this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2025
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[–] beejjorgensen@lemmy.sdf.org 264 points 1 day ago (2 children)

They're working hard to make sure piracy provides the best experience.

[–] Xanthobilly@lemmy.world 53 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It’s approaching 1984 levels of BS control.

[–] coolmojo@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Sorry to inform you, but we are already in the Brave New World.

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[–] CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] unconsciousvoidling@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I use pi hole and the experience is not entirely smooth. I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this but my pi hole blocks ads but every few weeks Roku has an update and it locks up the entire operating system and I’m stuck in a loop of trying to get my update so I can return to normal. I for the hell of it disabled pi hole for 5 minutes and it wound up working but not until I dropped pi hole. So it’s as if it every so often decides to hold the operating system hostage if I don’t drop pi hole for updates. Makes me think they likely get all the telemetry they are trying to collect for selling data. I like not watching ads 90 percent of the time but it pisses me off that they are likely still spying on me by forcing me to communicate with their servers every now and then.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 17 points 20 hours ago

My brother in Christ, please just connect another device to your TV and disconnect your TV from the internet. No one should be using the built-in software for exactly this reason.

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[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 110 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Not a surprise for Roku. The company has been getting progressively worse in the last few years and their enshittification is accelerating. Their recent forced download of an update that requires users to agree to arbitration to even use our TVs was intended to ultimately take control of those TVs completely away from the people who own them.

Right now it's possible to block Roku's static ads and presumably the autoplaying ones using a local DNS server like Adblock Home or Pihole, but it's only a matter of time before Roku blocks everything unless we watch the ads they are trying force down our throats. I'm already in the process of obsoleting all 5 of our Roku devices.

It has taken Roku years to build up enough market share to allow this kind of behavior and it will take years for the market to abandon them. Their executives will claim ignorance as to why users are walking away when it finally hits their bottom line.

[–] AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today 79 points 1 day ago (26 children)

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.

[–] dugmeup@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today 53 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (13 children)

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.

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[–] RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works 54 points 1 day ago (10 children)

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.

[–] Eezyville@sh.itjust.works 17 points 1 day ago (5 children)

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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[–] spaffel@spaffel.social 52 points 12 hours ago (18 children)

Can i pleace find a decent TV without smart-capabilitys? I just want HDMI thats it

[–] CancerMancer@sh.itjust.works 24 points 11 hours ago (13 children)

Don't give your TV wifi access, use a separate device to watch stuff (Chromecast, FireTV, Android box, etc..)

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[–] RedEyeFlightControl@lemmy.world 12 points 9 hours ago

Buy a commercial signage display. It's just a TV without the smart garbage.

Or, get a projector :)

[–] scala@lemmy.ml 12 points 10 hours ago

Technically you can get commercial TVs but many companies stopped selling them. They are literally the new screen tech with no "Smart" capabilities. They are also much cheaper than their smart counterparts.

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[–] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 45 points 1 day ago (3 children)

For years I was a big fan of Roku. It represented a better value alternative from the big corporations pushing their own agenda like Google, Apple, Samsung, and Amazon. They made products that were intuitive and user oriented and carved out a very nice and stable market share for themselves because of it. Now they're just leveraging their hardware relationships to transform the software into something terrible.

I used to look for tvs with Roku built in. Now I've disabled Roku features from my smart TVS and use a separate streaming device.

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[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 35 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Shit. I got a Roku TV. That's one big fucking stick to toss.

[–] ohshit604@sh.itjust.works 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Shall I introduce you to the folks over at !selfhosted@lemmy.world?

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[–] Lexam@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Step 1. Factory reset.

Step 2. Do not allow it to connect to the Internet.

Step 3. Connect a Linux based computer to it and run everything through the computer.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 34 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

Instructions unclear. TV now controlled by Nicole the fediverse chick.

[–] Lexam@lemmy.world 15 points 22 hours ago

You can trust her. She's from Toronto!

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[–] potentiallynotfelix@lemmy.fish 31 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Don't connect your Roku to the internet.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 31 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (5 children)

Or better yet, use a Pi-Hole or something similar to block the relevant adservers at the DNS level.

[–] Hellmo_Luciferrari@lemm.ee 22 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I wouldn't say this is "better"

I do run a pihole, but I still will never connect my roku to the internet. It is much better to have a media PC or other streaming device I have control of fully connected.

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[–] blazeknave@lemmy.world 31 points 21 hours ago

Almost downvoted instinctually as a reaction to the headline. Visceral reaction. I hate this beyond belief.

[–] _sideffect@lemmy.world 21 points 11 hours ago

This is why I disconnected my parents Roku tv from the internet last year, when they started to get updates that wouldn't download, and freeze the whole tv, i said enough is enough

[–] nul9o9@lemmy.world 21 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Roku had the best smart tv ui. I was seriously bummed when the ads started rolling in a few years ago.

I want an open source streaming client, but from what I hear DRM gets in the way of that.

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[–] spongebue@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Looking around Roku's site, I found this email address: AdsPR@roku.com

I'm planning on giving them a brief but firm "oh hell no" letter. I wonder how many others will do the same 🤔

I emailed them to let them know I cancelled Disney+ and cited this specific ad and advertisement campaign through Roku as to why I cancelled the service.

Let’s make the companies who advertise this way feel pain.

[–] Mandragora@lemmy.world 20 points 14 hours ago (3 children)

this is the worst, next they're gonna put ads on cars

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 26 points 13 hours ago (3 children)

Have I got horrible news for you

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[–] scala@lemmy.ml 19 points 10 hours ago

Stellantis is already doing this on new cars in the US. (Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Maserati, FiAT, etc) Soon as you press the brakes and come to a stop ads play on your infotainment system. Have the car in park? Yep more ads.

[–] Fixxelious@lemmy.world 12 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (4 children)

Bro they already tried charging you monthly sub for unlocking seat heating functionality… if they are not already here, you can bet they are coming.

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[–] oyo@lemm.ee 19 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

If this happens on my box I'll be taking them to small claims court and let you all know how it goes...

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[–] mystik@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They just did this to me. How can I tell them they failed this test?

[–] Enkers@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 day ago

If it has a video input, hook up a used PC, and pirate everything. (:

[–] Tantheiel@lemmy.world 18 points 8 hours ago (6 children)

So glad I blocked my TVs access to the Internet at the router level. Never complainrd about not setting up a network if the network doesn't work.

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[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 17 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

So glad I ditched Roku. My modified Onn box (with an open source, ad-free launcher) is so much better.

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If you force Ads then I will replace your equipment. The only reason I use Roku is to avoid the Ads built into "smart TVs"

[–] Brotha_Jaufrey@lemmy.world 15 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (4 children)

I only ever tried using a Roku so I could stream my PC to my smart TV, but it turns out there's MASSIVE latency. Of course I returned it. If I had to deal with that AND ADS, I would have set that shit on fire

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[–] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 12 points 19 hours ago

I was thinking about changing my Roku TV anyway. "Dumb" TVs are the future for me.

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