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submitted 7 months ago by tree@lemmy.ml to c/technology@hexbear.net

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/13903698

Roku is exploring ways to show consumers ads on its TVs even when they are not using its streaming platform: The company has been looking into injecting ads into the video feeds of third-party devices connected to its TVs, according to a recent patent filing.  

This way, when an owner of a Roku TV takes a short break from playing a game on their Xbox, or streaming something on an Apple TV device connected to the TV set, Roku would use that break to show ads. Roku engineers have even explored ways to figure out what the consumer is doing with their TV-connected device in order to display relevant advertising.

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[-] Sickos@hexbear.net 62 points 7 months ago

agony-shivering I dread the day when I can no longer buy a dumb TV or monitor. It's coming way too soon.

[-] iridaniotter@hexbear.net 33 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

You'll still be able to buy them but you'll have to get it from like Harbin Industrial Electronic Co., Ltd. who happens to be the only manufacturer of it in the entire world, and the minimum order size is 20.

[-] Des@hexbear.net 20 points 7 months ago

even the commercial monitors are coming with bloat.

you basically have to get the really expensive ones that you can swap the main boards out for whatever.

[-] blashork@hexbear.net 18 points 7 months ago

Was also struggling with this shit recently. I found out about the concept of "digital signage" which is like, the kind of screen that's used for a restaurant menu or an airport display. It's certainly a dumb display, so no smart tv crap. But the quality is all low, ain't exactly meant for good sharp picture. I ended up just getting a stupid 'smart tv' and have not hooked it up to the internet ever. It gets a display feed from my computer and that's it.

[-] FALGSConaut@hexbear.net 14 points 7 months ago

When my dumb tv dies I don't think I'll bother replacing it if I can't find another non-smart tv. I barely use it anyway so I don't think it'd be that big a problem. If monitors are all smart bullshit now then that's a different problem

[-] RoabeArt@hexbear.net 12 points 7 months ago

I dread the day when TVs refuse to operate without a network connection. As it is now, even most smart TVs can be made dumb by never connecting them to WiFi etc., but I wonder how long that's going to last.

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[-] neo@hexbear.net 55 points 7 months ago

This is an interesting tidbit.

However, the fact that Roku even explored this points to a major underlying issue: These days, TV makers hardly make any money with their physical products. Roku’s FY 2023 earnings report shows that the company lost $44 million on the sale of smart TVs, streaming players and other devices in 2023. What brings in the bacon are ads and services; Roku generated a gross profit of nearly $1.6 billion with this business segment.

The only purpose of the TV is to show you ads indefinitely. Even when the sale, which is a loss leader, is recouped by ads you'd think, "Hmm. Maybe that's enough of that." But no, for these companies and their insatiable greed it will never be enough.

[-] peeonyou@hexbear.net 13 points 7 months ago

They keep adding more and more shit to the main screen too. I can't even turn off all the bullshit fake channels that are really just ads now. I used to have a muscle-memory pattern of hitting 3 buttons to turn my tv off when we finish watching a show or movie, and now half the time it opens some goddamned ad and the other half of the time it turns the tv off.

They force me to look at the damned screen to see what i'm doing and then i see these little shitty channels of whatever garbage they're trying to hawk now.

[-] DyingOfDeBordom@hexbear.net 52 points 7 months ago

I wanna explore the homes of these executives in minecraft after minecrafting them

[-] PaX@hexbear.net 22 points 7 months ago
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[-] GVAGUY3@hexbear.net 37 points 7 months ago

Rate of profit really declining

[-] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 34 points 7 months ago

It has a tendency to do that. marx-doomer

[-] SwitchyWitchyandBitchy@hexbear.net 37 points 7 months ago

China pls sabotage TSMC so we can stem the flow of chips into every goddamn thing I can buy. I don't want an ad burned onto my morning toast once dumb toasters aren't sold here anymore.

[-] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 16 points 7 months ago
[-] SwitchyWitchyandBitchy@hexbear.net 15 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I think I've touched too much grass to understand this.

[-] Aryuproudomenowdaddy@hexbear.net 16 points 7 months ago

Lathe of heaven is from a movie where the guy with the hat can change reality with his thoughts.

Also was just envisioning ░M░Y░P░U░S░S░Y░I░N░B░I░O░ on a piece of toast.

[-] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 12 points 7 months ago

I don't want an ad burned onto my morning toast once dumb toasters aren't sold here anymore.

Stay away from the Lathe of Heaven.

[-] SwitchyWitchyandBitchy@hexbear.net 6 points 7 months ago

Fuck I better not have that power.

[-] hexaflexagonbear@hexbear.net 36 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Roku TVs could one day show ads as soon as you pause playing a game on a connected Xbox, or stop a stream on an Apple TV.

People are gonna be so pissed at the false positives on this, lmao. What an awful idea. I mean they'll hate the function generally but this is 100% not going to work as intended and be even worse.

