Users are unimpressed, eager to toss devices if test sticks.
  • spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    93·
    2 months 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.

  • RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    42·
    2 months ago

    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.

  • gedaliyah@lemmy.worldEnglish
    383·
    2 months ago

    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.

      • gedaliyah@lemmy.worldEnglish
        111·
        2 months ago

        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.

    • jacksilver@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      I think the issue is they hit market saturation and haven’t been able to develop any real revenue streams beyond the sale of devices (which is one time cost while maintenance and development constantly drain them of any profit).

      I suspect the increased enshitification is because they need other revenue streams. Just take a look at their stock price and it doesn’t paint a great picture for them.

  • blazeknave@lemmy.worldEnglish
    28·
    2 months ago

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

  • _sideffect@lemmy.worldEnglish
    191·
    2 months 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

  • spongebue@lemmy.worldEnglish
    191·
    2 months ago

    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 🤔

    • RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      18·
      2 months ago

      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.

    • scala@lemmy.mlEnglish
      16·
      2 months 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.worldEnglish
      10·
      2 months ago

      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.

  • nul9o9@lemmy.worldEnglish
    16·
    2 months ago

    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.

    • PeteZa@lemm.eeEnglish
      11·
      2 months ago

      I’ve much preferred Google TV for some time now. The recommendations and live free tv options are essentially built into the UI. Although I do use the Roku app as one of my free streaming options lol.

  • Brotha_Jaufrey@lemmy.worldEnglish
    15·
    2 months ago

    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

      • Brotha_Jaufrey@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        At the moment I just have an old laptop and connect it to my TV via hdmi and installed Parsec on both devices. It’s a nice, free method.

        In the future though I do want to look into getting a mini PC and doing essentially the same thing except it could be an individual device for the most part.

  • JIMMERZ@lemm.eeEnglish
    15·
    2 months ago

    Watching Roku steadily decline from a trusted brand has been something. For a time, they were the alternative to the other bigger more Ad driven companies. I’ve owned 2 and used to enjoy them overall. Now, they’ve slowly become just as bad or worse than their competitors in some regards. When history looks back on streaming boxes as a failed delivery method, Roku might just get to be the example in the forefront.

  • Tantheiel@lemmy.worldEnglish
    151·
    2 months ago

    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.