tier Shield? Just trying to use it to replace my chromecast/stream tv and youtube
I have been using an onn 4k streaming box, which runs Google TV. They're $20. It's pretty easy to disable the default launcher and have it boot to Flauncher. Then you can side load smart tube for an ad free YouTube experience asking with Plex, stremio, or whatever else you want to stream.
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Im literally willing to ditch the device and cancel all streaming services because of this. When I turn on my TV I don’t want to be forced to consume ads when I haven’t been provided with anything in return.
I just block all ads at the router level. When looking through the most blocked domains I see a lot from Roku.
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I'm definitely not the one being a tryhard here.
Also, Linux ain't safe from corporate influence when Linus dies, either.
There you go putting words in my mouth again
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Shit. I got a Roku TV. That's one big fucking stick to toss.
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If you think another private company with profit on their mind is safe, I've got a bridge to sell you.
It's not that they won't do it. It's that they currently don't so it's a good choice.
When they add ads, then we can find something else. I'm on Roku now but have been increasingly annoyed by the increase in ads.
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I see this thrown around a lot.
90% of us watch Netflix, Plex, YT TV or some other streaming service, how do I watch these with 4k quality without connecting to the Internet? That's just an unrealistic request for 90% of TV users.
Use a separate, not ad-riddled device plugged in via HDMI. If you have a game console it can do this.
I don't know what's good for Android TV boxes it used to be the NVIDIA Shield was a well regarded streaming device but it's really old now. Google makes one (Google TV Streamer) and you can install a custom launcher if you're a bit technical and the "suggested content" of the stock launcher bothers you. Same for other Android TV boxes.
Apple, like them or not, makes a really decent TV box with no system level ads and an interface that mostly stays out of the way.
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Get an Nvidia Shield Pro and disconnect your TV from the internet.
My tv is dumb. The roku is the device that connects to the internet.