[-] Alisu@hexbear.net 23 points 7 months ago

I imagine as soon as someone has to see an ad in the middle of their Call of duty match or whatever, they'd be either returning that tv or at least never buying anything from roku again. The brand would burn itself down, making people not want their tvs, which in turn makes them lose money by having less people using them and seeing their ads

[-] Frogmanfromlake@hexbear.net 19 points 7 months ago

Lmao I’m imagining a slur-cursing kid getting an ad in the middle of their rant and hurling a controller at the tv in a fit of anger

[-] peeonyou@hexbear.net 13 points 7 months ago

which means they'll increase the amount of ads they show to the rest of the suckers who continue to keep their roku/tv

end result being anyone who keeps using roku anything just sees ads 24/7

[-] RyanGosling@hexbear.net 12 points 7 months ago

I imagine as soon as someone has to see an ad in the middle of their Call of duty match or whatever, they'd be either returning that tv or at least never buying anything from roku again.

They’ll either SWAT Roku executives or go on a mass shooting rampage at a local Arby’s

[-] tamagotchicowboy@hexbear.net 36 points 7 months ago

Why do they keep trying to make the drink the can meme a thing? Plz no.

[-] Tabitha@hexbear.net 35 points 7 months ago

thonk I wonder when it's going to become illegal to jailbreak (remove ads) from your TV, fridge, toaster, toothbrush, etc..

[-] BobDole@hexbear.net 24 points 7 months ago

In the US, it already would be under the DMCA.

[-] knfrmity@lemmygrad.ml 17 points 7 months ago

The additional trouble with the DMCA is that the IP lobby groups try to make it apply globally. Many countries which have trade agreements with the US agree to enforce or allow enforcement of the DMCA within their own borders in exchange for getting access to US based IP.

[-] someone@hexbear.net 18 points 7 months ago

"An off switch?" "She'll get years for that. Off switches are illegal."

[-] rafflesia@hexbear.net 27 points 7 months ago

that's so awesome i was so tired of things like games and movies getting in the way of my viewing experience of ads for shitter paper.

[-] RyanGosling@hexbear.net 23 points 7 months ago

why hasn't the world moved to an open standard yet? seems absurd that we allow a bunch of bytes be controlled based on the cable you have

This way, when an owner of a Roku TV takes a short break from playing a game on their Xbox, or streaming something on an Apple TV device connected to the TV set, Roku would use that break to show ads. Roku engineers have even explored ways to figure out what the consumer is doing with their TV-connected device in order to display relevant advertising.

So they would be showing ads to no one? They'll just be sending data to a TV that's not on? And this would produce a profit?

[-] Deadend@hexbear.net 21 points 7 months ago

I already refuse to shop at Best Buy because their ads on so many websites are invasive.

No ad buyer who wants people to like their product will go for this.

So it will just be the worst garbage.

[-] Dickey_Butts@hexbear.net 21 points 7 months ago

cursed. very cursed.

[-] abc@hexbear.net 16 points 7 months ago

mine literally already does this. I turned on my TV to play FF7 Rebirth the other day. It's a Hisense (which is a Roku TV). Tell me why when I turned the TV on and it popped up on the PS5 HDMI connection (PS5 was still in rest mode so it was just the 'no connection found' screen) it pops up with a little ad telling me to watch FF7 Advent Children on Prime Video. Excuse me??

[-] pinguinu@lemmygrad.ml 12 points 7 months ago

Advent Children???? How could they

[-] abc@hexbear.net 7 points 7 months ago

Square Enix is just preparing me for Denzel's dumbass to show up again agony-deep

[-] Frogmanfromlake@hexbear.net 5 points 7 months ago
[-] pinguinu@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 7 months ago

Depends on your taste ofc. It's 80% (kinda jarring) fights and 20% stuff that happens, there is no character development for anyone whatsoever and you're left wondering why they put some scenes in the first place.

I have the impression that Spirits Within is memed on a bit, but I prefer it over Advent Children 100%

[-] abc@hexbear.net 5 points 7 months ago

The VA (english dub especially) is awful too especially compared to Remake/Rebirth. Tifa sounds like she is 13 but should be like 25?? In retrospect I did watch it like over a decade ago and didn't mind it but I caught a clip of it a few years ago and was like "wow yeah this was actually pretty bad" lol. The CGI and whatnot still holds up though!!!

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[-] oregoncom@hexbear.net 13 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Roku's value was that it was a low effort way to use streaming apps on a TV, they don't even have any network effect advantages. 90% of TVs already come with all the roku functionality built in. Absolute business suicide.

[-] NuraShiny@hexbear.net 13 points 7 months ago

First the basilisk and now this?!

[-] roux@hexbear.net 11 points 7 months ago

Thank fucking Christ my media server is over wifi. If I ever run into ads on my totally legally acquired array of horror movies, I'm going fucking nuclear.

[-] Evilphd666@hexbear.net 10 points 7 months ago

How to kill your brand with this one neat trick!

[-] AbbysMuscles@hexbear.net 8 points 7 months ago

On that topic, my trusty 55" dumb tv of over nine years died recently. Are there any decent dumb tv brands that aren't too expensive these days?

[-] emizeko@hexbear.net 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

what you want is a "commercial display"

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this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2024
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