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Roku explores taking over HDMI feeds with ads (www.lowpass.cc)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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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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[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

That is definitely way too invasive. Plugging something on to a Roku TV shouldn't enable them to show you ads through that other device.

I was actually thinking about getting a Roku once too. Really dodged a bullet.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (4 children)

The article says Roku is attempting to detect breaks, which are the only places Roku will try to show you an ad. So you open your inventory in the pause screen to fight a boss and an ad pops out.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

It slowly dawned on video game developers that a lengthy loading screen was actually just a wasted opportunity for a digital billboard.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I wonder if they’re prepared for Microsoft’s lawyers to come knocking when they find out their screen space is being highjacked by another company for profit…

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Sounds like popcorn hour to me.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Dark souls players in shambles.

[+] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

It's not as bad as Dhark thinks, but still pretty bad. Read my last sentence and fully immerse yourself.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

It's absolutely insanely horrible and probably some of the most invasive drm I have ever seen even proposed.

This would require doing deep analysis on all of the content going through the stream. That analysis sure as hell isn't being done locally since smart TV's can barely run their own operating systems, so everything getting offloaded to Roku servers and then they get to put ads on whatever they determine to be an appropriate time.

This technology enables censoring and blacking out signals that Roku decides you don't get to see, or preventing the release of the hijacked stream unless you perform certain actions, or just not releasing the stream at all unless you pay, effectively extorting you.

These cheap smart TVs already give you the worst panels and the worst processors. And now get to be extorted out of your own data being delivered the ten feet from your computer or PlayStation to the TV.

It's beyond ridiculous.